The year is 2000 and Bryan Singer has unleashed X-Men upon the world – a darker, gritty live-action re-imagining of the beloved animated series and comics. Hugh Jackman was largely an unknown; good superhero films were something of legend; the odds were not against this feature. Little did audiences know, Singer’s film would be somewhat of a landmark for the genre… 18 years on, superheroes populate mainstream cinema and Fox have grown to become quite the juggernaut – this weekend welcomes in the hotly anticipated Deadpool 2 after all. But, it wasn’t just the first X-Men film that reinvigorated the comic-book formula.
Of course, Singer’s 2000 superhero film is looked to as somewhat of a genre classic – seminal for its time, its culture, its nature. Today, there is no shortage of superhero films; not only do Fox have their catalogue of X-Men and the like but we have the MCU and DCEU and an average of 4 or 5 comic-book films a year now. It’s a part of cinematic diet – a part of our culture. Many would look to the original X-Men as the godfather of the recent superhero resurgence; in 2000, it was the first of its kind. It was a dark, epic ensemble piece… And it was good! Fans got a good taste for the modern superhero film and wanted more – the coming years birthed a plethora of supers from Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy following suit, the early Fantastic Four’s, Pixar’s The Incredibles and Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy all arriving very soon after whilst Fox continued with their X-Men films as well. Whilst Raimi and Nolan can also be looked towards as the minds that shaped the genre, it’s most prominently all thanks to Singer and Fox. They had a knack for this. That much has become evident in their now expansive backlog of superhero films – which currently consists of 6 main X-Men films, 3 Wolverine stand-alones, three Fantastic Four films, even 2 Kingsman endeavours and, of course, now, 2 Deadpool entries as well (not to mention the many others lined up).
The X-Men films are arguably still some of the finest superhero films out there – with the exception of The Last Stand; 2 of the 3 Wolvy films are remarkable (let’s not talk about Origins), 2 of the Fantastic Fours are enjoyable and both Deadpools are awesome. Even with superhero fatigue settling in and very much wearing the genre fairly thin, Fox still excel; for every Origins or Fant4stic, we get The Wolverine or Deadpool. Why? How? The fact of the matter is simply that Fox have the balls to make the moves and movies that Marvel and DC are too scared to make: the different ones. Ever since their first endeavour with the original X-Men, Fox have been trying to tell different superhero stories – the X-Men were always seen as quite fun and colourful but Fox grounded them and told a story that was anything but pulpy and light. The original X-Men trilogy was different for the time¬ but when that formula started to get stale, we got the likes of the prequel trilogy and ‘Days of Future Past’. Both ‘First Class’ and ‘Apocalypse’ are perhaps more in-line with traditional superhero formula than most of the other Fox films but they’re stories told well – directed with oomph. And they bookend what is, arguably, one of the greatest superhero films ever. DOFP was wholly original in that it brought together two timelines and two generations of heroes to tell such a visceral, epic story and one that worked against all odds. In a world where we now have Infinity War, it’s hard to think that Days of Future Past was colossal because of its ensemble but it was. It was certainly the first superhero film to bring together heroes of past and present and stuff that many iconic characters and actors into one film and work so effectively.
Whilst many point to Deadpool and Logan as the game-changers, DOFP was as big a landmark for the genre as those two. Of course, both Deadpool and Logan can’t be discredited for their influence over the genre either. Whilst they’re more recent efforts with their long-term effects and influence yet to really be seen in full swing (although early evidence is peeking), both those films brought hard R-ratings back in fashion for comic-book films – for the first time since Blade. For such mainstream Fox staples, the fact that they were rated R and really let loose to be whatever they wanted to be was a HUGE deal. They’re so far removed from the comic-book film genre that you’d be forgiven for looking at them as other genre exercises first then as superhero stories. And that’s why they work. Deadpool was a rom-com; Logan was a Western. Yes, the DP marketing joked about it being a rom-com but it is that – its romance and comedy flowing through its veins to poignant effect. Perhaps that’s more subtle but Logan really is anything but a superhero film. It’s a Western. It’s a damn indie film – a character piece that charts the journey of this broken man on his final bout. Both of those films worked as well as they did because of how far off the beaten track they are; they’re risks but Fox put their chips into them. Marvel and the DCEU play it safe – they have their zones of comfort which they operate freely within and whilst it works, it lacks the oomph the recent Fox films bring. What makes Fox superhero films so revolutionary for the genre is that this is a studio that trust their stories and writers and filmmakers and take the risks to make the movies no one else is making – sure enough, it doesn’t always work (Fant4stic) but, my god, when it does, IT DOES. Both Logan and Deadpool were heaped with praise upon release in ways no other comic-book films have ever been – the former was up for a Oscar!
Related: Deadpool 2 review
So, as Deadpool 2 releases in cinemas this past weekend, it should be praised for its individuality. Most of the recent MCU and DCEU films have bled into one another with the odd exception. But even those “odd exceptions” – bar Infinity War which finally took some risks and went Fox on their model – have nothing on the distinct voice of the genre model Fox are chasing. If Deadpool and Logan aren’t proof enough that this is a studio reworking and reshaping the future of comic-book movies for the better – having made a few of the very best of the genre – then I don’t know what is. Deadpool 2 also bursts with energy and personality in a way its predecessor didn’t so that’s another one under the belt. And with The New Mutants coming up and veering into uncharted horror territory for a superhero film and Gambit a hardcore heist film/crime drama, Fox are only just getting started.
Deadpool 2 is now on general release.
