With all of the hype surrounding the premiere of “Avengers: Infinity War,” I started reflecting about all superhero films, and how much they mean to me. When I asked my friend what her favorite superhero was, she shrugged and said she didn’t have one. When I informed her that this answer was not acceptable, she said, “There’s just too many, I don’t like it. Hollywood is overdoing it.” This comment made me think back to all the superhero movies that have come out in the past 10 years, and I realized that there is a staggering amount.
It seems like Hollywood loves a good superhero film. "Iron Man," "Captain America," "Dark Knight," "Man of Steel," Tobey Maguire Spiderman, Andrew Garfield Spiderman, I could go on and on. Billions of dollars have gone into creating these characters and building these universes, and I could see how that would be overwhelming to some people. How do you keep track of all the plot lines, villains and stories?
Well, in my opinion, the best thing about these superhero movies is that while each of them is part of a larger story arc, each film is fantastic on its own. You can pick out any Marvel or D.C. film, watch it on its own, and you should be able to enjoy it without having some kind of background knowledge beforehand. The general energy of the movie, as well as scenery and plot is completely different from film to film, so viewers get a unique experience each time. You don’t need to watch every film that came before to understand what is going on, and they’re all just purely entertaining.
Superhero movies are America's new Westerns. They push the boundaries of what can be done in film, and they're a lot of fun to watch. They give us something to look forward to, something that makes us excited. The characters are ones that inspire us, motivate us and remind us of our own strength. The stories are gripping, enticing and fun, and they provide an escape from the boring reality of our everyday lives.
My mom and I have a tradition of binge-watching superhero movies during all of my school breaks. Sometimes we'll do an Avengers marathon, sometimes we'll watch all of the Batman movies. We'll order in some take-out, sit on the couch, and get whisked away into the world of some amazing character. We forget about all of the stress of school and work, and get lost in the story. It's awesome.
So to all of those who feel overwhelmed by the abundance of superhero movies, you're looking at it all wrong. Every superhero movie offers something unique that will entertain you, and it offers a new story to get excited about. With the release of "Avengers: Infinity War," let's get excited, buy our tickets, and wait in anticipation for the film that we've been waiting for nearly a decade to watch. See you at the movies.
