Over the course of decades, genres of films rise and fall in popularity. Westerns were a staple of Hollywood films from the 1930s straight through to the 50s, before giving way to the spike in popularity of musicals and horror pictures in the 60s. The 70s continued to be an incredibly successful time for horror and also saw the rise of sci-fi and superhero films withStar WarsandSupermanreleasing in the late 70s and quickly becoming the highest-grossing films of the decade. Sci-fi and fantasy films continued to grow in popularity in the 80s with films likeE.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc, andBack to the Futuredominating the decade’s box office.Tim Burton’sfirstBatmanfilm quickly climbed the ranks of the global box office despite only being released in 1989 to become the third highest-grossing movie of the decade. But despite this, it really wasn’t until the 2000s and 2010s thatsuperhero movies began to dominatethe box office and become popular in the mainstream.
When Did the Current Superhero Movie Trend Really Begin?
Starting withX-Menin 2000, followed byX2in 2003, and thenBatman Beginsin 2005, superhero movies began to draw increasingly larger audiences and appeal to a wide variety of people. Following the success of the previously mentioned titles, the MCU was born in 2008 withThe Incredible HulkandIron Manreleased alongsideChristopher Nolan’ssequel,The Dark Knight.The Dark Knightbecame the first superhero movie to cross the $1 billion threshold at the box office and firmly established superhero movies in the mainstream thanks to the incredible talent of its leads,Christian BaleandHeath Ledger, along with director Nolan’s remarkable ability to show Gotham in a new light and many other talented individuals who contributed to the film’s success.Iron Manalso managed to crack the top 10 with a very healthy box office taking of close to $600 million andThe Incredible Hulknarrowly missed a top 20 spot having earned a little over a quarter of a million dollars.
Superhero Movies Have Become Box Office Giants
Since then, Marvel Studios have continued to dominate the box office, having released30 films between Phases 1 and 4 which earned a total of $28.2 billion between them, which is very nearly a billion dollars per movie. In fact, 10 MCU movies have managed to pass the billion-dollar mark, when only six movies prior to the release ofThe Dark Knighthad ever earned that enormous sum, and 14 comic-based films now have that honor today. It is clear thatsuperhero films are a sweeping sensation. DC has released more than a dozen films as part of their DCEU and solo projects since 2013’sMan of Steel, Sony has begun building two separate universes of Spider-Man content with their Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU) focusing on the villains and their animated Spider-Verse films due to release their second and third entries in 2023 and 2024. The MCU has a large slate of projects planned even beyond the Multiverse Saga due to conclude in 2026 and James Gunn has announced that he has plans for the next 10 years of the DCU with part of Chapter 1, “Gods and Monsters” already revealed.
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Superheroes Trend When the World Is at Its Lowest
The popularity of superheroes in film is undeniable. However, it may also reflect a larger issue plaguing the world outside the theaters. Superhero films, and equally their source material, have long been seen as a form of escapism. The"golden age of comic books"started towards the end of the Great Depression and it’s no coincidence that comic books experienced their height of popularity when the world was also going through turmoil between 1938 and the mid-1940s, concurrent with the events of World War II. Early Marvel and DC Comics reflected the society they appeared in, adopting and becoming American pop culture with characters like Captain America fighting Nazis and teams like the Justice Society of America forming to protect American citizens.
In the wake of these events, the Cold War ensured that public unrest remained a part of the public persona for decades to come. As the US and the USSR tensely navigated the geopolitical landscape, the rest of the world turned to other sources in order to escape. This period largely overlapped with the Silver Age and Bronze Age of Comics, after a lull in popularity following the end of WWII, interest was revitalized and strengthened through the formation of new teams like the Justice League in 1960, and many of Marvel’s most famous heroes came from this period also, Spider-Man, the X-Men, The Fantastic Four, etc. Today, the world experiences global crises of division between people, economic crises leading to an inevitable recession, climate issues, and more. 2008’sIron Manarrived hot on the heels of one the most serious recession since the Great Depression in 1929.
It is no wonder that superhero films have had such success in modern times considering the ongoing political, economic, and social unrest that has been a constant part of modern life. It’s fair to say that this genre achieved a significant peak with the release ofAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers Endgamein 2018 and 2019 respectively, both films earned in excess of $2 billion dollars and shattered records. And the fact that some of the most divisive political moments in history happened in the years immediately preceding this, with Brexit being voted on in the UK in 2016, and Trump winning the US presidency later that same year. Civil unrest has continued with unpredictable dictators ruling over Russia, North Korea, China, and parts of South America. Add to this a global pandemic that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide from COVID, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. With so much uncertainty in the world at large, being able to see a more predictable, safer, and idealistic world portrayed in superhero films becomes all the more appealing.
Current Superhero Films Reflect Topical Issues
Today’s world is also a much larger place, with more people than ever consuming superhero content in mainstream media, and the problems heroes face have been updated to reflect modern society. The films provide an idealistic escape, where the world isn’t always safe, but there are superpowered people who bear the burden on their shoulders and inspire others.The Falcon and the Winter Soldierhighlighted race issues and questioned whether society was ready for Sam Wilson’s Captain America, and ultimately responded to the question by announcing that the time for Wilson’s Cap was here whether or not others were stuck in the past.Black Panther: Wakanda Foreveraddressed political issues of wealthy and established countries attempting to mine resources from other countries for their own gain, as well as displaying political unrest among countries believing they need to arm themselves in preparation for some oncoming trouble.The Batmanshined a spotlight on corruption that exists in a city among the highest authorities and seeps down into every aspect of society.Joker, though wildly exaggerated, explored fragile mental health and the impact made by repeated negative influences and a lack of proper care or treatment.
Most superhero films don’t reflect society in a realistic way, but many do present an alternative version of it populated with heroes who are willing to step up for what is right and help those in need. They can provide a positive and hopeful look at a reality where lines for good and bad are often more clearly drawn and audiences can cheer when their heroes succeed and feel a deep sense of mourning and grief when they lose. And at times, they delve into the grey areas where no true right or wrong exists, like inCaptain America: Civil War, when Tony Stark and Steve Rodgers were onopposite sides of the Sokovia Accords. Most of the world’s issues reside in that grey space where neither side has a complete monopoly on being right, and superhero movies often have a theme like this at the heart of their stories, whether it’s the perpetual DC dilemma of protecting others through fatal consequences for the enemy, or Marvel’s deeper look into when and how those with power should act, where great responsibility ends and becomes overstepping. Whether it’s DC or Marvel’s approach you prefer, superhero movies will keep on thriving as long as he world has it’s issues - and that doesn’t like it’s going to change anytime soon.
