Tim Burton is a man who paved the way for the modern day superhero movie since 1989’s Batman and its sequel Batman Returns. However, the director thinks its time for the superhero genre to have a change of pace.
“Marvel, they have their thing and there’s a certain formula to it all which seems to still be working,” he told Yahoo! Movies. “But how many times can you say ‘you’re wearing a funny costume’ with the tights and stuff? That’s been going on for 20 years now. Yes, we all know that superheroes are damaged individuals. Maybe we need to see a happy superhero?”
Burton, whose movie Big Eyes is out soon, added that his Batman movie doesn’t compare to the current superhero movie product. “I remember Batman getting so much flak and criticism at the time for being too dark,” Burton adds. “And now 20-30 years later, it now looks like a lighthearted romp. It’s such a strange thing to go through.”
What do you make of Tim Burton’s comments? Do you think it’s time we had a happier superhero genre?
You can listen to our interview with Tim Burton on the latest episode of the Flickering Myth Podcast:
Originally published December 16, 2014. Updated July 3, 2023.
