Superman, while not necessarily my favourite hero, is a different story.
Let's try this a different way.
The Nolanverse Batman Trilogy was considered a huge success. A lot of people were iffy about the third film and Tom Hardy mumbling non stop, but it was a huge lift for anything Batman in that timeline. But whether the Nolanverse was a success or not, financially or critically, it's always apparent that a new Batman movie is going to come out 3-5 years after the last one of the previous franchise ends. Superman is the same way.
Let's say, as a hypothetical, the Gunn version of Superman bombs. OK, you'll get a new version in five years. Or it's a success financially, and maybe critically, and it can squeeze out a trilogy. In which case you probably have a full decade of Gunn Superman films, then a five year break, and a new Superman overall. The age timeline of a lot of collectors here is somewhere between 40-60 years old. This is an "antiquated" type of forum and discussion board format.
If someone here is in their 60s or close to it, yeah, I can see the complication. A lackluster Superman trilogy from Gunn might take up the rest of your lifespan. ( Most people here are males, and most males die off in their early 70s, but a lot die before that) But, without doxxing anyone here, most people here can probably squeeze out the next iteration of Superman past the Gunn conception. It's a function of time, but it will happen. Once actuaries got their hands on crunching the numbers for these IPs, now it's all on a schedule. Win or lose, you'll get more Superman. And Batman. And Spiderman. Etc, etc.
Personally, and I can only speak for myself, I'm OK with a little risk taking in theses super hero stories. If what worked for GOTG1 doesn't work for Superman, well OK. At least to me.
From an industry standpoint, what I can say with locked in certainty, is that the core Superman story and character is incredibly difficult to write for and about. He can't die. He is a good person. He had good parents. Much of what is ideal about Superman is locked into a different time in our society. This isn't very fertile ground. If you observe The Boys, what is most effective about Homelander is how others react to him and how they have to adjust because he's such a juggernaut. But he himself is almost written as a trope to the very edge of almost self parody. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what Antony Starr does with the character and the show is fun to watch, but even Homelander is incredibly limited in scope because it's difficult to write for a character like that.
If this blows, you'll get a new Superman in short order. If you live that long. Very likely I won't. Rough odds I have probably 10 years left. Maybe 18 months or so ago on this forum, I discussed that war is coming. I wasn't kidding. Once it expands, good chance I'll eat it much sooner than that. If Gunn scratches out a trilogy, good chance this is my last shot at a big tentpole Superman. But I'm OK with it.
You know what I find I enjoy? A good burrito. When they cook the carnitas just the right way. Not from a chain but from a small hole in the wall kind of sleeper place. Also deep dish pizza if it's made right. I still enjoy sparring. Sometimes I get hit in the head, and I have a hard head. Sometimes I can dish out a few solid shots and floor someone. Blowjobs are still great. The five minutes I get sometimes in a day in a brick and mortar on a toy hunt, and I find something cool. Or I don't, but it's still five minutes that truly belong to me, when most of the time, my time and duty belong to other obligations and people.
Superman film is awesome? Blowjobs still rock. Burritos and deep dish pizza never go bad. Toyhunts still sometimes make me smile. Maybe I still get punched in the face.
Superman film is horrible? Blowjobs still rock ( assuming no braces). I'm not yet outpriced on good burritos and deep dish pizza, even with this bonkers inflation. Sometimes I'm going to find a cool Transformer or GI Joe Classified on clearance and putting it on a shelf will make me smile. A coin flips and I might power shot someone to the dome.
One of the very best things for me about taking about a full decade away from this hobby is it recalibrated my viewpoint and value system on what it means to be pleasantly surprised. I can't speak for the rest of the regulars here, but IMHO, if you lose the ability to be pleasantly surprised, and not notice it, it's chipping away at one of the few freedoms that guys still have left in this society. You know who never gets to be pleasantly surprised anymore? Grown ups. And f&^% growing up. To me, that's why we collect, so a part of us never has to grow up. But that's just me. I accept I have less life in front of me than behind me. And, where I see the world going right now, good chance I'll die violently. But I'm OK with it.
"It's Toasted" Superman is toasted. And I'm at peace with it. I don't care if people here like one movie or another or one superhero or another. I'm just saying, as a fellow collector, never lose that little part of yourself that can still be pleasantly suprised. Because it represents freedom. Was true when we were kids, is still true today.
