Paul Dano just roasted superhero movies, and fans love him for it

Paul Dano just addressed where The Batman stands in the superhero genre, and fans totally agree with his strong take.

For many fans of the Caped Crusader, 2022’s The Batman is the ultimate take on Gotham’s savior. With Robert Pattinson playing a younger, moodier version of Bruce Wayne and Paul Dano giving us a Zodiac Killer-style Riddler, the superhero movie didn’t hesitate to shake things up.

And the response proved that it was a smart move. It became the seventh-highest-grossing movie of 2022, and fans have since been waiting eagerly for any and all news on The Batman 2.

There’s no doubt that The Batman was a welcome change-up from the usual superhero fare. In fact, Paul Dano just put it in a whole other league, and fans are loving him for it.

Paul Dano says The Batman is “a real movie”

Speaking to The Independent, Paul Dano said that The Batman was “a real movie”, compared to other comic book movies. “There are enough comic book movies where you just know what you’re gonna get,” he explained.

As for the future of the genre, he had thoughts on that, too. “It’s an interesting moment where everybody has to go like, ‘OK – what now?’ Hopefully from that, somebody either breathes new life into [comic book movies], or something else blossoms which is not superheroes. I’m sure there will still be some good ones yet to come, but I think it’s kind of a welcome moment.”

Warner Bros.

“As soon as the word ‘content’ came into what we do – meaning making movies or TV – it meant quantity over quality, which I think was a big misstep,” he added. “And I certainly don’t need that as a viewer or as an artist.”

Over on X, many users were quick to agree with Dano, applauding him for his opinion.

“Paul Dano spittin facts bcz The Batman was Real Cinema,” wrote one user, while another said: “HE GETS IT!!!!”

“Paul Dano going for the throat,” one comment said. Another wrote: “Shots fired!”

“People are gonna get mad at this but he’s right, this isn’t a studio exec mandated film, this film has it’s own vision and flair,” one user wrote. “This movie’s purpose isn’t to setup a side character that will be more relevant in sequels it’s just cinema.”

“He’s not wrong,” said another. “Disney just been dropping watered down movies and shows creating the fatigue.”

That’s a lot of pressure on The Batman 2 to recreate the magic. But considering its absence from the upcoming DC slate, it could stand as a strong follow-up to this comic book outlier.