Super heroes only work if the rules of their fictional universe are believable enough that suspension of disbelief can work. Iron Man was (is?) hugely popular because it remains connected to reality enough that people can buy it.
A film about chimp being elected president can be a smash hit, if not a classic masterpiece, as can most silly ideas. That doesn't mean it has the same chance to do so as a super hero flick. My point still stands. People might watch the chimp film out of morbid curiosity, and the might find it funny, but it would be unlikely to be considered "great" or even "good". Nobody seriously buys that there would be any circumstance that a non-human would be elected president. People can buy a world where, if a super power was obtainable, that those powers would be used for good and evil. It's a fundamental type of fantasy. Nobody fantasizes about being President Chimp. Yet even children fantasize of flying, shooting fireballs, being invincible, having gigantic muscles, and any number of things you'll find super heroes doing.
> Super heroes only work if the rules of their fictional universe are believable enough that suspension of disbelief can work.
Not really. Perhaps that was true in 2008 when the MCU started, but as the years go on, it gets less and less serious, yet continues to rake in more and more money. Turns out, people just like big action set pieces with large CGI budgets. Compare that to a movie like The Northman which is all about the hero's journey yet was a commercial failure, in part because it wasn't flashy enough to capture the general public's attention.
People are more simple-minded than you give them credit for.
> A film about chimp being elected president can be a smash hit, if not a classic masterpiece, as can most silly ideas. That doesn't mean it has the same chance to do so as a super hero flick.
Switch out President with freedom fighter, and the reboot/prequel Planet of the Apes trilogy certainly fits as a modern semi-believable sci-fi hit.
A film about chimp being elected president can be a smash hit, if not a classic masterpiece, as can most silly ideas. That doesn't mean it has the same chance to do so as a super hero flick. My point still stands. People might watch the chimp film out of morbid curiosity, and the might find it funny, but it would be unlikely to be considered "great" or even "good". Nobody seriously buys that there would be any circumstance that a non-human would be elected president. People can buy a world where, if a super power was obtainable, that those powers would be used for good and evil. It's a fundamental type of fantasy. Nobody fantasizes about being President Chimp. Yet even children fantasize of flying, shooting fireballs, being invincible, having gigantic muscles, and any number of things you'll find super heroes doing.