Superhero movies - typified by the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - have transformed Hollywood, killing the older "star vehicle" approach to filmmaking. There are fashions in popular culture, and nothing lasts forever. But it's frequently the case that the changing fashions only come to people's attention when they are pointed to by those who mourn the loss of the world they were part of, that they knew so well and loved so dearly.

An article in The Sunday Times, bearing the ominous title "Is Matt Damon the last of Hollywood’s leading men?" is an excellent case in point. It's a combined editorial and interview by journalist Jonathan Dean, and frankly, it reads like a eulogy to the Hollywood of yesteryear. "The big titles of the past decade are brands and franchises established in numerous prequels and sequels," Dean observes, and he can't help opining that "the movie business is simply not geared towards leading men any more — and we will miss them when they’re gone."

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Dean's central thesis is that superhero films in particular have killed the traditional "star vehicle" model of Hollywood. And, while his article has generated a lot of heat online, he has a point. The last decade in particular has seen the film industry change shape dramatically, with superhero films playing a key role in the transformation.

Hollywood Used To Be Built On Movie Stars

John and Jane stand together in Mr and MRs Smith

The Hollywood of old was built largely on "star vehicles." Movie stars became household names, they commanded big bucks, and their faces were featured front-and-center in marketing and merchandise. As film historian Ben Fritz notes in The Big Picture, artists like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were once the beating heart of the movie business, commanding $20 million salaries or massive bonuses, and everything about their films - the script, the setting, the direction, the supporting actors - was chosen to synergize with the star. In the first decade of the century, about half of the twenty highest-grossing films were star vehicles - think Tom Hanks movie Cast Away, or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's Mr. & Mrs. Smith, or Will Smith's Hancock. The importance of the stars was perfectly displayed on the DVD covers, which prominently featured the actors' faces, and often nothing else.

Of course, franchises have always existed in the film industry alongside star vehicles. The Godfather: Part II was a key moment in film history, the first sequel to win an Academy Award for Best Picture, and Hollywood swiftly began investing in more of the same. And yet, for all that's the case, certain actors were seen as inextricably linked with the success of the franchises as a whole; Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford with Star Wars, Christopher Reeve with Superman, Sigourney Weaver with Alien, Arnold Schwarzenegger with The Terminator. Only a handful of franchises seemed capable of growing beyond their stars, with James Bond a notable example. But as the twenty-first century began, there were already hints this was beginning to change.

Now Hollywood Is Built On IPs (Especially Comic Books)

Peter Parker removes his mask in Spider-Man: Far From Home

Audiences are no longer loyal to actors, but instead are devoted to franchises and intellectual properties - especially comic book adaptations. The trend was already becoming visible in the first few years of the 21st century, with George Lucas releasing Star Wars prequels that didn't feature Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, reboots of Batman and Superman, and new franchises such as The MatrixPirates of the Caribbean, and Harry Potter. But it was accelerated by the launch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008, with Iron Man making the ambitious promise of a shared cinematic universe where a wide range of heroes and villains could coexist, an overarching narrative that built to its first climax in 2012's The Avengers. Marvel Studios swiftly developed a reputation for superb casting, but their actors were not the biggest draw - the characters they played, and the world in which they operated, were. The success of the MCU led other studios to attempt to mimic it, establishing their own shared universes and increasingly focusing on already-established franchises.

Related: What Happened To WB's FIVE Shared Universes

Some movie stars noticed the trend and attempted to capitalize upon it. One of the most interesting examples is Will Smith, who, recognizing the decreasing importance of star power and the shift toward franchises, hoped he could create a new one with After Earth. "Each generation discovers a world that connects with them on a visceral and emotional level," he pitched to Sony. "Their appetite for revisiting that world is endless and as they grow older, the attraction continues to grow stronger. Star Trek, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter have all reached such stature, and now they are being joined by 1000 AD." Will Smith's ambitious shared universe plan for After Earth was doomed to failure, however. While he had correctly diagnosed the change in pop culture trends, he failed to note the appetite was for IP with preexisting fanbases, not original franchises.

Modern-day Hollywood is overwhelmingly dominated by franchises. This is best illustrated by casting an eye to the top 10 global blockbusters of 2019 (2020 being disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic). It consists of four Marvel or DC superhero films, four Disney and Pixar sequels or remakes, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and Jumanji: The Next Level. That's not to say actors no longer matter. They do, and certain actors still have a draw. But increasingly, actors' names matter precisely because they are associated with a certain brand, and only when associated with that brand, as is suggested by the box office performances of their films outside of those brands.

Most Superhero Actors Don't Thrive Outside Of Superhero Movies

doolittle 2020

It's now becoming clear that starring roles in superhero blockbusters don't necessarily serve as a springboard to success in all other projects. Again, this is best seen by casting an eye to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where actors have struggled to draw the same kind of crowds they saw when they suited up against Thanos. Robert Downey Jr. became a household name as Iron Man, but Dolittle was a bomb that failed to recoup its budget. Chris Hemsworth is iconic as Thor, but Men in Black: International, Ghostbusters, Blackhat and The Huntsman: Winter's War all barely moved the needle. Chris Evans has found some success with films like Knives Out and Snowpiercer, but it's been hit or miss. The only notable exception to this pattern seems to be Scarlett Johansson, who went on to star in two Oscar-nominated roles in 2019. It's interesting to note she was paid $20 million for Black Widow, and Johansson is suing Disney over Black Widow's streaming release, perhaps indicating a degree of confidence in her prospects. The fact she had a strong, established career before playing Black Widow likely plays no small part in her continued success. Unlike most of the relative unknowns cast as the original Avengers and Robert Downey, Jr. struggling to re-establish his career, Johansson had been a relatively well-known name long before the MCU.

Still, even allowing for the odd exception, it's clear popular culture has shifted. Audiences no longer turn up to see Robert Downey Jr., but rather to see Iron Man played by Robert Downey, Jr.; they aren't invested in Tom Holland, but in Tom Holland's Spider-Man. If Uncharted takes off, Holland could be one of the few new actors to anchor multiple tentpole franchises, but it's worth pointing out, again, that Uncharted is based on a preexisting video game IP. These days, there are few actors capable of launching multiple brand-new, original franchises like Harrison Ford or Keanu Reeves. Hollywood has changed, and - while the sorrow and frustration of those who loved the Hollywood of yesteryear, before the MCU, are understandable - it's better to adapt.

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