Gen Z Expects Better From Marvel Studios, DC Studios: Iman Vellani
· BCPosted in: Disney+, Movies, TV | Tagged: dc studios, Iman Vellani, Marvel Studios
Gen Z Expects Better From Marvel Studios, DC Studios: Iman Vellani
Actress and comics writer Iman Vellani doesn't believe Gen Z is done with superhero films and series; they just want the bar to be raised.
Published Sat, 11 Jul 2026 09:37:09 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary
- Iman Vellani says Gen Z still cares about superheroes, but Marvel Studios, DC Studios, and others must raise the bar with fresher, smarter stories.
- As Marvel and DC face deal with burnout debates, Vellani argues the genre’s problem is stale execution, not audience apathy.
- Vellani believes Gen Z wants heroes treated as people first, with emotional stakes, honesty, and real themes.
- To win Gen Z back, Vellani says superhero movies must evolve beyond novelty and grow with their audience.
Are we suffocating on spandex? Are we burnt out on things being lept in single bounds? Has "grim & gritty" become almost a parody of itself? In other words, have viewers decided to move on from superhero films and series? It's an ongoing debate that resurfaces with the success or failure of the latest project under the microscope – the next harbinger of either happier times or impending doom (never anything in the middle because nuance doesn't make for clickbait headlines). DC Studios' disappointing Supergirl dragged the debate back into the headlines, while Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday needs to not only be a hit but also be so impressive that it reignites a slowly stagnating level of interest in the MCU. But are folks really done with all of the on-screen superheroics? Animation fans would argue that things have never been better, while actress, comics writer, and all-around "geek prophet" Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel, The Marvels) would argue that the superhero genre is a victim of its own success and that it's time to raise the bar.
During a recent Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) for the League of Comic Geeks, in support of her brand-new comic book series Chachu, Vellani was asked for her thoughts on recent reporting that some studio executives believe that "Gen Z does not care about superhero movies" and "that genre belongs to millennials." From her perspective, it's not that Gen Z has grown tired of superhero films and series; it's that they expect more from what Marvel Studios, DC Studios, and others have offered in the past. With superhero films and series becoming their own genres at this point, the studios can't just expect Gen Z to show up as they did in the past. The novelty of it has worn off, so it's time to get creative – and keep things real.
"I dont agree that Gen Z has stopped caring about superheroes. Maybe they've just stopped feeling obligated to show up. Our generation has grown up with an abundance of superhero stories, so perhaps the novelty has worn off – which is natural. The bar is higher now. We're looking for stories that feel specific and emotional – especially in the age of AI. We want honesty from our storytellers. We want our intelligence respected," Vellani shared. "If anything, I think Gen Z responds incredibly well to superheroes when they're treated as people first. The themes of grief, identity, legacy, belonging – they're timeless and will never age out. Every genre goes through cycles. Westerns did. Musicals did. Romcoms did. So the answer isn't to abandon the genre, but to find new stories that only be told through THIS genre. At the end of the day, I think we just want these films to evolveand grow alongside their audience."
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