Phil Lord’s legacy as a prolific American filmmaker is being further cemented after the release and success of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The movie, which Lord co-wrote and co-produced, is getting incredible reviews and being touted as one of the best films of the year. This is his second superhero film, as he also worked on 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, and he's overseen other franchise films with his producing partner, Chris Miller. As the Spider-Verse movies see immense success, Lord has something to say about the current state of superhero films, specifically when it comes to their reliance on Easter eggs.
He and Chris Miller opened up about their experience working on Across the Spider-Verse while chatting with The Hollywood Reporter. Amid the conversation, they also got candid about their opinion on “superhero fatigue” (which has been discussed by Disney's Bob Iger and more execs lately). The pair specifically zeroed in on why audiences may not be attracted to the same tropes and easy sells as they were with previous comic book films. Phil Lord didn't mince words when sharing his two cents on how filmmakers employ reveals:
If you’re using the same story structure and the same style and the same tone and the same vibe as movies and shows that have come before, it doesn’t matter what genre it is. It’s going to be boring to people. And the audience in the theater cannot be sustained on Easter eggs and reveals. Or even these big, crazy multiverse stakes. They only care about, like, the relationship between Rocket Raccoon and Groot.
He has a great point. While many hardcore fans get excited about Easter eggs in superhero projects, what really sustains audiences are firm relationships between characters. Marvel, in particular has had a rough patch this year, with films like Thor: Love and Thunder and Ant-Man: Quantumania not being as successful as hoped. However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a big hit for the studio, with many fans being emotionally moved by the relationship between the titular team. While films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness experimented with genre and stakes, it didn't garner the same fan response as the more character-driven entries. It's also worth mentioning that Strange 2 had a number of major cameos and teases.
That all speaks volumes to this uncertain era for the superhero genre. In previous years, many of these films would be instant blockbuster smashes. But as of late, films like Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods have underperformed at the box office. When it comes to The Marvel Cinematic Universe, some believe that fans haven't connected with the new characters as they did with Iron Man or Captain America. There's also the fact that there's a lot of MCU content being cranked out these days and, in some ways, it can be homogeneous. And with that high volume, it can also be hard to keep up, thus forcing some to get off the hype train.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller seem to have figured all of this out, though, as Across the Spider-Verse is a box office hit. Without going into spoilers, the movie does have a few sweet cameos and Easter eggs that are sure to delight fans. However, the filmmakers don't make those reveals their bread and butter. Instead, they focus mainly on crafting a compelling narrative and using animation in innovative ways to help tell it. Lord certainly dished out some keen words of wisdom, and it's fair to say that a number of others may be able to benefit from them.
You can catch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse now, as it’s currently in theaters nationwide, and check out its predecessor, Into the Spider-Verse, which is currently available to rent on Amazon. For more information on other features in the genre that are heading to cinemas in the near future, make sure to consult our listing of upcoming superhero films as well as the 2023 schedule of upcoming movies.
