The success of Captain America: Civil War has led critics to claim that movie audiences have yet to experience "superhero fatigue" at the movie theater. Pundits believe that this imaginary condition will occur at some point in the near future as audiences tire of superhero stories. This theory's underlying belief is that all superhero movies are basically the same and that the story will become repetitive as it is told over and over, and it shows the cultural bias against and media ignorance of the source material.
Serious writers and the culture at large has always looked down on comic books as something low brow or, as criticism of Deadpool have shown, as something for children – even if the reality of comic books has been just the opposite. There are comic books aimed at children, but there are many more aimed at adults. These works of art and prose have always tackled current social issues and fears. From nuclear war and substance abuse to friends turned enemies and dealing with the grief when loved one dies. Even mainstream comics have addressed the issues and not just in one off publications but also in long- running story arcs.
Spider-Man isn't about a boy with spider powers. It is about a boy trying to deal with the death of a father figure that his inactions led to who also happens to have super powers. Batman isn't about a man with a lot of money, training, a cool utility belt and a bat fetish. It is about a man dealing with watching his parents' murder and the resulting feelings of helplessness. Captain America: Civil War isn't about a hopped up super soldier battling against a man in an iron suit. It is about 2 friends and colleagues trying to do what is right and finding each other on opposite sides of the conflict. It is the human in the super human that makes the stories interesting.
These humans, who happen to have super powers, inhabit a universe every bit as diverse as and more wonderful than reality. Every type of story can be told in a superhero universe. Marvel and DC (to a lesser extent) have shown that their characters can exist in gritty, episodic TV detective stories, blockbuster, apocalypse stories, political thrillers, comedy heists and more. The story telling can be every bit as rich as any other genre of movie. It is the story and the characters that will define whether or not a movie is successful. If the main characters happen to have super powers, it won't matter as long as they grow, have flaws and follow their personal motivations.
Comic books have survived lean economic times because they have been able to create iconic characters that people can relate to, and they have been able to reinvent their product to create something that appeals to people as times changed. Comic books have even survived the threat of electronic media and are bow thriving, thanks to the rise of geek culture.
If superhero movies fall out of favor with movie going audiences, it won't be because of some made up malady called "superhero fatigue." Instead, it will be because studios forget what makes a good film. Good films, superhero or otherwise, are driven by character and story – not special effects and stars. And that, true believer, is what comic book fans and companies have known for decades.