The Resurgence of Superheroes

Established superheroes come with built-in audiences seeking familiar characters in updated stories. As more of the classic superheroes from the golden age of comics fall into the public domain (through expiration of copyright or failure to register copyright), audiences can expect to see increasing numbers of these characters inhabiting films, television, books, and other media. Beyond these economic reasons, however, two other important factors relate to superhero popularity: psychology and technology.

Psychological Reasons for Superheroes

Everyday heroes including Rambo, Rocky, and John McClane (from the Die Hard series) make exciting one-man demolition squads for conquering villains. However, in these desperate times of terrorism, war, incurable diseases, hurricanes, floods, typhoons, global warming, and other seemingly insurmountable problems, many folks wish (though perhaps secretly) that a superhero would magically appear and solve the world’s growing list of crises.

For the same reasons that children play with superhero action figures, adults watch superhero movies: While providing an entertaining escape, superheroes also offer hope for better times. With so many of life’s problems out of control, a hero with supernatural – or at least superhuman – powers soaring through the sky (or Spider-Man slinging his webs from skyscraper to skyscraper) would be a welcome sight.

Superheroes vicariously restore our sense of power and hope, and we can relate to their individual weaknesses, such as Superman’s aversion to kryptonite, Batman’s loneliness, and the X-Men’s labels as freaks for their giftedness. Spoofing superhero films (e.g., Superhero Movie, Mystery Men, Sky High) typically don’t do well at the box office because people’s deep-seated need for these characters is nothing to laugh about. Ridiculing a superhero is like laughing at our own dreams for better, safer lives in the future.

Technological Reasons for Superheroes

The other reason for the surplus of cinematic superheroes is that it’s never been easier to get super realistic and super impressive special effects for creating these characters. Computer generated images (CGI), including the new motion-capture digital animation, allow faster, more realistic, and less-expensive depictions of altered physical appearances, catastrophic events, and engaged superpowers.

Through GCI, The Fantastic Four become fantastic in their own unique stretchy, fiery, invisible, rock-like ways. Though not an extraordinarily successful film, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen depicts truly extraordinary characters and situations. The Incredible Hulk, once a hokey television show, now treats audiences to an undeniably incredible superhero in the film series.

Through the magic of computers that were unavailable to most filmmakers before the 1990s, physical transformations, weapons, explosions, fight sequences, flight, man-made catastrophes, and superpowers all blend seamlessly into the fabric of today’s much-needed superhero films.

For more information about comic book superheroes, read 10 Reasons to Love The Mask.

Superhero Movie makes fun of comic book characters

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