With the release of the SnyderCut I think that it is very important to revisit this very harmful idea that fan bases have a controlling influence over studios. Whether you like the SnyderCut or not, its very existence sets a dangerous precedent, not for comic book movies, but for all of media. For 4 years, fanboys on the internet whined and complained loudly and repeatedly until HBO heard their toddler like temper tantrum and decided to fund the SnyderCut.
Here’s the bottom line, just because you created something doesn’t mean it deserves to be seen (especially when you didn’t actually finish it in the first place). Secondly, you as a fan of absolutely anything are owed NOTHING. Not a single thing. Studios, franchises, and artists are not here to cater to your theories and wishes. You deserve nothing from these films, not one thing.
The best and most recent example I can think of for this concept is WandaVision. Internet fan theories went crazy attempting to bring in characters that had absolutely no relevance or relation to the main characters, like Nightmare and Mephisto. So not only were these theories completely unfounded (because they made no sense whatsoever), but had Marvel and Jac Schaffer given fans what they wanted, the show would have sucked. It’s that simple. If Marvel had given into fans, who knows nothing about screenwriting, filmmaking, and apparently the source material, the show would have been an incoherent mess.
The problem with the SnyderCut is that HBO has shown fans that a major studio is willing to bow to the will of internet babies for the chance of making some money. This is harmful to the industry as a whole because: What happens the next time a loud subset of fans are unhappy with a movie? How long before studios start suggestion boxes for plot points and character arcs? Does that sound a little conspiracy theorist-y?
Sure, maybe. But as a comic book nerd and comic book movie fan, it is not our job to dictate the landscape of the content we receive. The creatives that produce these movies need to be trusted to do their jobs. Fans are not going to like every movie, are not going to agree with every decision. We as fans need to find a way to be an adult, be okay with that, and then move on with our lives. In my opinion the existence of the SnyderCut is pathetic on all fronts, and I do sincerely hope that other major franchises do not make this a pattern.
Comments are closed.