So, we are in the age of the CBM. We have half a dozen coming out every year on average, with them raking in box office dollars on a ridiculously consistent basis. They make so much money internationally that the public awareness of the characters has sky rocketed dramatically. Superheroes matter a lot more to the world now, their exposure making them a part of everyday life where once they were only acknowledged by the nerdy or the young. There are nowhere near as many negative connotations associated with liking superheroes now as there used to be (as far as I know anyway, I have only really assumed this due to the portrayal comic nerds receive in the media.) I myself only started reading comics when Iron Man came out, though I have quickly developed my knowledge of the comic book world. Yet, I don't really fit the stereotypical nerd definition, not to say you have to be like that if you read comics, only that it was what people assumed nerds were like.
However, with the increase in public awareness, we have also seen some dramatic changes. For one, there is significantly more money in making superhero movies then there is in comic books. Marvel has become one of the most succesfull movie studios in history. In fact, there success rate/number of films made ratio means they ARE the most succesfull film studio ever. The Marvel Cinematic universe has THREE films in the top ten highest grossing films, with one at number three and another steadily climbing toward its projected 1.6 billion total. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the highest grossing film franchise of all time, with its slate of movies in the future meaning no one will be overtaking it anytime soon. Batman and Spiderman both crack the top ten most successful film franchises of all time. The adaptability of the genre gives it unprecedented life. Look at the wide variety of TYPES of superhero movie we've seen over the last decade. Spy Movie, War Movie, Comedy, Space Opera, Sci Fi, Horror, Drama, the list goes on.
This leads to my second point.
If making movies is the more viable option for the companies to make money, shouldn't the companies begin to change the comics to suit the movies? Well, thats already happened really. If you look at Marvel pre Iron Man, the world is a very different landscape. Characters have become more like their film versions, worlds have changed and past history has been thrown away. Just look at some recent changes:
- Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are no longer mutants
- The rise of Hawkeye and Black Widow in the Avengers ranks
- The Avengers prominence in the comics
- Iron Man's personality change
- The rumoured exodus of the X-Men
There are many others as well, but I don't want to go through every change. However, I think the point is clear: the comics are changing to suit the movies.
So, the question I pose to you is: Have superheroes outgrown comic books?
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