HollywoodB次元官网网址檚 got a superhero problem.

HollywoodB次元官网网址檚 got a lot of problems, but superheroes are a big one. It seems theyB次元官网网址檝e been called on a few too many times. And now when itB次元官网网址檚 time to save the day, the big guys arenB次元官网网址檛 answering, and lesser heroes are struggling to get the job done.

Like Polka Dot Man.

WhatB次元官网网址檚 that, you havenB次元官网网址檛 heard of Polka Dot Man? Well what about Shang-Chi? Kingo? Not ringing any bells?

These are the superheroes that are now and are soon to be hitting screens. If they seem like results from the fifth page of a Google search of B次元官网网址渟uperheroes,B次元官网网址� thatB次元官网网址檚 because theyB次元官网网址檙e a far way away from Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and the other top-tier superheroes on which HollywoodB次元官网网址檚 current comic book business model was built. And the outlook isnB次元官网网址檛 sunny.

There was much hand-wringing earlier this month when B次元官网网址淭he Suicide SquadB次元官网网址� opened below projections with $26.2 million its first weekend. That was off more than $100 million from the $133.6 million opening of the previous B次元官网网址淪uicide SquadB次元官网网址� in 2016.

A lot of factors played into this, chiefly the box office-crushing pandemic that is still ravaging Hollywood. ThereB次元官网网址檚 also the fact that due to that pandemic, B次元官网网址淭he Suicide SquadB次元官网网址� is streaming at home on HBO Max, which cuts further into box office receipts.

There are other points of consideration, including its rating (the first movie was rated PG-13, the new one is R), the overall poor reception of the first film, and the fact that the new one doesnB次元官网网址檛 star Will Smith.

But then there are the characters themselves. The first movie featured the Joker, the most recognizable villain in the superhero/comic book universe. Everyone knows the Joker. The Joker sells tickets.

Polka Dot Man? Not so much.

Polka Dot Man is one of the characters in B次元官网网址淭he Suicide Squad,B次元官网网址� and heB次元官网网址檚 played by David Dastmalchian. (Hello, is this thing on?) HeB次元官网网址檚 a guy with serious mommy issues whose superpower is he throws polka dots at people, which is so lame itB次元官网网址檚 made fun of in the movie. The other superheroes in B次元官网网址淭he Suicide SquadB次元官网网址� are Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena) and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), not exactly household names, and not exactly box office draws playing them. (Sylvester Stallone, the castB次元官网网址檚 biggest name, voices a CGI creature known as King Shark.)

The cast is rounded out by Margot Robbie playing Harley Quinn for a third time, and last yearB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淏irds of PreyB次元官网网址� proved that without the Joker at her side, she isnB次元官网网址檛 a ticket-selling powerhouse.

Those things said, itB次元官网网址檚 not surprising the movie B次元官网网址� which catered directly to fanboys rather than casual moviegoers B次元官网网址� didnB次元官网网址檛 put up bigger numbers at the box office. But the bigger story speaks to superhero fatigue, intellectual property overload, and how far down the superhero ladder weB次元官网网址檝e come looking for new big screen stories and properties. Is there a superhero who can fight Hollywood desperation?

B次元官网网址淪hang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsB次元官网网址� is next up on the Marvel docket, and it opens in theaters Sept. 3. Shang-Chi (in the movie heB次元官网网址檚 played by Simu Liu) might be known by comics fans but he isnB次元官网网址檛 known at all by casual moviegoers, so it will be an uphill battle B次元官网网址� especially given ongoing pandemic conditions B次元官网网址� for it not to wind up becoming the lowest-grossing title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a distinction currently held by 2008B次元官网网址檚 Edward Norton-starring B次元官网网址淭he Incredible Hulk.B次元官网网址� And people know the Hulk.

Then comes B次元官网网址淭he Eternals,B次元官网网址� which opens in November and stars Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani and more. But theyB次元官网网址檙e not playing characters that non-superfans will recognize: Jolie plays Thena, Hayek plays Ajak and Nanjiani plays Kingo, and theyB次元官网网址檙e all part of the Eternals, B次元官网网址渁n immortal alien race created by the Celestials who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7,000 yearsB次元官网网址� (thanks, Wiki), so itB次元官网网址檚 not exactly Captain America in terms of brand recognition. (Captain America, by the way, is in the process of a reboot of sorts, as Anthony Mackie will now play the role in the upcoming fourth B次元官网网址淐aptain AmericaB次元官网网址� film, it was reported last week.)

Help arrives in December with the latest Spider-Man adventure, B次元官网网址淪pider-Man: No Way Home,B次元官网网址� which should right the course. The first B次元官网网址淪pider-ManB次元官网网址� movie helped kick-start the modern superhero phenomenon back in 2002, and the character B次元官网网址� no matter who plays him B次元官网网址� is still a top-tier draw. People know Spidey, people like Spidey, and if they could, people would call on Spidey.

No one is calling on Polka Dot Man, and hopefully Hollywood is taking notice.

B次元官网网址� Adam Graham, The Detroit B次元官网网址