Dawn of the Superhero

In recent years we have seen a surge in the production of superhero films. Marvel’s “The Avengers,” “The Dark Knight,” and “The Dark Knight Rises” have grossed over $400,000 domestic, and sit among the top 50 highest grossing films of all time (not adjusted for inflation). This statistic is no fluke because, as I was delightedly researching superhero movies, I found that in 1978 Superman the movie was released and became the second highest grossing film in that year behind Grease. Talk about foreshadowing right? Well, after reading that particular bit of information and learning that in the next five years there will be 11 superhero films released, I asked myself, “Why is it that people keep coming back to Superheroes?” and “Will greedy film studios ruin the future of superhero movies by flooding the market with them year after year?”

 First, I’ll address the reason why people keep coming back. This is no mystery or surprise in any way. The reason why people flood to superhero movies every year is simple, superhero movies are awesome. Superheroes have been an important part of our culture since 1933 when the first comic book format publication, “Famous Funnies,” was introduced. Since then, the United States has produced the most titles in terms of quantity. Today, comic book sales reach about $418 Million a year, so obviously the market for comic books is massive. The captivating story lines, amazing abilities and positive messages provide great source material for new interpretations of these characters. The Dark Knight Trilogy is a great example of what these characters are capable of being. The Dark Knight was the first comic book movie that didn’t necessarily feel like a comic book movie, which tells me that these characters are capable of being more than just comic book characters. That makes it much easier to adapt to the look and style of the era. In my youth Batman and Superman were campy and almost parodies of themselves. While I enjoyed these movies, it never seemed like they would ever be good enough to warrant an Oscar nod, until of course Heath Ledger changed that and added a whole new dimension to superheroes making it easy for children and adults alike to be entertained.

The question of whether movie studios will take it too far is yet to be seen. There have been many superhero flops, but for the most part these movies are still attracting huge crowds and sometimes breaking records. There is always a possibility that studios can over-stay their welcome but as long as my generation and those that follow continue enjoying these storylines and characters, and studios continue to evolve their productions with the times, the longer I will accept these movies as actual films instead of just comic book movies.