SUPERHEROES have been a popular aspect of entertainment culture for quite some time now, and if you look at the list of upcoming movies, you can see they will continue to be seen for some time. There’s no one reason for why superhero movies are so popular.
Perhaps superhero movies are popular because of their action-packed storylines, but the appeal of superheroes go deeper than their entertainment needs. Superheroes have always been an important thread in the rich tapestries of popular culture, but now they are a bigger part of the picture.
Exciting and add spice in life
This sense of connection is just one of the reasons why superhero movies are so popular these days, but it’s an absolutely important one. These movies are thrilling and enjoyable for any audience, but the expanding universe adds layers of complexity for those who want it, as well as sweet anticipation for those who can’t wait to see what comes next. Diving into Marvel’s web of interrelated stories and their many details is one of the most rewarding and satisfying experiences any viewer can have.
Today, just over 10 years after that first superhero movie, the numerous references and background details in any superhero game really make most fans happy. Even indie franchises that hit theatres are bound to have something for everyone, especially as Marvel continues to move towards greater cultural representation. They use the universal premise of a “superhero film” to tell a story that is grand in scope but explores and celebrates many talented people of colour to star in them and create diverse cultures and traditions.
An escape from reality
Viewers are able to see a part of themselves in the movie they are watching. This makes the movie more engaging and connects the audience with the characters in the movie. Just like how everyone in this world has their own story and unique past that guides them into who they are today, similarly, every character’s origin story is the thing that gets audiences hooked.
Of course, alien worlds and inhuman abilities appeal to us because we don’t get to see it in our everyday reality. The discord between our ordinary life and the world of the superhero allows us to live vicariously through them. Therefore, when our reality becomes too difficult to handle at times, we can escape to the world of superheroes. Fictional superheroes may have very real superpowers and survival allow us to escape during tough times.
Helps with insecurity
We humans have our own mission to carry out in life in order to move forward, which is not an easy task. Like the superheroes, we have our own set of insecurities. Therefore, we tend to want to associate ourselves with like-minded and compassionate people. Superhero films talk about these insecurities and vulnerabilities through fantasies of power.
They tell stories of helpless and ordinary people who somehow acquire special abilities that make them undeniably significant, individual and impervious to assault. With that power and confidence, we are able to face and fight the world, sometimes with the help of others with similar personality. Through these movies, we are motivated to overcome our own insecurities.
Technology is here
Thanks to computer-generated images (CGI), we can actually things are impossible to see in reality. In modern superhero movies, that includes everything from epic battle scenes and supernatural powers, to the characters’ own amazing weapons and costumes. But that’s what makes it even more fascinating to watch. Therefore, superhero movies owe a lot to digital effects.
Behind the success of each superhero movie, the CGI should be acknowledged since it helps bring to life some memorable scenes that were once only able to be depicted depicted in comic books. Indeed, CGI made the fantasy world of superheroes a reality to our eyes.
Our reflection
The challenges we face in our daily lives can be discouraging and stressful, and can make us feel helpless and depressed at times. Some of the charms of superhero movies are the fantastic aspects that can be used as a form of escapism, but some superhero movies are also popular because of the opposite. Some stories are so relatable to us and this somehow makes them more familiar and closer to home. In today’s superhero movies, superheroes are endowed with amazing abilities, but they also experience very human things. As a result, they encourage us to face obstacles in the same heroic and considerate ways as they do.
As an example, the character Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America. He was an ordinary young man who became a superhero but even after gaining superhuman powers, he still faced situations ordinary people face: the pain of losing a loved one like Peggy Carter, unconditional love for a best friend like Bucky, and the daily struggle of trying to do the righ thing. All this after decades of hibernation, “falling out of the loop”, and experiencing inevitable failure.
The domination of the internet as a form of communication and self-expression has allowed comic books to have an impact in popular culture as television. We don’t know how long until the bubble bursts, and we get sick of seeing overpowered men and women in weird clothes trying to save the world. But until then, one thing is for sure – the geeks have taken over the movie industry.
