Blog #3: Why are superheroes so popular?
By: Devin Boone
Superheroes have seen a rise in popularity over the last few years. There are countless tv shows, movies, and comic books depicting them, but more recently this media has grown to be a powerful force in popular culture.
For example, in 2019 Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame beat James Cameron’s Avatar as the highest grossing film of all time. In fact, three out of the four Avengers movies are in the top ten. The one movie that isn’t in the top ten is ranked at number eleven.
Superheroes haven’t only taken over the silver screen, as they have also become popular enough to advertise entire streaming services. Disney+ has its own section dedicated to Marvel content and HBO Max has a section dedicated to DC. Recently, Disney+ has been using the new show WandaVision to promote their service.
There are even shows about superhero satire. Amazon Prime’s The Boys shows the struggles of living in a world with superheroes, although it's done in a much darker and less light-hearted way than most superhero media.
My question to you is: why have superheroes seen such a rise in popularity?
Such a good topic, Devin. There are so many great articles written about superhero fandom (obsession, really) and its even greater popularity these days.
ReplyDeleteI attribute the phenomenon to two things: storytelling and lack of creativity. Let me explain.
The characterization and storytelling in superhero comics and now film and television are simply amazing. You have action, adventure, and fantasy--which serve as an escape--mixed in with real-world problems, social issues, and interpersonal conflicts. We relate to these heroes. We aspire to be like them for their courage and strength, but also empathize with them due to their inherent flaws. In every good storyline, the hero is always perfectly imperfect. That's inspiring.
Now, for my second point: lack of creativity. I think today's movie producers are lacking inspiration. If it's not based on a popular book, it's a sequel. And it's also an issue of money. The industry has changed in the past couple of decades. Small independent films with original storylines simply do not sell. That's the sad reality. So people who are making a living in Hollywood can't take a chance on a no-name character. They go for the big bucks with name recognition they know sells. AKA superheroes.
Just my two cents :)
Why have superheroes seen such a rise in popularity?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I think that superheros are popular because most superheros have a great backstory to their characters, where the main protagonist has his or her own challenges to face, or obstacles to over come. People enjoy character developlemt at least I do, an example would be Peter Parker from spider man, he started off a college nerd being bullied left and right and lives in a city filled with crimes, that all changed when he got his powers.
I think over the years we have seen superhero's rise in popularity because they have a fantasy aspect to them. Being human beings, our minds are very powerful things in which many are able to vision exotic events and scenarios such as superheroes/supervillains stories. When we as humans look at superheroes we see an addictive fantasy that even younger kids look to. Superhero content ranges from figurines to movies to comic books...they're everywhere. Superheroes bring out something in human beings that reality does not. ~ Zoe Yllanes
ReplyDeleteSuperheroes are so popular because they provide society a sense of belief that anyone can be a superhero. Superheroes come with compelling and interesting backgrounds that allow the audience to connect with them. Their backgrounds provide reminders that no matter how powerful you are, there are still emotions to be felt. We can still connect to their side of humanity. The fantasy of having superheroes creates an escape from reality. The mind is a powerful tool that can create a “multi universe” that allows us to believe for even a minute that maybe we can have super powers. Or even providing a sense of security in the form of these unique fictional characters. These superheroes are a world-wide phenomenon that are representational figures for society to look up to.
ReplyDeleteSuperheros have seen such a rise in popularity because of their fantastical aspects and their message to their audience. They appeal to both children and adults and promote good intentional messages, and they appeal to the human experience. Superheros are more relatable, which is why we have seen them gain such high popularity. What draws us to superheroes is that we like to hear good hero stories, which is comforting and inspiring. We often watch shows and movies of superheroes to bring us closer to reality and inspire us to do good in the world. People love to be inspired and often want to try and replicate superheroes ' actions. I think superheroes have always been popular and will continue to be because of the right messages they put out.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main reasons superhero themed tv shows, movies and comics have been popular for so long is because they fall under the same umbrella that any other supernatural themed media does. Both themes allow viewers to imagine what it would be like to do or be in unordinary or impossible situations. On top of being usually packed with action and drama, which would keep anyone at the edge of their seats, superhero and supernatural fiction grants viewers the feeling of victory or adrenaline when the hero wins. Who wouldn’t want to watch something so compelling?
ReplyDeleteAlso, due to the popularity of Marvel and Dc, i believe any superhero related media will immediately attract attention. Especially since some fandoms span generations. (for example kids and adults alike will go to theaters to watch the latest Spiderman movie together) I found this to be true even in anime, since the show My Hero Academia (which is also about superheroes) has become insanely popular in the western anime community.
- Emily Smolock
I think it is easy for the viewer/reader to put themselves in the shoes of a superhero character. Most people view themselves as the “main character” of their life. Often, superheroes are “the chosen one” meaning they are the only person in their universe who can defeat whoever the “evil character” of their story is. A lot of superhero plots follow this mystical and grand version of person vs challenge. It is a very good theme that everyone can relate to. With supernatural elements thrown into the mix writers can create hundreds of interesting characters and universes that fit under this simple theme. It is a perfect formula that has worked for hundreds of years. In medieval times, people told stories of “ Man vs dragon.” In modern times, we tell stories of “Batman vs The Joker.” They are arguably the same story but repackaged with different branding and maybe a few extra themes thrown in. With big budget studios throwing in amazing actors and great storylines into their shows, it is now wonder why superhero television is on the rise. -Sara Smolock
ReplyDeleteThere are many reason for why superheroes have popularity. One of the most important reasons is the imagination that people have. People dream of flying, having super speed, or time travel, that to see in movie adaptations is a spectacle to see. Another reason would be relativity. Bringing superheroes to life in the movies and giving them more of personality makes them relatable to the audience. Take Spider-Man for a prime example. In the comics, he's depicted in various ages, most commonly in his early 20's. But with the movie adaptations, they made spider man 16 years old. With that comes with his experience through high school, parties, and generally his social life which I believe is very much relatable to a lot of people who've had the high school experience. Storylines and origin stories are also of the best reason of superheroes remain so popular. They have elements of hardships, grit, testaments that make the hero who they are and why they save people.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the love for superhero's has no specific age range, we see in younger children more fascinatin towards these characters. Why is that? If we look at it through a child's perspective, superhero's have magical powers and are seen as good people who protect and serve. This gives children a sense of control, power and thrill. As mentioned before, superhero's are meant to protect and serve so through books and films, the audience is being taught about morality, what is right or wrong. Other than being taught about moral values, it inspires young children about bravery.
ReplyDeleteFascination* ^ :)
ReplyDeleteTo me, superheroes have probably seen such a rise in popularity because of their diverse stories and powers that really pique peoples' interests and make them want to watch/read the shows, movies, and comics. Superheroes can really inspire people and make them feel more confident, especially if they can see themselves within said hero. A story that comes to mind almost immediately is Spider-Man, which carries the message that "anyone can wear the mask." More specifically, in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the full quote from Miles Morales is "Anyone can wear the mask. YOU could wear the mask. If you didn't know that before, I hope you do now." The overall meaning of this is that anyone can make a difference in the world, and it is messages like these that bring popularity to superheroes. With inspiring messages, compelling action sequences, and tons of different stories to watch/read, it's no wonder that people like superheroes as much as they do.
ReplyDelete– Antonia Sussina.
I believe that superheroes have had an impact on children because of the exciting plot and character's powers. Growing up, my friends and I would collect figurines of heroes we liked and always argued on which superhero was superior. I believe that this obsession was because each hero had their own powers and strengths they used to defeat villains and made the world a better place. Over the years, DC and Marvel have been targeting people of all ages as they advance their plots and quality editing to make the movie seem as real as possible. In their efforts to do so, their productions have skyrocketed because adults and children can enjoy the movies. They are classics that people of most generations know and love.
ReplyDeleteSuperheros were an integral part of everyone's childhood, and played an significant role in shaping our memories. There are a lot of factor that makes superheros popular. For instance, super strength, super speed, invisibility and durability few of the popular traits. As kids, we are always open to imagination and these heroes make us think all of those things are possible in real life. Heroes comes into life through movies and that what sticks to us as we grow up. The movie industry does an incredible job, keeping the authenticity of each heroes despite the era. For example, the inspiration behind spider man how a random teenager has the ability to glide through buildings in a busy town. spider man relates to a lot of kids growing up and how the hero ages along with others. The overall message of each heroes also plays a critical role in their popularity as well.
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ReplyDeleteThe majority of the popular superheroes we come to know today in comics, films, and on television were originally created back in the early 1940's all through the 70's. Around the 2000's and with the establishment of the DC Comic and Marvel franchises, superheroes have received more support. They have been brought to life in TV shows and Films, creating a sense of likeness. Personally superheroes have made me feel strong, and for other individuals they are people to look up to and inspire. Superheroes teach us many lessons in society and life, one being that anything is possible, and it is the backstory of every character that is unique. The rise in popularity is simply the love, obsession, calling, action, feel for adventure, and the storyline of emotions.
ReplyDeleteSuperheroes have risen in popularity because when they were first introduced it was through comics books or comic strips, and it opened peoples eyes letting them know that they can do anything that they set their minds too. Superhero popularity truly skyrocketed after the comics were developed into movies (DC and Marvel), and then everyone started watching them and people were influenced by them because it allowed them to envision themselves doing anything because if superheroes can do why can't they do it. They began feeling empowered. Plus superhero movies are probably the most entertaining movies because of the action, drama, just the whole plot of the movies.
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ReplyDelete- Alyssa
I believe Superheroes have grown immensely popular due to their relatable nature. They provide an accurate representation of the average individuals daily struggles mentally, physically and emotionally. These characters fulfill the realistic and unrealistic aspirations of their audience. There is almost always the constant theme of "never give up" present along with simple morality of doing right by yourself and the rest of your surrounding environment. This ideal is especially important for developing adolescent children who admire these heroes. Combining these psychological motives with action packed scenes is the perfect mixture that draws people from all ages, backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses to enjoy.
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