MOVIE NEWS – The studio boss behind Marvel’s three most notorious flops finally said it: “We shouldn’t make any more bad superhero films.” Sony is eager to move on from the era of Madame Web, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter.

When talking about the weakest superhero outings of recent years, three titles come to mind immediately — and they all share the same origin: Sony Pictures. As the holder of Spider-Man’s movie rights, the studio churned out disasters like Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter (the latter more disappointing than outright unwatchable), all between 2022 and 2024. These films triggered more memes than applause and attracted more bad reviews than ticket sales. But now the studio insists it has learned its lesson.

Speaking at the Bank of America conference, Sony Pictures chairman and CEO Ravi Ahuja was candid: “There was a time when almost any superhero film was guaranteed to be a success. In the mid-2010s the bar was very low, and nearly all of them performed incredibly well. But now, even superhero movies must be original. They need to bring something fresh, create an emotional connection, and feel like cultural events that can be marketed as such.”

His comments highlight a reality that’s been obvious for some time: the golden age is over. Back in 2018, Venom managed to earn $856 million on a $100 million budget, but today the genre is stacked with failures instead of blockbusters. Even Disney has been bleeding money, with fiascos like The Marvels losing hundreds of millions.

The Path Forward: Fresh Ideas and Event Movies

Ahuja’s prescription is straightforward: originality and spectacle. Films like Superman prove that if a superhero project feels like a genuine cultural phenomenon, it can still thrive. Marvel Studios seems to be betting on that too, doubling down on the next two Avengers movies while quietly shelving stalled projects.

But in the streaming era — where movies hit rental services or subscription platforms within weeks — throwing piles of cash at a project won’t guarantee success. Whether Ahuja’s leadership will truly raise the quality bar remains to be seen. For now, there are no immediate plans for new live-action heroes.

Source: GameStar