Is 'Superhero Fiction' A Film/TV Genre? - Essay

By Luca Newton

Over the last couple of decades, there has been a rise in movies and shows based on superheroes. I think it's time to seriously consider whether 'superhero' is a film genre or not..

I have talked at lengths about superheroes over the few posts I've already made, and that is because I definitely have an affinity for the type of shows and films superhero-inspired stories are. However, in the time that I have been studying films and genre, it kind of dawned upon me - would 'superhero' fit as a genre in film and television?

So What Makes Something A Genre?

A genre is simply a category. When making a movie, a category can really help define a film or show. The idea is that you uses a genre as a framework. For example, when Rian Johnson made Knives Out, he went in knowing he wanted to make a murder mystery movie, and so, fitting within the framework of the "Mystery" genre, Knives Out managed to form into its own film, based on what basically defines that category. Additionally, these categories can also define films for audiences. For example, when I personally see a movie fits within the "Horror" genre, I typically am turned off from the film, because I personally don't enjoy that style of film, with exceptions. Others, however, flock to a film by just its horror genre. Genre can really define an audience, as well as the film itself.

The truth is, a genre is made of conventions. Specific elements of filmmaking which categorise films and shows under specific types; Drama, horror, science fiction, action, comedy. Each of these genres include many conventions keeping each films under each genre, truly of their genre. For example, horror will always include creepy, scary imagery - that is a convention of horror films. A large personal conflict is a convention of a drama film or show. However, a genre being a category isn't enough to truly define every film. There are filmmakers who purposefully challenge their film's own genre, to subvert expectations. In fact, genres are defined by how they typically are challenged, making many movies under each genre so vastly different from each other, yet still very clearly under that genre. I think that vast diversity within a genre is vital, as it makes it a category that reaches a large margin of specific films. If the films under a genre are too similar, I'd argue that it's more a sub-category of another genre. Example being zombie movies, with very little variety among themselves.

A man by the name of Steve Neale, studied genre. His Genre Theory describes how genres should have a healthy balance of similarities to tell it's a genre, while also having differences that keep the audience interested. All genres are honestly pretty interconnected. There isn't one genre that, to me, can be simply on its own for more than a rare few exceptions. What makes genres so interesting to think about is experimenting with them. Mixing and matching genres together is also known as genre hybridity, or cross-genre. By combining 2 sets of conventions into one can really change up a genre, and make individual films much more exciting. Some genres lend to each other really well - romance and comedy genres tend to overlap so much of the time, it's typically referred to as a romcom. A heftier example, would be Taika Waititi's film, What We Do In The Shadows.

What We Do In The Shadows is a 2014 film, directed and starring Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. It follows the lives of vampires living in modern times. One day, a random guy , who was originally intended to be killed for food, ended up also becoming a vampire, and the three main brother vampires need to deal with that. It's an absolutely hilarious film, and is incredibly written, acted and directed - but, it is an amalgamation of several genres. Most abundantly, it is a mockumentary, in that it's pretending to be a documentary, however, it is fiction, and parodying the documentary conventions. In addition, it is a comedy. In many ways, it is also a fantasy film with its vampires, werewolves and witches. As it's set in modern times, that would be classified as an urban fantasy. I could go on, but you get my point.

Applying Genre Study To Superhero Fiction

So, if what was just discussed is, indeed, what genre is. I see no reason why superhero fiction wouldn't be considered an official genre? To know, we need to apply all of that to superhero fiction in a way that truly defines it as a genre.

Narrative Conventions

In a superhero film, it is typical that they follow the origins of the main character, who typically has some form of powers that need explaining, or a less literal power, as we see the origins of their motives and thoughts, leading them to use their power to go against a villain. Films such as Iron Man and Batman Begins, display the origins of people who don't have extraordinary powers, but use their brains to physically work on a suit to prevent evil. Using their own internal powers to overcome evil. In other films, a young man being bitten by a radioactive spider gives them new powers which they have to choose to use for good - which is what typically makes villains good foils, as they also have powers a lot of the time, but use it for evil. Ultimately, it's about how you use power, which can apply to real life, it's like an allegory. This typically helps people relate to these larger-than-life characters. Spider-Man's balance of personal life and hero life always intertwining is why fans love that character.

One of my favourite examples is Thor's origins in Thor (2011). At the start, Thor has his powers, as he naturally does, as a Norse god. However, his recklessness, and abuse of his power, both physically and figuratively, gets his powers taken away from him. Thor is sent down to a small town in New Mexico, and once he learns true selflessness, and sacrifices himself to save the town from evil, he regains his power, and properly uses it against evil, and wins. This character arc defines a lot of what the narratives in superhero fiction follows.

However, going into sequels, and other types of hero films and shows, that aren't origins are more focused on distributing power, and saving the world - which exists in origin films too. To use a show for an example, Umbrella Academy is focused on saving an impending apocalypse, which can only be stopped if the ensemble of heroes, as a family, team up and have each other's backs for real. They fail to do that in the first season, which shows how their lack of cooperation lead to a misjudgement in distribution in power. That is a much more complex way of exemplifying this type of narrative - Captain America: The Winter Soldier, is focused on the power of the government, and how trusting a large corporation can be damaging. SHIELD turning out to be HYDRA all along, further distances Steve Rogers from the modern world, as he can't trust his allies anymore - however, he must distribute his power into making sure the right people are in power.

Themes and Ideologies

The typical theme of superhero fiction overall is good vs evil, which I touched on in the narrative. However, there is often also a theme of identity. Be it through a literal secret identity, like Spider-Man, or struggling with identity, like how Iron Man 3 explores if Tony Stark and Iron Man are on in the same, and if each can live without each other - ultimately, Tony takes out his arc reactor, and as it's not longer within him, and only an extension with his suit, it helps Tony Stark define his identity.

Other movies explore the theme of duty. Specifically, The Dark Knight trilogy tackles this best - Batman, as a character, has a very strict code not to kill, and it influences his actions. He believes his actions are out of his duty to his city, and the authorities. There is the theme of family often explored, most abundantly in Umbrella Academy, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Alternatively, the superhero genre often has ideologies strongly weaved to a plot. For example, the entire X-Men series originated from comics that were allegories of racism in 60s America - this reflected in the movies. Captain America was quite literally a political symbol, made to show the world America meant business, and his films are all very political. The first movie taking place within war, the sequel being about trust or lack thereof, and the third film about the ethicality of their roles as superheroes. The Boys tackles a similar political message about corruption of power, showing a shockingly realistic take on how heroes could be if they were real, with the villains being the heroes. Black Panther is a huge ideological clash of whether to open up the whole world to valuable technology, or keep hidden. We see how it negatively affects the rest of the world to stay hidden through the tragic origins of the villain, at the hand of our main character's lineage.

Genre Hybridity, Parodies and Challenging the Genre

To truly prove the validity of the superhero fiction movie/TV genre, there are aspects of genres that need to be compared. All genres are capable of being combined with other genres, parodied for their conventions, or challenged to help them progress. Luckily, superhero fiction has all these.

Logan (2017), is a superhero/western. Combining aspects of a western into a superhero movie. The hybrid affected the way the film was tonally, as one of the darkest superhero films. The film is even associated with Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt, a country song. Thor Ragnarok mixes superhero, with comedy and science fiction. Deadpool, successfully combined superhero and comedy.

As for parodies, the best superhero parody film, in my opinion, is Megamind. One of DreamWorks' most underrated, and best, movie. It follows Megamind, who is the main villain for, Metro Man, who is the "Superman". However, Metro Man stages his own death, because he can't be bothered to be a hero anymore, leaving the villain to save the day. It has many commentaries on the superhero genre, but it's never so in your face that it's obnoxious, it is a parody that stands on its own.

Over the last couple of decades, the superhero genre has pushed forward thanks to those of the hero movies that challenged the genre. For example, The Dark Knight, elevated the genre to more gritty and realistic hero movies. It taught the world that we superheroes can be more than cheesy mascots. Logan and Deadpool helped define superhero films' potential for the R-rating, and Avengers Infinity War and Avengers Endgame, showed how ensemble superhero films, with build-up, can truly be successful, as both films engrained themselves in pop culture as soon as they came out.