Release Dates Too Close Together and Short Theatrical Windows May Be Hurting Comic Book Movies in this Economy

TET checks his wallet to see if he has the money to see two movies this month.

One of my most anticipated movies for 2025 was the new Fantastic Four movie. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go and see it because my other most anticipated movie of 2025 was Superman, released just a week or so before.

I chose to see Superman because he is one of the DC trinity of heroes, which is my core interest in superhero movies. While Marvel movies have been great, any of DC's big three (Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman) in a movie will have my attention over anything else.

I don't know what Kevin Feige's strategy is, releasing Marvel movies so close to DC movies (this isn't the first time he's done this, it seems to be a thing?) but I can't afford to go see a movie in the cinema twice in the space of a month.

No doubt I'm not the only one in this economy.

I imagine Kevin is trying to capture the repeat viewers. Instead of seeing Superman again, let's go see this whole new superhero film instead. Except the new normal for comic book movie box office suggests people aren't going in for repeat viewings without it being intentional i.e. they're not heading to the cinema to re-watch a comic book movie they enjoyed, and then being distracted by another similar comic book movie to watch instead.

By the time I can afford to see Fantastic Four it likely won't be in cinemas anymore. If it is, it'll still be playing at some obscure cinema nowhere near me.

At that point I may as well wait, and make use of my Disney+ subscription, that I pay for so I can watch all the Marvel and Star Wars TV series they decided to bombard us with over the last five years.

I would have loved to see Fantastic Four in a cinema. It's one of the main reasons I like superhero movies. They're nearly always better experienced on a big screen - as big as possible.

When the economy is good it's fine for Marvel and DC to play games with their release dates. Right now, they really need to give each other space to breathe. Shorter theatrical windows don't make it easy for people like me, who never see a movie more than once in the cinema, to gather up the cost of another movie ticket, plus the candy bar, plus an evening out for dinner (times two, because I have a partner and we do split the costs).

Maybe Kevin's strategy works and people like me don't make much of an impact. All I know is, I'm the exact audience for almost everything Marvel and DC releases, and I didn't go to see a film I wanted to see, and have been eagerly anticipating, in a cinema.

Not for the first time either.

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