Adam Devine Says Marvel Ruined Comedies
Part of the success of the MCU has been the way that Marvel has infused comedy into the superhero genre.
While Marvel’s films take themselves very seriously for the most part, they also are injected with humor and irreverence that have become synonymous with the franchise.
Even before Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man took Marvel’s comedy game to the next level, Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America were cracking jokes as they saved the world.
Over time, however, Marvel has clearly injected more humor into their films. In fact, in recent years, many Marvel fans have worried that the MCU has become too serious for its own good (see Thor: Love and Thunder). Still, finding the right balance between action and comedy remains the studios calling card.
While many credit Marvel’s infusion of humor into superhero films as the catalyst that brought the genre to unprecedented levels of popularity, it is possible that there were unforeseen consequences to this new formula.
Did Marvel Kill Comedy?
In an interview with Theo Von, actor Adam Devine pontificated that by leaning so much on humor, Marvel actually killed the comedy genre.
“You watch comedies nowadays and you’re like, this is not a [freaking] comedy,” Devine said. “Where are the jokes? Where are the bits? There’s still good [comedy] shows, but movie comedy…it’s hard. My theory: I think Marvel ruined it. I feel like superhero movies ruined comedies because you go to the theater and you expect to watch something that cost $200 million to make, and comedy movies aren’t that.”
“So you’re like, ‘Why would I spend the same amount of money to go watch a little comedy in the theater if I can spend that and watch something that is worth $200 million?’ And they still make those movies kind of funny, like, ‘Oh my god, is that raccoon talking? This is hilarious!’ Which it is, but it’s not a real comedy.”
A Dearth Of Theatrical Comedies
As studios have grown more selective about what films they release to theaters, Devine argues that they are simply prioritizing superhero and action movies, which feature humor, over comedy movies themselves.
“Every studio used to put out several comedies a year,” the Pitch Perfect star noted. “And there were like 45 comedies in the theater per year. So every week or so, there’s a new comedy in the theaters. Now, last year, there was like 6 or 7. It’s crazy.”
Comedies Have Moved to Streaming
While I would argue that the dearth of theatrical comedies has more to do with Hollywood’s obsession with tentpole films and record-breaking opening weekends, there is no doubt that Marvel changed the landscape of cinema.
Whether or not audiences are eschewing comedies because their favorite superheroes crack jokes, however, remains debatable.
With the advent of the streaming era, comedies have instead found a more natural home on Netflix and Hulu. Since streamers can often more easily afford those types of lower-budget films, it makes sense that they would prioritize the genre.
Nevertheless, Devine makes an interesting point and perhaps has discovered another unintended consequence of the rise of the MCU.
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