Heroes of Silver Screen: The Superhero Genre and the Film Canon

Sadbh Boylan

Superhero flicks have been a mainstay of cinema since Hollywood execs first plucked characters from comic books and Saturday morning cartoons and splashed them onto the big screen. Today, the majority of tentpole theatrical releases are superhero stories. Even in the treacherous waters of post-pandemic cinema, superhero films have continued to stick the landing, drawing in the largest crowds and biggest box-office gains. However, with high-brow critics (and directors) questioning the validity of these blockbusters as “cinema”, do any of these flicks belong in the Film Canon? I would argue there’s plenty of room for these stories in the ranks. Here, I’ve distilled four essential flicks that I feel have truly earned their spot in the canon, capturing the most influential, most spectacular, and indeed, most super of the genre.

SUPERMAN (Richard Donner, 1978)

While some would gripe that the genesis of superheroes on the silver screen can be traced back to the silent crusades of ‘The Mask of Zorro’ (Niblo, 1920), it is commonly accepted that the modern superhero flick was born with Richard Donner’s Superman in 1978. Riding the success of sci-fi epics like Star Wars (George Lucas, 1978),

Donner’s Superman featured Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel battling against arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), decked out in his finest spandex and dipped in brilliantine. The true original model, Superman, set the benchmark for superhero blockbusters and proved to Hollywood that there was an appetite for these stories on the big screen. The revolutionary special effects delivered on the film’s (extremely corny) tag-line promise to make audiences “believe a man can fly.” Significantly, it shifted public perspective on the superhero genre from cheesy cartoon fodder to fantastical cinematic fare. A true pioneer of the genre, we have Superman to thank for the thriving superhero scene of the last forty years, and the Film Canon itself simply wouldn’t be complete without it.

THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

Christopher Nolan reinvented Batman in 2005’s Batman Begins, and redefined the superhero blockbuster with The Dark Knight in 2008. With The Dark Knight came the dawn of the mature superhero, and a new era of comic-book movies away from traditional tropes. It was the first superhero movie to gross a billion dollars, though was truly more akin to a gritty crime noir disguised with familiar IPs. The movie boasted what was considered an overqualified cast, but it was Heath Ledger’s Joker (a performance that garnered the late actor a posthumous Oscar) that truly won audiences over and cemented its cultural impact.. Many have attempted to mimic its rule-breaking, angsty take on classic comic characters since, though none have quite managed to break the mold and earn a place in the Film Canon like ‘The Dark Knight.’

BLACK PANTHER (Ryan Coogler, 2018)

Looking back at the impact of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther (2018), it’s clear that it was not only one of the most influential superhero movies, but one of the most culturally significant movies of all time. For the genre, the film made history as the first superhero movie to secure an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, lending some serious legitimacy to the typical comic-book blockbuster. For both superhero features and the wider film industry, Black Panther proved that action flicks led by diverse voices exploring themes of race in a contemporary setting could be both critically and financially successful. It emboldened studio juggernauts to take more risks in both their superhero offerings and beyond, paving the way for greater diversity and celebration of previously unheard voices in film.

THE AVENGERS (Joss Whedon, 2012)

Come on, there was no way I could close this out without including at least one Avengers flick. Although later installments arguably caused a greater cultural phenomenon, none of this would be possible without Marvel’s initial gamble in 2012. Such a feat of interconnected storytelling had never been attempted in cinema before, and suffice to say the industry hasn’t quite been the same since Marvel Studios brought together its individual heroes for a team-up that blew the genre wide open. The ‘Marvel formula’ that itself went on to change the film industry was truly perfected here, and despite its faults, it’s almost impossible not to get caught up in the gleeful nerdy hijinks even all these years later. There have been – and will be –bigger, more bombastic team-ups, though it’s difficult to imagine how anything can match the incredible, industry-altering impact of the first Avengers.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

LOGAN (James Mangold, 2017): Taking its influence from classic Westerns, Logan is a dark, nuanced character study disguised as a superhero flick.

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey & Rodney Rothman, 2018): Not only a gamechanger for the art of animation, but received near universal acclaim as one of the best superhero offerings of the last few decades.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (James Gunn, 2014): Marvel’s gamble in 2014 paid dividends, and paved the way for greater risks and whacky concepts in major theatrical releases.