Stephen King Calls Violence in Superhero Movies ‘Wrong’ For One Specific Reason

Stephen King has shared his thoughts on violence in movies, especially in the superhero genre, calling it “wrong.”

In an interview discussing his upcoming film adaptation of The Running Man, King explained that he believes films should not shy away from showing the real consequences of violence.

“If you look at these superhero movies, you’ll see … some supervillain who’s destroying whole city blocks but you never see any blood,” King said.

“And man, that’s wrong. It’s almost, like, por******** … I said, if you’re not going to show it, don’t bother. And so they made a pretty brutal movie.”

King’s experiences growing up influenced his views. In his 2000 memoir On Writing, he shared that his father left when he was two, leaving his mother to raise him and his older brother.

He described a rough childhood among kids “who wore the same neck dirt for months”. These experiences inspired the gritty, realistic tone of his early works like The Long Walk.

King recalled that when he wrote The Long Walk in college, young men were being drafted to Vietnam. He wanted the story’s violence to feel real. Years later, the idea for The Running Man came while he was living in a trailer with his wife Tabitha, who worked at a doughnut shop while King taught school.

“I was thinking, ‘What would it be like if there was a game show where people got killed?’” he said. He imagined a society similar to Nineteen Eighty-Four, full of blood and spectacles. During a snowy February break, he wrote the novel in just a week and sent it to a science fiction publisher.

The upcoming film adaptation of The Running Man is directed, co-written, and produced by Edgar Wright. It is the second adaptation of King’s 1982 novel, which he published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. The movie is set to release on November 14, through Paramount Pictures.

The story follows Ben Richards, also called “The Runner,” who is forced to survive a deadly game show for 30 days to win a grand prize of one billion dollars.

Glen Powell stars as Richards, with Josh Brolin playing the show’s producer, Dan Killian. Other cast members include Lee Pace, William H. Macy, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, and Colman Domingo.

King’s insistence on showing the reality of violence is reflected in the film’s tone. By highlighting the dangers and consequences of a society obsessed with blood sports, The Running Man aims to deliver a thrilling but honest experience, staying true to the dark themes of the novel.

King has always pushed boundaries in storytelling, and it’s refreshing to see a film adaptation embrace the intensity of his work. Superhero movies often avoid showing real consequences, so a brutal, realistic action thriller like this could stand out. What do you think about showing violence more realistically in films? Share your thoughts in the comments.