After 34 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 15 in the DCEU, and various television series focusing on superhero shenanigans, it’s understandable why some people say they’ve got “superhero fatigue.” Oversaturation is an unfortunate inevitability whenever Hollywood sees dollar signs stacking up. For years, superhero cinema was the cream of the box office crop. While Deadpool & Wolverine is the exception to superhero movies trending downward (for now) in the public interest, the genre remains ripe for parody, and that’s why HBO‘s The Franchise trailer is ready to poke fun at the process of bringing super-powered punching bags to screens.
Here’s the official description of The Franchise: “The crew of an unloved franchise movie fight for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. The Franchise shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, to ask the question — how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made? Because every f*ck-up has an origin story.”
Created by Jon Brown, Armando Iannucci, and Sam Mendes, The Franchise stars Billy Magnussen (Road House), Aya Cash (The Boys), Himesh Patel (Yesterday), and Lolly Adefope (Ghosts), among others.
JoBlo’s Alex Maidy talks about how much he enjoyed the series in his review, saying, “The Franchise is a very specific and targeted send-up of the very industry and projects that the producers and crew of this series are a part of. There is a lot of potential for The Franchise to continue making fun of Hollywood blockbusters for seasons to come with this eight-episode season, never overstaying its welcome while still cramming in copious jokes at the expense of Hollywood studios. With great performances from everyone, led by a hilariously deadpan Himesh Patel, The Franchise should be HBO’s next big hit. I laughed out loud multiple times throughout the series, especially during the back half of the season, with the cameos (both real and fictional) making this a long-awaited satire of superhero fatigue.”
I think it’s high time for something other than 2008’s Superhero Movie to take the piss out of superhero cinema, and The Franchise sounds like it could be the ticket. What do you think about HBO’s trailer for The Franchise? Let us know in the comments section below.
The Franchise premieres on October 6th on HBO.