Entertainment
HBO’s Scathing 8-Part Superhero Movie Satire Is Aging Like Fine Wine
Hollywood’s relationship with superhero movies has shifted radically in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic, with these massive franchises no longer having the same sway that they once did. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has struggled to maintain the same degree of consistency in the aftermath of the “Infinity Saga,” and not every installment has been successful. DC Studios has faced near-constant setbacks and seems to be questioning which direction to pursue after every misfire. HBO’s The Franchise is a hilarious but surprisingly truthful look at the process of making big-budget superhero films in Hollywood, and it has become even more relevant in the two years since its premiere.
‘The Franchise’ Offers a Brutal Assessment of Hollywood
The Franchise takes place on the set of a superhero film named Tecto: Eye of the Storm, a big-budget but not integral installment in a connected cinematic universe. While the set has already been rife with all sorts of creative and technical issues, the pressure on the cast and crew intensifies when they must accommodate changes being made to the upcoming film Centurios 2, a more significant crossover event within the overall saga. The Odyssey‘s Himesh Patel stars as Daniel Kumar, the overworked assistant director trying to keep the Tecto set stable, with Aya Cash playing his ex-girlfriend Anita, a producer who joins the project. Daniel’s intention to keep Tecto: Eye of the Storm on schedule is undermined by the film’s director, Eric Bouchard (Daniel Brühl), who views himself as a “prestige” filmmaker and therefore above complying with the studio’s mandates.
The Franchise might take place in a slightly heightened version of reality, but the show feels authentic in its exploration of the expectations placed on crew members during the production of films with significant consequences. The major issue Daniel faces is that failing to stay on schedule won’t just harm this movie but could also cause ripple effects that impact the studio’s entire upcoming slate. At the same time, being forced to make something that only serves as a setup for future installments is a cynical enterprise, and one that makes it hard to find any joy in. Daniel is a compelling character because he has become so dejected by the “slop” he’s making that he only cares about protecting people’s jobs. There surprisingly aren’t many people who are willing to improve the film out of sincerity; Anita only wants to be involved so that she can get the opportunity to do more “serious” work, and Eric’s process of “elevating” the material stems from a lack of respect for others and insults the very job that he was hired to do.
‘The Franchise’ Has Become Even More Relevant
The Franchise exposes an ugly side of the superhero film complex that has become startlingly clear in the years following the show’s release; many actors have complained about the constraints placed on them when signing up for superhero films, especially when directors aren’t given the creative freedom to execute their vision. The Franchise was released only a year after the disastrous 2023 slate of DCEU movies, in which a combination of reshoots, changing creative direction, a major shift in leadership, and the off-screen activities of some stars resulted in four colossal box-office bombs. The Franchise is a surprisingly empathetic series because it doesn’t offer a judgment on those who greenlight or enjoy superhero films, but rather explores how the pressure to pull off such a complex multimedia franchise has become excruciating for those who see it as a day job. The saddest part is that Daniel is a character who seems to love cinema, but has had to stifle his artistic objections so that he can keep his head above water.
The Franchise might have struggled to connect with HBO viewers because it is a very fast-paced show with many inside jokes for those who know a lot about filmmaking behind the scenes, but it has increasingly resembled reality. In 2026, many of the show’s wilder predictions have been borne out; Supergirl had a chaotic production that involved two competing cuts, and Avengers: Doomsday reportedly began its massive shooting schedule without a completed script. As dispiriting as it can be to see what blockbuster filmmaking has turned into, The Franchise is wise and witty enough to make light of the situation.
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