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Most superhero movies are based on [[comic book]]s, where the fantasy genre is most dominant in the medium's mainstream image. By contrast, several films such as the ''[[RoboCop (franchise)|RoboCop]]'' series, ''[[Darkman]]'', ''[[The Meteor Man (film)|The Meteor Man]]'', ''[[Up, Up, and Away (2000 film)|Up, Up, and Away]]'', ''[[Unbreakable (film)|Unbreakable]]'', ''[[The Incredibles]]'', ''[[Hancock (film)|Hancock]]'' and ''[[Megamind]]'' are original, while ''[[The Green Hornet]]'' is based primarily on the original [[The Green Hornet (radio series)|radio series]] and its 1960s [[The Green Hornet (TV series)|television adaptation]], and ''[[Underdog (film)|Underdog]]'' is based on a classic cartoon.
Most superhero movies are based on [[comic book]]s, where the fantasy genre is most dominant in the medium's mainstream image. By contrast, several films such as the ''[[RoboCop (franchise)|RoboCop]]'' series, ''[[Darkman]]'', ''[[The Meteor Man (film)|The Meteor Man]]'', ''[[Up, Up, and Away (2000 film)|Up, Up, and Away]]'', ''[[Unbreakable (film)|Unbreakable]]'', ''[[The Incredibles]]'', ''[[Hancock (film)|Hancock]]'' and ''[[Megamind]]'' are original, while ''[[The Green Hornet]]'' is based primarily on the original [[The Green Hornet (radio series)|radio series]] and its 1960s [[The Green Hornet (TV series)|television adaptation]], and ''[[Underdog (film)|Underdog]]'' is based on a classic cartoon.

==History==
===Early years===
Almost immediately after superheroes rose to prominence in comic books, they were adapted into Saturday [[Serial film|movie serials]] aimed at young children, starting with ''[[Adventures of Captain Marvel]]'' (1941). Serials such as ''[[Batman (serial)|Batman]]'' (1943), ''[[The Phantom (serial)|The Phantom]]'' (1943), ''[[Captain America (serial)|Captain America]]'' (1944), and ''[[Superman (serial)|Superman]]'' (1948) followed.

In the coming decades, the decline of Saturday serials and [[Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency|turmoil in the comic book industry]] put an end to superhero motion pictures, with the exception of episodes of the television series ''[[Adventures of Superman (TV series)|Adventures of Superman]]'', starring [[George Reeves]], which had been compiled for theatrical release, and ''[[Batman (1966 film)|Batman]]'' (1966) a big-screen extension of the [[Batman (TV series)|''Batman'' television series]] starring [[Adam West]].<ref name="Scarecrow">The Staff of Scarecrow, 2004, pg. 536</ref> Other superhero films released at this time include [[Mario Bava]]'s ''[[Danger: Diabolik]]'' (1968) based on the [[Italy|Italian]] [[supervillain]] character [[Diabolik]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:12142|title=allmovie (((Danger: Diabolik > Overview )))|date=Unknown|author=Pavlides, Dan|accessdate=2008-05-16|publisher=[[Allmovie]]}}</ref> Original superhero characters emerged in other more [[Comedy film|comedy oriented films]] such as the [[French cinema|French]] [[political satire]] film ''[[Mr. Freedom]]'' (1969) and the American [[b-movies]] ''[[Rat Pfink a Boo Boo]]'' (1966) and ''[[The Wild World of Batwoman]]'' (1966).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:102593|title=allmovie (((Mister Freedom > Overview )))|date=Unknown|author=Pavlides, Dan|accessdate=2008-05-16|publisher=[[Allmovie]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:65771~T1|title=allmovie (((Rat Pfink a Boo-Boo > Review )))|date=Unknown|author=Beldin, Fred|accessdate=2008-05-16|publisher=[[Allmovie]]}}</ref>

===1978–1990s===
Riding a wave of a new interest in fantasy films with the outstanding success of ''[[Star Wars]]'', [[Richard Donner]]'s ''[[Superman (film)|Superman]]'' (1978), the first major superhero feature film, proved a critical success and a commercial hit. The combination of producer [[Ilya Salkind]]'s willingness to finance a significant budget, Donner's desire to create an engaging [[verisimilitude]], composer [[John Williams (composer)|John Williams]]'s majestic [[film score]] and Christopher Reeve's appealingly sincere performance of the title role helped make the film an inspiration for later generations' superhero films as part of a respected fantasy film genre.

The success of ''Superman'' wore into the 1980s, as more successful entries emerged throughout the decade, beginning with [[Richard Lester]]'s ''[[Superman II]]'' (1980) and ending with [[Tim Burton]]'s ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' (1989).<ref name="Litchenfeld286">Lichtenfeld, 2007, pg. 286</ref> Other films were released during the 1980s and 1990s including ''[[Swamp Thing (film)|Swamp Thing]]'' (1982), ''[[Superman III]]'' (1983), ''[[Supergirl (film)|Supergirl]]'' (1984), ''[[The Toxic Avenger (film)|The Toxic Avenger]]'' (1985) followed by the rest of its series, ''[[Superman IV: The Quest for Peace]]'' (1987), [[Bollywood]]'s ''[[Mr. India]]'' (1987), ''[[The Punisher (1989 film)|The Punisher]]'' (1989), ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|Dick Tracy]]'' (1990), ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' (1990), ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze]]'' (1991), ''[[The Rocketeer (film)|The Rocketeer]]'' (1991), ''[[Batman Returns]]'' (1992), ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III]]'' (1993), ''[[Batman: Mask of the Phantasm]]'' (1993) which is an [[animation|animated]] big screen spinoff of the television series ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'', ''[[The Shadow (1994 film)|The Shadow]]'' (1994), ''[[Batman Forever]]'' (1995), ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie]]'' (1995), ''[[The Phantom (1996 film)|The Phantom]]'' (1996), ''[[Steel (film)|Steel]]'' (1997), ''[[Mystery Men]]'' (1999), and ''[[Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie]]'' (1997).<ref name="Litchenfeld287">Lichtenfeld, 2007, pg. 287</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:50627 |title=allmovie The Toxic Avenger > Overview ))) |accessdate=2008-06-15 |author= Mannikka, Eleanor |publisher=[[Allmovie]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:48050 |title=allmovie (((Swamp Thing > Overview ))) |accessdate=2008-06-15 |author= Betzold, Michael |publisher=[[Allmovie]]}}</ref> [[Marvel Comics]]' ''[[Captain America (1990 film)|Captain America]]'' (1991) did not have a theatrical release and [[Roger Corman]]'s ''[[The Fantastic Four (film)|The Fantastic Four]]'' (1994) was released neither theatrically nor on home video.<ref name="Litchenfeld287" />

[[Alex Proyas]]' ''[[The Crow (film)|The Crow]]'' (1994) became the first independent comics superhero film that established a franchise.<ref name="Litchenfeld287" /> As [[Joel Schumacher]]'s ''[[Batman & Robin (film)|Batman & Robin]]'' (1997) was critically panned for being too jokey and tongue-in-cheek,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1077027-batman_and_robin/ | title=Batman & Robin Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes | accessdate=2008-06-18 | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> ''The Crow'' brought in a new realm of violence absent in previous popular superhero films targeted at younger audiences and bridging a gap to the more modern [[action film]].<ref name="Litchenfeld289">Lichtenfeld, 2007, pg. 289</ref> The success of ''The Crow'' catalyzed the release of a film version of ''[[Spawn (film)|Spawn]]'' (1997), Image Comics' leading character. The success of the "darker" Image Comics characters shifted the direction of comic book movies. Marvel soon released their first film to become a franchise, ''[[Blade (film)|Blade]]'' (1998). ''Blade'' was also a mix of a more traditional action film as well as darker superhero film with the title character having superpowers as well as carrying an assault of weaponry.<ref name="Litchenfeld289" />

===The 2000s===
The [[2000–2009|2000s]] brought forward some of the most profitable superhero franchises in history, with Marvel Enterprises dominating the superhero film genre. It began with the surprise hit of [[20th Century Fox]] and [[Marvel Studios|Marvel]]'s [[X-Men (film series)|''X-Men'' film series]] (2000 onwards) which became a film franchise,<ref name="Litchenfeld293">Lichtenfeld, 2007, pg. 293</ref> and [[M. Night Shyamalan]]'s ''[[Unbreakable (film)|Unbreakable]]'' (2000)<ref>{{cite book|title=Frieze: contemporary art and culture, Volumes 59-61|publisher=Durian Publications|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-pY0AQAAIAAJ|accessdate=6 July 2011|page=51}}</ref> which added an element of urban realism to the genre.<ref>{{cite book|title=Film review, Issues 607-612|year=2001|publisher=Orpheus Publications|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=oXdZAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=6 July 2011|page=93}}</ref> Later, one of the largest blockbusters of all time was released with [[Sam Raimi]]'s ''[[Spider-Man (film)|Spider-Man]]'' (2002).<ref name="test">{{cite web|url=http://www.movieweb.com/box-office/alltime |title=All Time Top 1000 Grossing Films: U.S. Domestic Ranks |publisher=Movieweb.com |date= |accessdate=2011-08-05}}</ref> With high ticket and DVD sales, several new superhero films were released every year in the 2000s, including ''[[Daredevil (film)|Daredevil]]'' (2003), ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (film)|The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'' (2003), ''[[Hulk (film)|Hulk]]'' (2003), ''[[Catwoman (film)|Catwoman]]'' (2004), ''[[Hellboy (film)|Hellboy]]'' (2004), ''[[The Punisher (2004 film)|The Punisher]]'' (2004), ''[[Batman Begins]]'' (2005), ''[[Fantastic Four (film)|Fantastic Four]]'' (2005), ''[[Ghost Rider (film)|Ghost Rider]]'' (2007), ''[[Iron Man (film)|Iron Man]]'' (2008), ''[[The Incredible Hulk (film)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' (2008) ''[[Watchmen (film)|Watchmen]]'' (2009), ''[[Kick-Ass (film)|Kick-Ass]]'' (2010) and ''[[Jonah Hex (film)|Jonah Hex]]'' (2010).

Many sequels and spin-offs were also released throughout the decade, including ''[[Blade II]]'' (2002), ''[[X2 (film)|X2: X-Men United]]'' (2003), ''[[Spider-Man 2]]'' (2004), ''[[Blade: Trinity]]'' (2004), ''[[Elektra (2005 film)|Elektra]]'' (2005), ''[[X-Men: The Last Stand]]'' (2006), ''[[TMNT (film)|TMNT]]'' (2007), ''[[Spider-Man 3]]'' (2007), ''[[Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer]]'' (2007), ''[[Hellboy II: The Golden Army]]'' (2008), ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]'' (2008), ''[[X-Men Origins: Wolverine]]'' (2009), and ''[[Iron Man 2]]'' (2010).

Non-[[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] superhero films also were released, including the [[United States|American]]/[[Spain|Spanish]] production ''[[Faust: Love of the Damned]]'' (2001), [[Japan]]'s [[tokusatsu]] films ''[[Ultraman (2004 film)|Ultraman]]'' (2004) and ''[[Casshern (film)|Casshern]]'' (2004), [[Malaysia]]'s ''[[Cicak Man]]'' (2006), [[Bollywood]]'s ''[[Krrish]]'' (2006) and [[Ra.One]] (2011), [[Thailand]]'s ''[[Mercury Man (film)|Mercury Man]]'' (2006). Several non-action film oriented superhero films were released in the 2000s with varying ranges of success.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}} [[Brad Bird]]'s ''[[The Incredibles]]'' (2004) for [[Pixar]] was a critically acclaimed [[Computer graphics|digitally-animated]] [[family film|family oriented]] superhero film.<ref name="rtincredibles">{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/incredibles/page=2&critic=creamcrop&sortby=date&name_order=asc&view=#mo |title=The Incredibles Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate=2008-06-15 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Other hybrids include ''[[Sky High (2005 film)|Sky High]]'' (2005) and ''[[Zoom (film)|Zoom]]'' (2006) which were fusions of the superhero and [[family film]] genres, ''[[My Super Ex-Girlfriend]]'' (2006) a combination of superhero film and a [[romantic comedy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:313197 |title=allmovie (((Sky High > Overview )))|accessdate=2008-06-15 |author=Deming, Mark|publisher=[[Allmovie]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:331687 |title=allmovie (((My Super Ex-Girlfriend > Overview )))|accessdate=2008-06-15 |author=Seibert, Perry|publisher=[[Allmovie]]}}</ref>

Some series from the current and previous decades were also re-released, such as ''[[Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut]]'' (2006).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:316298|title=(((Superman Returns > Overview )))|accessdate=2008-06-15 |author=Wheeler, Jeremy|publisher=[[Allmovie]]}}</ref> Other series discarded the continuities of previously released films and began a [[Reboot (fiction)|reboot]], most notably [[Christopher Nolan]]'s ''[[Batman Begins]]'' (2005) as well as [[Louis Leterrier]]'s ''[[The Incredible Hulk (film)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' (2008) and [[Lexi Alexander]]'s ''[[Punisher: War Zone]]'' (2008). Bryan Singer's ''[[Superman Returns]]'' (2006) is unique due to the fact that it is a sequel to the first two Superman films, yet also a reboot to the third and fourth films.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.superherohype.com/news/hulknews.php?id=7258|title= The Incredible Hulk: A Smashing Sampling of Scenes - Superhero Hype!|accessdate=2008-06-15 |author=Huver, Scott|publisher=[[Superhero Hype!]]}}</ref> Currently, the ''Batman Begins'' sequel ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]'' (2008) is not only the highest grossing superhero film of all time, it is also the most nominated superhero film in Academy Award history with 8 nominations with two wins for sound editing and best supporting actor for [[Heath Ledger]] and also one of the highest grossing films of all time.<ref name="boxofficeTop">{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm|title= All Time Box Office Domestic Gross|accessdate=December 4, 2008|publisher=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>

===The 2010s===
In 2010, [[Matthew Vaughn]]'s adaption of ''[[Kick-Ass (film)|Kick-Ass]]'' was released, followed by ''[[Iron Man 2]]'' a month later. Following references to the "[[Avengers (comics)|Avenger initiative]]" in the ''Iron Man'' films and ''The Incredible Hulk'', Marvel released ''[[Thor (film)|Thor]]'' on May 6, 2011.<ref name="Thordate">{{cite news|url=http://www.variety.com/VR1118013423.html|title='Thor' set to bow May 6, 2011|author=Pamela McClintock|publisher=''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''|date=2010-01-06|accessdate=2010-05-30}}</ref> Additional 2011 films include ''[[The Green Hornet (2011 film)|The Green Hornet]]'' (2011), ''[[Green Lantern (film)|Green Lantern]]'' (2011), and ''[[X-Men: First Class]]'' (2011).The next Batman film from [[Christopher Nolan]], ''[[The Dark Knight Rises]]'', is the sequel to [[Christopher Nolan]]'s film [[The Dark Knight]]. It is scheduled to be released on July 20, 2012.
A ''Superman Returns'' sequel was planned for 2009 but delayed and later scrapped in favor of the reboot, ''[[Man of Steel (film)|Man of Steel]]''.<ref>{{cite news | author = Lauren A.E. Schuker | title = Warner Bets on Fewer, Bigger Movies | work = The Wall Street Journal | date = 2008-08-22 | url = http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121936107614461929.html?mod=googlenews_wsj | accessdate = 2008-08-22}}</ref>

''[[Captain America: The First Avenger]]'' was released on July 22, 2011, leading up to the May 2012 release of ''[[The Avengers (2012 film)|The Avengers]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greenhornetmovie.com/ |title=The Green Hornet - Official Site |publisher=Greenhornetmovie.com |date= |accessdate=2011-08-05}}</ref> In 2008, there were reports that [[DC Comics]] planned to release ''[[Green Arrow (film)|Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max]]''.<ref>Adler, Shawn. [http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1592718/story.jhtml "Green Arrow Plans Jail Break With Help From Joker, Lex Luthor In Upcoming Film"]. [[MTV]]. August 13, 2008.</ref> A film about the character [[Venom (comics)|Venom]] is in development for an unknown date.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atomicpopcorn.net/gary-ross-to-re-writedirect-venom-spin-off/ |title=Gary Ross to Re-write/Direct Venom Spin-off? |publisher=Atomicpopcorn.net |date=2009-10-08}}</ref> Other intended releases include [[X-Men (film series)#Future|several new ''X-Men'' films]], ''[[Fantastic Four (film series)#Silver Surfer spin-off|Silver Surfer]]'', ''[[Ant-Man (film)|Ant-Man]]'',<ref>{{cite news | url=http://superherohype.com/news/featuresnews.php?id=4566 | title= Exclusive: Edgar Wright Talks ''Ant-Man'' | publisher=SuperHeroHype.com | date=2006-07-26 | accessdate=2006-07-30 }}</ref> and movies based on DC superheroes such as [[Wonder Woman]] and the [[Flash (comics)|Flash]].<ref>
*{{cite news | author=Brian Linder | url=http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/036/036742p1.html | title=''Wonder Woman'' Scribe Chosen | publisher=IGN | date=2001-01-24 | accessdate=2006-08-01}}
*{{cite news | author=Claude Brodesser | coauthors=Cathy Dunkley | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117915172.html?categoryid=1350&cs=1 | title=WB shines Flash light | work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=2004-12-16 | accessdate=2007-02-12 }}</ref> Despite initial reports of a forthcoming ''Spider-Man 4'' project, [[Spider-Man 4|filming was ultimately cancelled]] and, following new direction and casting, a new film was announced, titled ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 film)|The Amazing Spider-Man]]''.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/urgent-spider-man-4-scrapped-as-is-raimi-and-cast-out-franchise-reboot-planned/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter | title=EXCLUSIVE: 'Spider-Man 4' Scrapped; Sam Rami & Tobey Maguire & Cast Out; Franchise Reboot for 2012 | publisher=[[Nikki Finke#Deadline|Deadline Hollywood]] | date=January 11, 2010 | accessdate=January 11, 2010}}</ref> A ''Ghost Rider'' sequel titled ''[[Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance]]'' was released on February 17, 2012.<ref>{{cite news | author=Peter Sciretta | url=http://www.slashfilm.com/2007/02/10/ghost-rider-2-announced/ | title=Ghost Rider 2 Announced | publisher=SlashFilm.com | date=2007-02-10 | accessdate=2007-02-10 }}</ref> There is also talk of an [[X-Men (film series)#Deadpool|''X-Men Origins: Wolverine'' spin-off]] directed by Tim Miller and [[Ryan Reynolds]] reprising his role as [[Deadpool]].{{citation needed|date=October 2011}}

==Animated==
Outside of live action, animated superhero films have also achieved critical and financial success. Nearly all animated superhero films are direct-to-video ([[Marvel Animation]] films, [[DC Universe Animated Original Movies]], others) though the 1993 film [[Batman: Mask of the Phantasm]] was released theatrically and was a critical success (though a box-office failure). In [[2004 in film|2004]] [[Pixar]] released [[The Incredibles]], about a retired superhero couple and their children, which did extremely well both critically and financially and went on to win the [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature]],. In 2010 [[DreamWorks Animation]] released [[MegaMind]]

==Parody==
*[[Kinka Usher]]'s 1999 film ''[[Mystery Men]]'' features a group of inept amateur superheroes.
*[[Kevin Smith]]'s 2001 film ''[[Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back]]'', parodies film companies' seemingly compulsive purchase of comic book film rights with "[[Bluntman and Chronic]]". In the film, the character [[Brodie Bruce]] describes the process: "After ''X-Men'' hit at the box office, the movie companies started buying out every comic property they could get their dirty little hands on".
*[[Mark Hamill]]'s 2004 parody ''[[Comic Book: The Movie]]'', about a comic book fan and a film adaptation of his favorite character, was released [[direct-to-video]] and achieved mild success,{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} garnering a [[Cult film|cult following]] among comic book readers.
*[[Craig Mazin]] directed the more direct parody ''[[Superhero Movie]]'', released in 2008.
*Another comedic play on superheroes is ''[[The Specials (film)|The Specials]]'', a film in which the title team is more concerned with their public image than actually being superheroes. This is filmed in an almost "[[mockumentary]]" style.

==See also==
{{Portal|Film|Speculative fiction|Superhero fiction}}
{{Columns-list|2|
* [[List of American superhero films]]
* [[List of films based on comics]]
* [[List of films based on DC Comics]]
* [[List of films based on Marvel Comics]]
* [[List of films based on Dark Horse Comics]]
* [[Fantasy film]]
* [[Action film]]
* [[Science fiction film]]
* [[Superhero live-action television series]]
* [[Tokusatsu]]
}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|colwidth=40em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book
| last= Lichtenfeld
| first= Eric
| coauthors=
| title= Action Speaks Louder: Violence, Spectacle, and the American Action
|publisher= [[Wesleyan University Press]]
|year= 2007
|isbn= 0819568015
}}
*{{cite book
| last= The Staff and Friends of Scarecrow
| coauthors=
| title= The Scarecrow Video Movie Guide
|publisher= [[Sasquatch Books]]
|year= 2003
|isbn= 1570614156
}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.comicbookmovie.com ComicBookMovie.com]
*
* [http://www.superherohype.com SuperheroHype.com]
* [http://www.superheroeslives.com SuperheroesLives.com]
* [http://www.superheromovies.net SuperheroMovies.net]
{{Film genres}}
{{Superhero fiction}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Superhero Film}}
{{Uncategorized|date=April 2012}}
[[Category:Superhero films|*]]
[[Category:Film genres]]
[[Category:Action films by genre]]
[[Category:Superhero fiction by medium]]


[[es:Películas de superhéroes]]
[[es:Películas de superhéroes]]

Revision as of 00:08, 15 April 2012

You may be looking for Superhero Movie.
The actor Christopher Reeve who played the titular character in the highly acclaimed Superman movies.

A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action, fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public. These films are almost always action-oriented, and the first film of a particular character often includes a focus on the origin of the special powers including the first fight against the character's most famous supervillain archenemy.

Most superhero movies are based on comic books, where the fantasy genre is most dominant in the medium's mainstream image. By contrast, several films such as the RoboCop series, Darkman, The Meteor Man, Up, Up, and Away, Unbreakable, The Incredibles, Hancock and Megamind are original, while The Green Hornet is based primarily on the original radio series and its 1960s television adaptation, and Underdog is based on a classic cartoon.

History

Early years

Almost immediately after superheroes rose to prominence in comic books, they were adapted into Saturday movie serials aimed at young children, starting with Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941). Serials such as Batman (1943), The Phantom (1943), Captain America (1944), and Superman (1948) followed.

In the coming decades, the decline of Saturday serials and turmoil in the comic book industry put an end to superhero motion pictures, with the exception of episodes of the television series Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves, which had been compiled for theatrical release, and Batman (1966) a big-screen extension of the Batman television series starring Adam West.[1] Other superhero films released at this time include Mario Bava's Danger: Diabolik (1968) based on the Italian supervillain character Diabolik.[2] Original superhero characters emerged in other more comedy oriented films such as the French political satire film Mr. Freedom (1969) and the American b-movies Rat Pfink a Boo Boo (1966) and The Wild World of Batwoman (1966).[3][4]

1978–1990s

Riding a wave of a new interest in fantasy films with the outstanding success of Star Wars, Richard Donner's Superman (1978), the first major superhero feature film, proved a critical success and a commercial hit. The combination of producer Ilya Salkind's willingness to finance a significant budget, Donner's desire to create an engaging verisimilitude, composer John Williams's majestic film score and Christopher Reeve's appealingly sincere performance of the title role helped make the film an inspiration for later generations' superhero films as part of a respected fantasy film genre.

The success of Superman wore into the 1980s, as more successful entries emerged throughout the decade, beginning with Richard Lester's Superman II (1980) and ending with Tim Burton's Batman (1989).[5] Other films were released during the 1980s and 1990s including Swamp Thing (1982), Superman III (1983), Supergirl (1984), The Toxic Avenger (1985) followed by the rest of its series, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), Bollywood's Mr. India (1987), The Punisher (1989), Dick Tracy (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), The Rocketeer (1991), Batman Returns (1992), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) which is an animated big screen spinoff of the television series Batman: The Animated Series, The Shadow (1994), Batman Forever (1995), Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), The Phantom (1996), Steel (1997), Mystery Men (1999), and Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1997).[6][7][8] Marvel Comics' Captain America (1991) did not have a theatrical release and Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four (1994) was released neither theatrically nor on home video.[6]

Alex Proyas' The Crow (1994) became the first independent comics superhero film that established a franchise.[6] As Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin (1997) was critically panned for being too jokey and tongue-in-cheek,[9] The Crow brought in a new realm of violence absent in previous popular superhero films targeted at younger audiences and bridging a gap to the more modern action film.[10] The success of The Crow catalyzed the release of a film version of Spawn (1997), Image Comics' leading character. The success of the "darker" Image Comics characters shifted the direction of comic book movies. Marvel soon released their first film to become a franchise, Blade (1998). Blade was also a mix of a more traditional action film as well as darker superhero film with the title character having superpowers as well as carrying an assault of weaponry.[10]

The 2000s

The 2000s brought forward some of the most profitable superhero franchises in history, with Marvel Enterprises dominating the superhero film genre. It began with the surprise hit of 20th Century Fox and Marvel's X-Men film series (2000 onwards) which became a film franchise,[11] and M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable (2000)[12] which added an element of urban realism to the genre.[13] Later, one of the largest blockbusters of all time was released with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002).[14] With high ticket and DVD sales, several new superhero films were released every year in the 2000s, including Daredevil (2003), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), Hulk (2003), Catwoman (2004), Hellboy (2004), The Punisher (2004), Batman Begins (2005), Fantastic Four (2005), Ghost Rider (2007), Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008) Watchmen (2009), Kick-Ass (2010) and Jonah Hex (2010).

Many sequels and spin-offs were also released throughout the decade, including Blade II (2002), X2: X-Men United (2003), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Blade: Trinity (2004), Elektra (2005), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), TMNT (2007), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), The Dark Knight (2008), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), and Iron Man 2 (2010).

Non-Hollywood superhero films also were released, including the American/Spanish production Faust: Love of the Damned (2001), Japan's tokusatsu films Ultraman (2004) and Casshern (2004), Malaysia's Cicak Man (2006), Bollywood's Krrish (2006) and Ra.One (2011), Thailand's Mercury Man (2006). Several non-action film oriented superhero films were released in the 2000s with varying ranges of success.[citation needed] Brad Bird's The Incredibles (2004) for Pixar was a critically acclaimed digitally-animated family oriented superhero film.[15] Other hybrids include Sky High (2005) and Zoom (2006) which were fusions of the superhero and family film genres, My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006) a combination of superhero film and a romantic comedy.[16][17]

Some series from the current and previous decades were also re-released, such as Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006).[18] Other series discarded the continuities of previously released films and began a reboot, most notably Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (2005) as well as Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Lexi Alexander's Punisher: War Zone (2008). Bryan Singer's Superman Returns (2006) is unique due to the fact that it is a sequel to the first two Superman films, yet also a reboot to the third and fourth films.[19] Currently, the Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight (2008) is not only the highest grossing superhero film of all time, it is also the most nominated superhero film in Academy Award history with 8 nominations with two wins for sound editing and best supporting actor for Heath Ledger and also one of the highest grossing films of all time.[20]

The 2010s

In 2010, Matthew Vaughn's adaption of Kick-Ass was released, followed by Iron Man 2 a month later. Following references to the "Avenger initiative" in the Iron Man films and The Incredible Hulk, Marvel released Thor on May 6, 2011.[21] Additional 2011 films include The Green Hornet (2011), Green Lantern (2011), and X-Men: First Class (2011).The next Batman film from Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises, is the sequel to Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight. It is scheduled to be released on July 20, 2012. A Superman Returns sequel was planned for 2009 but delayed and later scrapped in favor of the reboot, Man of Steel.[22]

Captain America: The First Avenger was released on July 22, 2011, leading up to the May 2012 release of The Avengers.[23] In 2008, there were reports that DC Comics planned to release Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max.[24] A film about the character Venom is in development for an unknown date.[25] Other intended releases include several new X-Men films, Silver Surfer, Ant-Man,[26] and movies based on DC superheroes such as Wonder Woman and the Flash.[27] Despite initial reports of a forthcoming Spider-Man 4 project, filming was ultimately cancelled and, following new direction and casting, a new film was announced, titled The Amazing Spider-Man.[28] A Ghost Rider sequel titled Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was released on February 17, 2012.[29] There is also talk of an X-Men Origins: Wolverine spin-off directed by Tim Miller and Ryan Reynolds reprising his role as Deadpool.[citation needed]

Animated

Outside of live action, animated superhero films have also achieved critical and financial success. Nearly all animated superhero films are direct-to-video (Marvel Animation films, DC Universe Animated Original Movies, others) though the 1993 film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was released theatrically and was a critical success (though a box-office failure). In 2004 Pixar released The Incredibles, about a retired superhero couple and their children, which did extremely well both critically and financially and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature,. In 2010 DreamWorks Animation released MegaMind

Parody

See also

2

Footnotes

  1. ^ The Staff of Scarecrow, 2004, pg. 536
  2. ^ Pavlides, Dan (Unknown). "allmovie (((Danger: Diabolik > Overview )))". Allmovie. Retrieved 2008-05-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Pavlides, Dan (Unknown). "allmovie (((Mister Freedom > Overview )))". Allmovie. Retrieved 2008-05-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Beldin, Fred (Unknown). "allmovie (((Rat Pfink a Boo-Boo > Review )))". Allmovie. Retrieved 2008-05-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Lichtenfeld, 2007, pg. 286
  6. ^ a b c Lichtenfeld, 2007, pg. 287
  7. ^ Mannikka, Eleanor. "allmovie The Toxic Avenger > Overview )))". Allmovie. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  8. ^ Betzold, Michael. "allmovie (((Swamp Thing > Overview )))". Allmovie. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  9. ^ "Batman & Robin Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  10. ^ a b Lichtenfeld, 2007, pg. 289
  11. ^ Lichtenfeld, 2007, pg. 293
  12. ^ Frieze: contemporary art and culture, Volumes 59-61. Durian Publications. p. 51. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  13. ^ Film review, Issues 607-612. Orpheus Publications. 2001. p. 93. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  14. ^ "All Time Top 1000 Grossing Films: U.S. Domestic Ranks". Movieweb.com. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  15. ^ "The Incredibles Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-06-15. [dead link]
  16. ^ Deming, Mark. "allmovie (((Sky High > Overview )))". Allmovie. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  17. ^ Seibert, Perry. "allmovie (((My Super Ex-Girlfriend > Overview )))". Allmovie. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  18. ^ Wheeler, Jeremy. "(Superman Returns > Overview )". Allmovie. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  19. ^ Huver, Scott. "The Incredible Hulk: A Smashing Sampling of Scenes - Superhero Hype!". Superhero Hype!. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  20. ^ "All Time Box Office Domestic Gross". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  21. ^ Pamela McClintock (2010-01-06). "'Thor' set to bow May 6, 2011". Variety. Retrieved 2010-05-30. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ Lauren A.E. Schuker (2008-08-22). "Warner Bets on Fewer, Bigger Movies". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  23. ^ "The Green Hornet - Official Site". Greenhornetmovie.com. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  24. ^ Adler, Shawn. "Green Arrow Plans Jail Break With Help From Joker, Lex Luthor In Upcoming Film". MTV. August 13, 2008.
  25. ^ "Gary Ross to Re-write/Direct Venom Spin-off?". Atomicpopcorn.net. 2009-10-08.
  26. ^ "Exclusive: Edgar Wright Talks Ant-Man". SuperHeroHype.com. 2006-07-26. Retrieved 2006-07-30.
  27. ^
  28. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: 'Spider-Man 4' Scrapped; Sam Rami & Tobey Maguire & Cast Out; Franchise Reboot for 2012". Deadline Hollywood. January 11, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
  29. ^ Peter Sciretta (2007-02-10). "Ghost Rider 2 Announced". SlashFilm.com. Retrieved 2007-02-10.

Bibliography

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