| October 9, 2019 | Juan Ibarra | editor-in-chief |
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The movie industry has had film genres ebb and flow in popularity. In the 1960s, it was Western films. In the 2010s, it has been superheroes.
The evolution of the superhero genre is good for the industry and has helped to prevent stagnation for the last six years.
Since the early 2000s, the genre has been mildly popular with films such as “Spider-Man” and “X-Men” showing the general public comic books could be translated on screen in a good way. It wasn’t until 2008’s “The Dark Knight” that audiences were shown how a great director and Oscar-caliber performances could hold its own in the larger film market.
Ever since “Iron Man” and “Avengers” came out, discussion has centered on how the superhero genre is growing too bloated in film and that there is no way it can stay at its peak.
However, the evolution of the superhero film has been the genre’s saving grace.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” ostensibly told a story through the lens of a spy-thriller, and “Guardians of the Galaxy” was more of a sci-fi comedy.
Films like “Joker” and “Logan” show that a mature story can be told within a “superhero mold.” Just because the genre is predicated on men and women in silly costumes saving people doesn’t mean every once in a while something meaningful can’t come along.
The naysayers who believed the genre would die weren’t all wrong as there were a few superhero films planned from 2014-2019 that didn’t come to fruition. Although that doesn’t appear to be from superhero fatigue because in May of this year, “Avengers: Endgame” released and currently holds the title of the highest-grossing film of all time.
Films such as “Justice League,” which was a critical and financial failure, show that some companies just want a piece of the superhero pie without really putting any thought into it.
While making a superhero movie in 2019 does not guarantee commercial success, its quality contents should not be underestimated.
