Award-winning comic book creator Ramon K Perez believes Indian cinema is redefining the superhero genre with popular films like 'RRR' and 'Singham', which he praised for their scale and storytelling.
"I've enjoyed a lot of Indian movies, Bollywood movies, like 'RRR' on Netflix. There are a few police movies, (where) he (hero) has sunglasses, big moustache; he keeps flipping cars through the air, such as 'Singham'. I love the energy; I like these superhero movies with regular characters. Like, Netflix already is adapting a few of these things over to Western audiences. I think there's energy for that (to be adapted)," Perez told PTI in an interview when asked if any Indian film could be adapted into a comic book for western audiences.
Both 'RRR' and 'Singham' have been huge commercial hits and have been lauded for their action, drama, and storytelling. The peppy, foot-tapping song, 'Naatu Naatu' from the movie 'RRR', won the Best Original Song award at the 95th Academy Awards. The Telugu period action film is directed by SS Rajamouli and features NTR Jr and Ram Charan in the lead. 'Singham' is a Hindi language film, helmed by Rohit Shetty and it stars Ajay Devgn in the role of an honest and fearless police officer.
Perez, known for comic books like 'Nova: Resurrection', 'The Amazing Spider-Man: Learning to Crawl', and 'All-New Hawkeye', was talking on the sidelines of Comic Con 2026 in Mumbai last week. He said there's a need for the superhero genre to evolve in Hollywood to stay relevant.
"So, many of these (superhero) characters, like the Marvel and DC characters, date back to the 40s and 50s. These characters have to evolve for a new generation because even the tapestry of people in North America has changed from what it was 50 years ago. So, you have a whole different demographic of people who have different cultural backgrounds and different struggles that these superheroes have to reflect."
When asked about the fatigue around superhero movies in Hollywood—a concern raised by top filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese and Ridley Scott—Perez said the issue lies not with the genre but with the overproduction of such films.
"I think when companies find a good thing, and they keep pushing it and pushing it, and they find a formula, I find the newer movies have been less interesting. So, I don't think it's necessarily superhero fatigue, it's the company's putting out too much, too fast, and not putting out enough quality and thought into what they're making. So, the audience can react to that by not going. Like, there are so many movies coming out that I see the trailer, or maybe I've watched them, and I'm like, 'oh, this is nowhere near as good as the one they made two or three years ago' because they have a formula, they're repeating."
Perez said there was a need to pause and then create something of value that's intentional rather than making something that just feeds the machine. The multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic book writer and artist lauded the resurgence in comic books, citing the success of newer titles like 'Absolute Batman'.
"The audience between the movies and the books, there is a crossover but it's a very different audience. For example, I've friends who have seen all the Marvel movies but they've never read the comic books. Right now, there is a bit of resurgence and excitement about the 'Absolute' series from DC Comics. For instance, 'Absolute Batman' is one of the highest-selling books in decades in comic books," he said.
Speaking of Mumbai Comic Con, Perez said he was struck by the enthusiasm of Indian fans at the event. "I know my American characters, I know my Manga characters. I want to know what the flavour of India is when it comes to superheroes and stories," Perez said before attending the comic convention and admitted that he isn't familiar with the Indian comic scene.
The Canadian cartoonist-illustrator, who credits 'Star Wars' as a major influence that shaped his creative path, has revealed that he is focusing on developing his original characters. "I've a little black book full of my own characters. I'm slowly working on and putting out my own stories. I'm returning to more of my own characters after decades of working for Marvel and DC. So, I'm excited to put my own stories out there," he said.
About his first experience in Mumbai, Perez said he was astounded as he explored some of the landmark places and local cuisines like chicken lollipop, kebabs, and keema at the popular Cafe Leopold in South Mumbai. "...Seeing the architecture and the density of people here was astounding. Like the traffic, the horns were a little bit overwhelming. But it's been great," he said.
