Superhero movies are all the rage these days. A new movie about a superhero hits the big screen every few months, and it can dominate the box office. Why have they become so popular? What is it about these movies that keep people coming back for more? This blog post will explore why superhero movies have become popular and why people love them.

Superhero films are quite the thing these days.

Superhero movies have been around for some time. There are movies about Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, The X-Men, etc. If you go to the cinemas, you will find one superhero film being shown sometimes. However, it wasn't until Marvel Studios introduced their Marvel Cinematic Universe consisting of various films, TV shows, and other media, that superhero movies catapulted into mainstream popularity. They started with Iron Man in 2008, and from there, they started releasing other films featuring lesser-known Marvel characters that eventually became popular. Other studios followed suit, creating their cinematic universes, such as the DC Extended Universe by DC Studios, which featured characters from DC Comics, such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Suddenly, there was a surge of movies based on superheroes and other characters from comic books. These movies are quite a force to be reckoned with, as many of them have become some of the highest-grossing films and entered mainstream media to become a popular culture phenomenon. And it's not only comic book fans who became the primary audience for these media, but also people who were not into superheroes and comic books before have been converted into fans. So what is the appeal behind these superhero films and shows, and why did people dig into them?

1. We see ourselves in them

Behind the mask and costumes, many heroes are humans just like us. Most experienced something in their life that gave them superpowers and abilities. Many of them also went through something unfortunate or experienced tough times in their past before they became who they were. When they become superheroes, they use their powers for good, overcome obstacles, and defeat evil threats to the world. From perhaps being a nobody or average citizen of society, they become someone who others look up to and gain significance far more than they can imagine. Superheroes in comic book movies symbolize humanity. They are also humans like us who feel various emotions, experience ups and downs, and can achieve something great with what we can do. In a way, superhero movies show us the possibility of overcoming our struggles and achieving something great, minus the powers and need to beat otherworldly villains. We idolize them because we see ourselves in them and think we can be like them, using our skills and abilities to make the most out of life and achieve greatness.

2. Superhero movies are a nice break from reality

Let's face it: life can be challenging and harsh sometimes. We do our best to work hard and do things, but problems still keep coming, as if a villain is doing his best to ruin our lives. We need to break away from reality sometimes when things become too much. Like other distractions, superhero films and shows can provide a much-needed reprieve to help us relax and enjoy something nice. Watching a superhero movie on the big screen is one of the most satisfying experiences you can have these days. Technological advancements in computer-generated imagery make it possible to see excellent visual effects and unbelievable feats that were only possible to see before in comic books. After watching a superhero movie for two hours or more in the cinema, you can feel better and inspired. And it's not only in cinemas you can watch movies with superhero content; there are also TV shows and cartoons on streaming services that feature superheroes, and of course, there are the comic books themselves that you can read where the source material for the movies came from.

3. The connection between movies

Marvel Studios had done something amazing with their cinematic universe. Superhero movies existed before the concept of a shared universe existed. Like other movies, they exist as stand-alone films that may have a sequel or two, but we can only dream of having one hero share the spotlight with another hero, such as Batman facing off with Superman. The concept of a shared universe started by Marvel Studios changed everything. Beginning with one movie that featured a hero, they created several of these until they had them meet and fight together in a single crossover movie. It was a success, and from there, it became a standard for other characters to appear in somebody else's movie. There are also various easter eggs in the form of items or people that those who followed the films and TV shows and read the comic books will find amusing. They also got into this habit of showing stingers and short scenes at the end of the movies that tease what comes next. In short, there is an incentive to watch them all because of the sweet anticipation to look forward to who's going to cameo or show up next and find connections between things. They made an entire universe where all our favorite characters get to interact with each other, and there is this one big thread or plot that ties them all together.

4. There is something for everyone

When we talk about superhero movies, the most common genre we can think of is perhaps action, together with sci-fi and adventure. There is almost always a villain out there that wants to do something nasty to the world or the immediate community where they are, and so there is a need for our heroes to fight them. However, film studios did something interesting by branching out with other genres for their films and TV shows. Watching a superhero-themed show, one can witness comedy, drama, horror, romance, suspense, etc. The action is still there but may not be the movie's or show's focus. So if one finds it a bit geeky to watch heroes fighting villains with special effects galore, one may still enjoy superhero movies or shows because of the other genres within them.

Also, film studios found a way of representing various groups of people in their superhero films and shows by having the actors portray different characters representing other people in real life. From female superheroes to people of color and characters that represent particular genders and minority groups, there is someone people can associate with while watching these shows, leading to better audience reception.

Perhaps we all wanted to be a hero to some degree.

Deep inside, perhaps one of the reasons many of us like watching superhero movies and shows is that we want to be like them. We all face struggles and challenges, and these things are like the villains that want to put us down. However, we can achieve something great if we overcome such obstacles, just like our favorite heroes that can beat the bad guys with their superpowers. Perhaps we see them as ourselves or look up to them as role models, imitating their virtues, so we can also do something good and improve ourselves without using superpowers. Our world can be full of trouble sometimes, and deep inside, we may think that if only there were heroes out there who could save us from all the problems and make the world a better place to live. But, of course, we may already be the heroes we are looking for, and we only need to step up and make a difference in our lives and that of others. All these ideas are what these superhero films and shows can impart to us, and that resonance is what can make them popular.