What Even Are Superhero Movies?

They're are many ways to define a superhero, however many of these definitions are either too vague or too limiting. For example, if a superhero is defined as having special powers, that excludes Batman, one of the most popular superheroes of all time. I would define a superhero as a character who possesses special powers and/or is represented by a theme, symbol, or costume who is dedicated to doing good and/or fighting crime outside of traditional law enforcement. Superheroes are a concept that dates back to the comic books of the 1930s, and even earlier than that if you want to count detective characters and western characters. Around the same time, they made their way to the silver screen in the form of short black and white serials that played in front of feature films. The superhero genre has come a long way from being a niche genre for supposed nerds to one of the major pillars of pop culture, and in that time it has developed a series of conventions and techniques that define it, as well as common trends in its marketing.

Content

The main thing that makes superhero movies distinct from standard action movies is the superhero character themself, and this character is always defined by their origin. Whether it’s shown on screen or not, superheroes always have some kind of origin story that explains why they became a superhero, whether it be by gaining their powers or experiencing a significant event. Two of the most well known origin stories are that of Spider-Man and Batman. Towards the beginning of the film Spider-Man, high school student Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, which gives him spider-like abilities such as being able to stick to walls and shoot webs from his wrists (Later in the film Peter trains to use his powers, a common moment in origin stories). The film Batman features a flashback sequence of a young Bruce Wayne watching his parents get killed in front of him, motivating him to go on a crusade against crime in Gotham City. Even if it’s not part of their origin, superheroes often experience the loss of a loved one that will go on to motivate them. In Blade, the title character is mentored by an old man named Whistler, who is killed by the film’s villain, Deacon Frost. This forces Blade to reconcile his differences with Whistler as he dies, and the scene leads into the film’s climax in which Blade does battle with Frost.

Villains are also a defining factor of superhero movies. Often a hero will have to do battle with a central antagonist, who is often a dark reflection of them in some way. The villain of Iron Man is Obidiah Stane, who is a rich weapons designer like the film’s protagonist Tony Stark. Stark has a change of heart and gives up his war profiteering ways while Stane embraces them. His plan to replicate Stark’s Iron Man suit and sell it for military purposes. Villains in superhero movies are also often charismatic and have a way of making their goal seem moral or just. A great example of this is Thanos from the Avengers series, who is always delivering grand speeches about how his plan of killing half of all living creatures in the universe will balance it and allow the other half to thrive.

Many times there will be multiple villains who team up, usually with different motivations but a shared belief that eliminating the hero will allow them to achieve their goals, such as Catwoman and the Penguin in Batman Returns (1992). It is equally common to see heroes team up, whether it be in the form of respected allies like War Machine in Iron Man 2 (2010) or young apprentices or sidekicks like Robin in Batman & Robin (1997). There are also numerous superhero teams, such as the Avengers or the Justice League. These teams are made up of multiple heroes who usually come from different backgrounds and don’t get along at first, but through the events of the film learn to work together and form a found family, even if they still have their differences.

Another common member of a superheroes supporting cast is their romantic love interest. Given that most popular superheroes are male, this character is often female, and they usually serve the purpose of motivating the hero by giving them a person to care about and fight for. They also help to create conflict by forcing the hero to decide between their life of heroics and being with the person they love. Mary Jane from the Spider-Man series and Rachel Dawes from the Dark Knight are popular examples of this character.

Lastly, superhero movies often feature a large set piece as their climax. This set piece is almost always a physical battle and it often involves numerous characters who are either in danger or participating in the battle, such as the Wakandan warriors in Black Panther.

Production Techniques

Color is very important to superhero movies. Even if they don’t have a traditional costume, superheroes are always defined by a color that represents them in some way. For example Deadpool is defined by the color red, which showcases his violent and aggressive nature, while Aquaman’s costume is a golden orange, showing his regal status as the king of Atlantis. Villains are often represented by either black or gray to show them as shadowy and menacing, however there are expectations such as The Joker, who is defined by bright purples and greens to illustrate how he’s chaotic and unpredictable. Music is also important. Superheroes always have some kind of musical theme or leitmotif that is associated with them and plays whenever they do something heroic or achieve something significant. This is done to emphasize the importance and spectacle of the moment when the music is played as well as to emphasize the power of the character.

Superhero movies always use some degree of special effects to bring their characters and worlds to life. For action scenes, actors will usually film on a green screen so that a background representing a location that can’t be physically filmed can be inserted behind them. They’ll often use wire harnesses to simulate flight or large jumps, and CGI will be used to create the illusion of powers that can’t exist in real life, like heat vision or super speed. Another common effects technique is motion capture, which is when an actor is placed in a special suit that allows special effects artists to change their appearance using a computer. This is used for characters who’s designs or costumes can’t physically be replicated realistically.

Marketing

Millennials and Gen Z are the most common demographics for superhero movies, and they are slightly more popular among men than women. Most superhero movies appeal to traditionally male values of strength and power and contain male leads. Because almost all superhero movies are based on existing comic book characters, they already have a pre-established fanbase of people who can be easily convinced to watch the film. Most superhero movies are also part of a multi-film franchise which brings its own group of established fans and can create new fans. These franchises also aid in marketing by convincing people to watch previous movies so they can understand and fully appreciate new ones.

Superhero movies are heavily marketed based on their trailers, which showcase moments from the film’s action sequences and give a vague representation of the plot, and usually end with the reveal of a character. For example, the trailer for Captain America: Civil War ended with the reveal that Spider-Man would be featured in the film, which increased audience anticipation for the film. Posters for superhero movements feature the lead character in some kind of heroic pose or action pose and they often feature numerous supporting characters, usually the love interest and the villain. For movies about superhero teams, the members of the team are featured on the poster in a group pose.

Film Examples

The film Superman (1978), directed by Richard Donner, is considered to be the first mainstream superhero movie. It begins with Superman’s origin. A baby named Kal-El is sent to Earth by his parents as his home planet of Krypton explodes. On Earth he is discovered by the Kents, an old couple who adopt him as their own and name him Clark. As Clark grows up, he realizes that he has extraordinary abilities such as super strength, speed, and the ability to fly. These powers are shown using special effects that were revolutionary for the time. He discovers the Fortress of Solitude, a place left for him by his Kryptonian father Jor-El. There he gets his iconic red and blue costume, which represents his honesty and integrity and his physical power, as well as associating him with American values. As Superman himself words it later in the film, he fights for “truth, justice, and the American way”. As an adult, Clark Kent moves to the great city of Metropolis and gets a job at the Daily Planet, a newspaper publication. There he meets and develops feelings for ambitious reporter Lois Lane. He begins to live a double life as both Clark Kent and Superman, and the film showcases him stopping criminals and helping citizens. Many of the moments are accompanied by a triumphant theme composed by John WIlliams, which has gone on to be forever associated with Superman. He eventually enters a conflict with master criminal Lex Luthor, who represents his opposite, someone who uses their power and influence to harm others and fuel their greedy desires. In the climax of the film, Superman saves those caught in an earthquake caused by Lex, including Lois Lane.

A more modern example of a superhero movie that strongly adheres to genre convention is X-Men: First Class (2011) directed by Matthew Vaughn. It is a prequel to the original X-Men trilogy from the 2000s and is set in a version of the 1960s where mutants, people born with special powers, are beginning to appear. There are two protagonists, one is Charles Xavier, who has the ability to read people’s thoughts and influence their perception, and Erik Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto, who can control metal. Erik was cruelly raised by a mutant scientist named Sebastian Shaw, who killed his mother in front of him, which is the loss of a loved one that sparks his motivation to protect mutants. Shaw becomes the main villain of the film and wants to cause a nuclear war so he can create a world populated only by mutants, a classic super villain motivation because it is an evil act that seems moral in the eyes of the villain. Charles and Erik meet and quickly begin to lead a plan involving bringing a group of misfit mutants together to stop Shaw. Given that this film was made more recently, CGI is used to illustrate their abilities. After the group trains together, they master their powers and grow closer together personally and learn about each other. Oftentimes in superhero movies characters will bond over their similar issues of traumatic experiences or a lack of acceptance. They all get yellow and blue uniforms, to show their cohesion as a group, and go into battle against Shaw and his fellow mutants.