Aug 26, 2018
10 Reasons Why Everyone Has Seen a Superhero Movie
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War, Wonder Woman, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
You’re on the edge of your seat, munching on a buttery piece of popcorn, when that scene flashes on the screen — the moment your beloved protagonist faces up against a more powerful villain — and you doubt whether success is possible. Then, your hero inevitably wins (unless we’re talking about Avengers: Infinity War) and you sigh in relief, realising you’ve been holding your breath all the while.
We’re all too familiar with this scenario because, if you’re alive today, chances are you’ve already seen at least one superhero movie. More and more of them come out every year. By the looks of it, Hollywood will never get tired of making them and we’ll never get tired of seeing them.
And here are the reasons why…
They’re a Form of Escapism.
Inhuman abilities, alien worlds, and bizarre situations are some of the hallmarks of our favourite superhero films. Yet these characteristics are also the ones absent from our everyday reality. This discord between superhero movies and our ordinary lives allows us to separate one from the other. Therefore, when our reality becomes too much for us to bear, we can escape to the world of the mighty Thor and his friends.
A classic example of this is the very creation of superheroes. Comic-books were pioneered by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, whose company Detective Comics founded the Action Comics in 1937. The first issue was published in 1938, giving birth to the world’s first superhero: Superman. The success of Superman was so apparent he gained his own title and sold more than 1.2 million copies per issue within a year. It’s worth noting all this occurred during the tail end of the Great Depression — one of the worst economic crashes in the history of the US, which lasted from 1929 to 1939. This correlation suggests that fictional superheroes can have a very real superpower- granting us escape and a coping mechanism during tough times.
We’re Psychologically Wired to Love Those Who Protect the Weak.
Psychologist Robin S. Rosenberg defines a superhero as someone who has superhuman powers and does heroic deeds by exhibiting “brave and self-sacrificing” behaviour. This idea of courage and selflessness, which we associate with our favourite superheroes, is often translated onscreen as superheroes using their insane abilities for the protection of ordinary humans. For example, in Wonder Woman, demigoddess and Amazon princess Diana leaves her home of Themyscira in order to stop Ares from wreaking havoc on earth during World War I. She uses her powers to protect powerless individuals like us from the threat of an evil force.
We see this plot again and again in different superhero movies and, it turns out, this is another reason why we love them. We have an innate attraction towards strong figures who protect weaker individuals… and superheroes do exactly that.
In a study published in Nature, scientists made six and ten-month-old infants witness violent interactions, which included a third-party person who either intervened or not. They found that six-month-old infants perceived the third-party person’s intervention as an attempt to protect the victim and older infants “affirmed” such action. The fact that at mere infancy we already approve of active intervention, which is commonly linked to our concept of heroism, shows people are inherently programmed to love superheroes and the values they represent. No wonder we’re addicted to superhero movies.
Superheroes are Our Reflection.
The unique challenges we face in our everyday lives can be daunting and stressful, leading us to feel powerless and dejected. While part of the appeal of superhero films is their fantastical aspect, which we can use as a form of escapism from the troubles we face in reality, superhero films are also popular because of the opposite: they mirror the human experience and that makes them more relatable and closer to home.
In movies today, superheroes are endowed with amazing abilities but they also experience very human things; consequently, we can identify with them and they inspire us to approach obstacles in the same heroic and “altruistic” way that they do.
Take Steve Rogers/Captain America, for instance. He was an ordinary young man who turned into a superhero because of Doctor Erskine’s “super-soldier” serum. Yet even after he gained his superhuman abilities, he still had to deal with circumstances that ordinary humans face: the pain of losing a loved one like Peggy Carter, the unconditional love one feels for one’s best friend like Bucky, the struggles of feeling ‘out of the loop’ after he hibernated for decades, and the inevitable failure one meets even after trying one’s best, which Steve experienced after S.H.I.E.L.D fell despite his efforts.
In the midst of all these challenges, Steve chose to stand up for what he believes in by fighting Hydra and imploring others to help him. This strength and heroism with which so many of our heroes face problems inspires us to do so as well.
Their Fights Quench Our Thirst for Drama.
Most superhero movies revolve around the clash between heroes and villains. However, this pattern becomes boring after awhile, especially since we all know the heroes will inevitably win (again, ignore Infinity War). We like seeing superhero films not just because we like seeing heroes fight villains, but also because we like seeing heroes fight each other.
According to Dr. Rosenberg, we like seeing superheroes fight because it quenches our natural thirst for drama that we don;t typically get to see everyday — drama akin to conflicts between A-list celebrities, CEOs, or political leaders. That’s why there are so many films out there in which superheroes face off against one another, such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Captain America: Civil War.
Reflection of Social Change (e.g. LGBT, Black Panther).
While they are mere works of fiction, superheroes can have a lasting impact on society. In this regard, if portrayed correctly, they can be an effective way of propagating and reflecting social change. An example of this is the way Marvel revealed Northstar to be homosexual in 1992, reflecting the world’s changing views on homosexuality and the LGBT community.
A more recent demonstration of superheroes’ power to symbolise societal change is the highly successful Black Panther (2018), which is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As Jamil Smith from Time says, Black Panther is important because it’s both a black film and a part of the most profitable movie franchise of all time. The fact that it was part of this franchise and that it was received exceptionally, with an initial rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, shows the world can now look up to heroes who aren’t just white — -something that wouldn’t have been possible only decades ago.
Comic-books are Not ‘Just for Children’.
There’s been a stigma in our society which brands comic-books as “children’s things”, and this belief is faced by many adult comic-book readers. These very same adult comic book readers, however, may also be the driving force behind the superhero films we all love and enjoy.
The superhero movies watched today are all based on comic-book characters that emerged during the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s: the childhood years of Generation X-ers and Millennials who grew up on comic-books. Now that they’re adults and are earning their own income, these Gen X-ers and Millennials can invest their time and money in watching movie adaptations of their childhood heroes. The huge revenue which comes from this older audience makes superhero films very popular.
The Rise of CGI.
They often say “to see is to believe”, but thanks to computer-generated imagery (CGI) we can now see things that are not necessarily believable in reality. This can include almost anything in a superhero movie — from epic fight scenes and supernatural realms, to the character’s own incredible costumes and high-tech weapons.
Superhero movies therefore owe a lot to, if not largely depend on, digital F/X. To illustrate, Laurence Maslon credits the success of Spider-Man (2002) to CGI. Spider-Man’s powers — which includes shooting webs from his wrists, being insanely strong, and swinging from incredible heights — were once very difficult to portray on film, so he was mostly depicted in comic-books.
However, after the development of CGI post-Jurassic Park (1993), it finally became possible for Spider-Man to attract large audiences onscreen and this launched a new era of superhero films. CGI made the fantastical world of superheroes real in our eyes.
Franchising.
We humans are often afraid or skeptical of the unknown. Perhaps, that is why we settle for things we’re familiar with. This can be exemplified by the success of countless film franchises — series of related movies which are released in order over time.
In 2014, seven of the world’s 10 top-grossing movies were sequels of previous films and the biggest film of the year was Transformers: Age of Extinction, which was also a sequel. This goes to show that people love film franchises- and Hollywood knows it. As Lynda Obst said, “In Hollywood, familiarity breeds success, not contempt”.
Since movie franchises are so popular, superhero films are released in this form to attract more viewers and generate more income… and it works. The MCU, for example, is the most successful movie franchise of all time, with a worldwide box office total of $17.3BN.
Marvel vs. DC
To comic-book fans, the “Marvel versus DC” rivalry on film may be ridiculous and somewhat annoying, because both comic-book publishers arguably have something to offer. Even Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn thinks it’s “silly”. However, this very competition could be one of the major factors contributing to the large number of superhero films we have today.
According to the BBC, there has been a surge in superhero films since the 2000s because of the box-office successes of both DC and Marvel films. The DC Cinematic Universe’s success mainly hinges on its two most popular characters, which are Batman and Superman, while Marvel draws its triumphs from various heroes, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, etc. Nevertheless, no matter which side you prefer, there’s no denying the long-running “competition” between these two cinematic universes continues to draw more and more crowds to cinemas.
Money Rules the World.
The most obvious reason for the popularity of superhero movies today is the same as what most people do anything for: money. Superhero movies make a ridiculously large amount of money, whether they’re well-received or not. This win-win situation drives a lot of filmmakers to keep making them.
For example, Batman v. Superman received only a 27% rating from Rotten Tomatoes but it grossed $328M in the US. Similarly, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) was rated only 58% on Rotten Tomatoes but earned an adjusted income of $306.9M in the US. It turns out, when it comes to superhero movies, you don’t necessarily reap what you sow. Even bad seeds can guarantee a bountiful harvest.
So… what does this all mean?
Over the past few decades, superheroes went from being comic-book characters to movie stars… from being food for nerds to being an integral part of popular culture. They’ve become so ingrained in our psychology, economy, and society that it seems we can’t now live without them.
By the looks of it, the popularity of superhero movies won’t wane for a long, long time. You should expect eating your favourite popcorn alongside these breath-stealing flicks for the rest of your life.
