Superheroes have dominated the global box office for years, and it is clear that there's quite a bit of fan enthusiasm for them all over the world. However, some have started to think that the way we view these characters is all wrong. In fact, Damon Lindelof recently opened up about the state of the superhero movie genre at Vulture Fest LA this weekend and explained that we should rethink these characters because their masks and secret identities instantly make them unworthy of our trust. Lindelof said:
What we think about superheroes is wrong. I love the Marvel movies and we saw Justice League this morning and I'm all for Wonder Woman and Batman and I grew up on these characters, but we should not trust people who put on masks and say that they are looking out for us. If you hide your face, you are up to no good.
So based on Damon Lindelof's recent comments at Vulture Fest LA (via Vulture), we should be approaching superheroes with a greater sense of skepticism because, by their very nature, they seem suspicious. In his opinion, if you hide your face, then you likely have something else to hide, which means the general public probably shouldn't take your word at face value. Superhero movies often sidestep this issue (with some exceptions, such as J.K. Simmons' J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy) but Lindelof wants to see comic book-based films dive more aggressively into the lack of trust we should have in heroes.
With that mentality in mind, it kind of makes perfect sense that Damon Lindelof's foray into the world of superheroes is the upcoming Watchmen TV series at HBO. Alan Moore's original graphic novel (not to mention Zack Snyder's 2009 film of the same name) dealt heavily in the idea of corruptible heroes and public cynicism, which feel like two themes that definitely gel with Lindelof's take on the genre as a whole.
If Damon Lindelof is concerned over the idea of heroes donning masks and taking to the streets to protect us, then it seems likely that he may have the most substantial affinity for the movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike other franchises (mainly the DCEU) most Marvel properties have actually eschewed the idea of secret identities in favor of heroes who are known to the public at large -- such as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), who changed the game by coming out as a hero at the end of Iron Man in 2008. Those heroes have publicly recognizable personas, and the emphasis on accountability (a major aspect of Captain America: Civil War) likely plays into what Lindelof wants to see more of going forward.
Regardless of your opinion on Damon Lindelof's superhero movie comments, there are still plenty of viewing options currently available. Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League are now in theaters, so make sure to check them both out!
