Perhaps the most common theme of the superhero films is hope. People yearn to see how their superheroes, having lost their loved ones due to violence or having experienced violent crimes themselves, overcome the dangers they face. Since the first superhero story came in the 80s, this has been the central theme for many stories.
However, in the last few years, a new crop of stories has appeared in the world of superheroes – ‘superhero killing stories.’ In total defiance of the norm that was established, these stories depict superheroism from a more racist, corrupt, and dubious angle. The surprising thing about them is that audiences worldwide are hooked on these stories.
Take “The Boys” for example.
The first three episodes of “The Boys”, season 4 scored 1.19 billion viewing minutes during the week of its release. Prime Video touted “The Boys” Season 4 had exceeded its previous season’s viewership by 21% in its first four days on the streamer, with its fourth season reaching No. 1 on Prime Video in 160 countries. And with its explosive ending aired just a few days ago, where it left the audience on the biggest cliffhanger possible, “The Boys” is a series that is on its way to becoming one of the biggest shows of the year.
Other comic book stories that deal with the same idea also exist – like Invincible, X-Men: M-Day / Decimation (Marvel), and Justice League: Injustice (DC), which deal with how to take down the greatest superheroes. And they are also just as popular as “The Boys”, if not more.
In a world built around superheroes for the past four decades, it is surprising that superhero-killing stories are the ones that are gaining massive attention. So why are these superhero-killing stories so widely acclaimed? Are they more popular than superhero stories? Why are Marvel, DC & others NOT investing in this genre? We answer these questions through this article.
Why are these superhero-killing stories famous?
There are primarily two reasons why superhero killing stories have become popular.
Firstly, much of the appeal is from the fact that they do not follow clichés, forcing the audience to come to grips with the unfortunate but disquieting fact that even the highest ideals of righteousness come with their vices, darkness, and capacities for villainy. Realism and depth are brought to colour these characters, making them even more fascinating to the audiences.
Secondly, these stories explore the existential study of power, the role of corruption and the effects of oppression in narratives of unfettered authority. Regarding social impact, the moral ambiguities in the ‘superhero killing stories’ pose viewer-engaging questions like ‘Who is a hero?’ ‘What are the moral consequences of gifted abilities?’, and ‘Is there any black and white in shades of grey?’. In addressing these themes, such stories provide thought-provoking content that evokes critical thinking among the spectators.
After all, breaking the hero is half the fun.
Prime Video’s “The Boys” is about what happens when Heros are manufactured in a lab and are immensely more powerful & power-hungry than others. It revolves around the rights of ordinary citizens in a world where superheroes exist, the problems in the military and the problems in the daily way of life because of Superheroes. Last but not least, it deals head-on with how to take down an extremely powerful superhero and his army if you are just a human!
Prime Video’s “Invincible” depicts how aliens, far superior to humans, would engage with humans. Amongst many, it deals with the idea of ‘powerful’ reshaping the world of the powerless with brute force, world domination, brutal death of the existing superheroes in the hands of villains and resurrecting dead soldiers in a robotic body. At the heart of it, it is about a simple question – should heroes & humans who are not powerful exist and govern the way the world functions?
Finally, but equally important, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which is intended to be a setup for another story, i.e., a superhero-killing story – what would happen if the protagonist (Superman) turns a dictator, and how would the other heroes (Batman & others) take him and his supporters. Whilst that story was never presented to the viewers, demand still exists.
This leads us to our next question:
Are they more famous than superhero stories?
Even though they both fall under the larger market of Superhero-Action stories inspired by comic books, it is difficult to determine which is more famous. This is because of the way these stories are presented to the audience.
Superhero stories, like Avengers, Ironman, Captain America, Man of Steel, Justice League, Spiderman, etc., are all adapted to a bigger screen, which, along with clearing a different set of censorship rules, is created for a distinct category of audience: children, families & young adults. Shows like The Flash, Green Arrow, Superman & Lois, etc., are adapted for TV and must comply with different broadcasting rules created with families and children in mind.
In contrast, “The Boys” & “Invincible” cater to a mature audience predominantly using smartphones, tablets, and laptops. As they are presented on Over the Top platforms (OTT Platforms) for a smaller screen of convenience, they provide the opportunity to create stories that are more than 2/3 hours (like movies) & 30-40 minutes (like TV shows).
Because of this inherent distinction, it is extremely difficult to assess which are more famous – superhero stories/superhero killing stories, unless the same popular superhero stories are produced for OTTs,
The closest we can get to evaluate this is by comparing these superhero killing stories with Marvel’s shows (superhero stories) that were produced for Disney+: Wanda Vision, Moon Knight, Ms Marvel & She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
In the year when the Marvel shows were released on Disney+ & “The Boys” was released on Prime Video i.e. 20222, the latter quite comfortably took the lead. “The Boys” is the 11th most-watched superhero show with more than 10.6 Billion minutes viewed, while Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel & She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, could not even crack the top 15 most watched list. Of the four shows, only WandaVision had mustered 7.3 Billion minutes in 2021 and was the 14th most-viewed that year.
We’ll be honest; we can’t conclusively say whether superhero killing stories are more popular than superhero stories, just based on what happened in 2022 or just because “The Boys” & “Invincible” are doing well when Marvel & DC are failing in theatres. But we can say that there exists a demand for superhero killing stories, just as much as superhero stories, if not more and Prime Video has been the leader in this segment by a very comfortable margin!
This leads to the last question.
Why are Marvel, DC & others not investing in this?
Even though they both fall under the larger market of Superhero-Action stories inspired by comic books, it is difficult to determine which is more famous. This is because of the way these stories are presented to the audience.
While the socio-cultural acceptance of the “superhero killing stories” may be rapidly rising, the biggest superhero movie makers, Marvel, DC, & Sony are still reluctant to fully endorse this genre. This is due to four primary reasons.
Firstly, as has been observed, the current brands of Marvel and DC are grounded in audiences’ desire for heroic imagery, spectacular tales, and unambiguous values. These publishers have an audience that eagerly waits for heroic stories, great battles, and victorious endings. The embrace of “superhero killing stories” would represent a radical shift from such designed identities, and such content may prove unpopular among nailed-down core audiences.
Secondly, Marvel, DC & Sony have a worryingly large amount of IPs. This increases the density of character connections and the overall plot. Incorporating ‘superhero killing stories’ into such already-set mainstream comic book continuities would mean that much would have to be carefully considered, including continuity, characterisation, and the overall brand image. The need to meet the existing fan base’s expectations while simultaneously exploring new topics that may be darker is a significant challenge for these producers.
Thirdly, because of the inherent ways they are presented to the viewers, i.e. through big screens, Marvel, DC & others are restricted to how much violence they can show to the audience who are younger. This, along with their inherent brand image revolving around fairy tale endings, makes it almost impossible for Marvel, DC & others to pivot and enter into the genre without causing a significant impact on their biggest-selling customer group.
Fourthly, the only venture by a movie maker into the Superhero killing genre was the unfinished Zack Snyder’s Justice League Part – 2. It would have involved Batman, alongside a band of heroes & villains, hunting down Superman for all the crimes. But Warner Bros. & DC pulled the plug on the project, thinking their audience would not appreciate it (We will never know now, will we?).
Maybe Zack Snyder’s Justice League Part – 2 movies should take the lead, test the waters and see how many people want to embrace superhero killing stories by DC. Or Maybe Marvel will adapt the X: Men – Mday / Decimation storyline where all the superheroes are instantly killed, now that it has all the rights.
We don’t know what the future may hold. All we know is that the world is ready to embrace superhero-killing stories, and it is high time Marvel, DC & others consider the demand from the audience.
Conclusion:
The superhero genre finds itself at a crossroads with the emergence of “superhero killing stories” that challenge the essence of heroism. These tales explore themes such as power, corruption and moral intricacies, encouraging viewers to delve into the characters’ aspects. The popularity of series like “The Boys” and “Invincible” indicates a growing interest in narratives that question ideals and embrace shades of grey. Despite this, major entertainment companies such as Marvel, DC, and Sony are cautious about embracing this shift, influenced by their standing heroic image and the expectations of their dedicated fan base. As the industry adapts to changing audience tastes, the future of superhero storytelling teeters on a balance between narrative possibilities and comforting familiar tropes aiming to reconcile the eternal conflict between good and evil with the nuances of human existence.
