The idea of a person going around in a colorful costume fighting crime is an inherently funny image and a goofy situation, especially considering the campy origins of superhero comics. This combined with the idea that superheroes are for children has led to the idea that superhero stories should be lighthearted or even funny affairs.

Now that superhero movies are all the rage, that thought process has moved into cinema...and not without good reason. The very premise of superheroics seems ludicrous, and by now the classic hero-villain setup has become so cliché that it is laughable. With all of this in the audience’s mind, why not play into the hilarity of the situation? If it helps immerse the viewer then it may very well help the story.

And yet, the superhero genre is as diverse as, say, the science fiction genre; it is bound by no specific tone. To suggest that it is inherently silly or inherently serious does nothing but confine it and prevent avenues of storytelling of ever being imagined.

We can, however, examine how both sides of the spectrum effect the superhero story, particularly in film. The most acclaimed superhero films, at least in the mainstream, are likely Christopher Nolan’s "Dark Knight" trilogy, which took a darker and more realistic tone than most other superhero films. This required the reworking of some characters to fit into a more realistic context, but the hearts of the characters were still there, making these films enjoyable for comic book fans and regular filmgoers alike. The seriousness and “realism” allows the film to delve into real world issues and deeper psychology, though it makes it more difficult to take a man who dresses up like a giant bat seriously. At least there can be discussion of Bruce Wayne’s psychological issues. Like "The Dark Knight Returns," these films can be equated with getting people, AKA non-comic book readers, to take superhero stories seriously.

Arguably just as, maybe even more, popular is “The Avengers,” which is far more lighthearted than any of Christopher Nolan’s films. At this point Marvel had already put out a number of other films, all with approximately the same tone as “The Avengers,” lighthearted and witty. “The Avengers” is probably more effective at integrating those witticisms into the story thanks to Joss Whedon, whose work always has a good amount of humor injected into it. The story here is simple and more than a little stereotypical in terms of a villain trying to take over the world and a big fight for the finale, but the characters interactions are why the movie clicks with so many and that is due to the witty dialogue. The film is endlessly quotable; really, the only thing missing from this story, and this often comes at the price of having such humor, is a deeper story, either in character or plot.

This is a trend it seems, particularly among Marvel films, that tend to be rather humorous and often epitomize popcorn films. But then you have a film like “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which not only has a great wit to it, but a story that has more meaning than just a forgettable action flick. This film successfully merges humor and seriousness, which is what most other films do. There has to be something to breaks the seriousness, that laughs at the inherent silliness in most dramas. That’s just in the art of writing. That’s just something about making a movie.

And that is probably where “The Winter Soldier” succeeds the most; the viewer can almost forget it’s a superhero movie. That’s not to disregard what superhero stories have to offer, but acknowledging that the crafting of the film feels more like just a great movie was trying to be made, rather than creators trying to play to either side of the superhero film spectrum.

That’s not to say that either side of that spectrum can’t be successful or be worthwhile stories, but maybe we just need to stop thinking of superhero films as either comedic or serious. Maybe they just need to tell a story worth telling. Humor is a great way of getting into an audience’s heart, but it shouldn’t prevent deeper stories from being told. Similarly, a serious story doesn’t mean there can’t be a joke or two. The truth is the superhero genre isn’t defined by tone. That’s not why people go to see superhero movies or read comics; they just want a good story and there are a multitude of ways that can be told. The trick is finding what tone fits the story best.