One of Hollywood’s staple themes is superheroes and for decades the industry has been revelling in the mania created every time a new comic book hero movie is released. Comic book characters and stories are constantly re-told, re-hashed and re-made and new technologies mean that each time another Hollywood blockbuster hits the big screens; it always promises to be even bigger and better than those before it. Well, nearly always. From the early days when Batman first erupted onto the silver screen to present day when everyone from Iron Man to the Fantastic 4 dominate the box office ticket sales, the modernisation of characters mean superhero movies can continue to be released.
But, just how long can this trend go on for or is it as immortal as the superheroes they portray?
The On-Going Smell of Success …
What is it that draws people to a superhero storyline? Is it the underlying sense of good outdoing evil or is it that it takes us into a different world, filled with mystery and intrigue? Whatever the lure, there’s no doubt about it that movies based on a comic book superhero will draw in the crowds and with masses of fans comes the sweet smell of success – or money, as it it’s more aptly referred to.
There is always a continual new generation being introduced to the concept of superheroes. Kids are fascinated with them, teenagers love the flashy action and adults can’t stop themselves from watching the latest instalment – even if only so they can complain about its faults next to the original – but whatever the reason; one’s thing’s clear and that is that superhero movies featuring familiar faces will always go down a storm at the box office.
Good vs. Evil
Of course, it’s not as straight forward as simply re-telling old stories over and over again and Hollywood are constantly throwing in new faces to stir up some excitement and in recent years, writers have been busying themselves transforming some characters from good to evil and vice versa to add a new dimension to the otherwise predictable storylines. X-Men’s Rogue is the perfect example of a villain-turned-superhero, after originally being explicitly evil in her first appearance in the books before transforming into one of the most famous female superheroes of recent years. This moral ambiguity is a genius medium uncovered by Hollywood and with heroes turning into villains and villains to heroes, characters who can suddenly switch alliances and who find or drop their morality at the drop of a hat add new twists to stories that allow producers to keep things fresh.
Modern Merchandise
Along with the release of brand new movies, a whole range of merchandise follow suit and there’s money to be made on everything from online slots to fancy dress costumes. Everything from the Dark Knight Rises and Captain America to The Avengers are available to play on slot game platforms and with each new generation comes more excited enthusiasm for recognisable characters to take over the world once again, as they appear everywhere from the big screen to fan’s bedroom walls.
While some claim to be getting bored of the repetition, the profitability on the back of the new-gen popularity of re-releasing new superhero movies is gigantic and this is why it is unlikely that Hollywood will stop weaving their superhero magic anytime soon.