What it’s Like For Fans to See Superhero Movies with Non-Fans, An Educational Film by Dorkly

Recommended Videos

Dorkly has transformed their old comic about seeing superhero movies as a fan versus a non-fan into a video. They specify “Marvel movies” here, but really, it could go for just about any movie that adapts a property from a franchise with a wealth of complicated source material — superhero movies are the obvious go-to there, but other adaptations like Harry Potter and LotR and GoT and so on could just as easily fit the bill.

I had this exact experience seeing Deadpool with two non-fans. I was the one laughing at the comic references and scowling at the changes that I didn’t like. Meanwhile, my non-fan friends got to sit back and enjoy the movie as the campy, corny action flick parody that it is on the surface level. I had the burden (or the blessing?) of comparison to the source material. By contrast, when I saw Guardians of the Galaxy, I got to just enjoy it on the surface level because I don’t know much about the other versions of the story. Does that mean I enjoyed it more? Not necessarily. Also, this comparison doesn’t really work, because those movies are very different — but, still, there’s no denying that going in with prior knowledge of a movie’s adaptive source will completely change how you feel about it.

Do you all think that seeing a movie when you’ve already been entrenched in the fandom helps it or hurts it? For me, I think familiarity with the source material just makes the experience more intense: the good choices feel so much more validating, and the bad choices feel so much more disappointing. It’s like experiencing a movie in 3D, but the third dimension is the extra layer of fandom baggage that you brought in with you. Much like 3D, it can either be super intense or give you a headache (or both).

(via Geek Tyrant)

—Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—

Do you follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?


The Mary Sue is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article Here’s Everything We Know About ‘Sister Act 3’
Whoopi Goldberg conducts a choir wearing a nun's habit but no wimple.
Read Article ‘Sister Act 3’ Is Still in the Works
Three nuns look skeptical
Read Article Women Are Horny on Main in ‘Challengers’ and ‘The Idea of You’
(L-R) Mike Faist, Zendaya, and Josh O'Connor sit on a bed in 'Challengers'. R: Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway almost kiss in 'The Idea of You'.
Read Article The First Reactions for ‘Furiosa’ Bode Well For the ‘Mad Max’ Franchise
Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa in 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'
Read Article Is the King of Mocap Returning for ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’?
Caesar the ape scowls in 'War for the Planet of the Apes'.
Related Content
Read Article Here’s Everything We Know About ‘Sister Act 3’
Whoopi Goldberg conducts a choir wearing a nun's habit but no wimple.
Read Article ‘Sister Act 3’ Is Still in the Works
Three nuns look skeptical
Read Article Women Are Horny on Main in ‘Challengers’ and ‘The Idea of You’
(L-R) Mike Faist, Zendaya, and Josh O'Connor sit on a bed in 'Challengers'. R: Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway almost kiss in 'The Idea of You'.
Read Article The First Reactions for ‘Furiosa’ Bode Well For the ‘Mad Max’ Franchise
Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa in 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'
Read Article Is the King of Mocap Returning for ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’?
Caesar the ape scowls in 'War for the Planet of the Apes'.
Author
Maddy Myers
Maddy Myers, journalist and arts critic, has written for the Boston Phoenix, Paste Magazine, MIT Technology Review, and tons more. She is a host on a videogame podcast called Isometric (relay.fm/isometric), and she plays the keytar in a band called the Robot Knights (robotknights.com).