Why the movie industry is dominated by one genre

With so many different genres and types of movies it can be hard to stand out in the industry, so why does one genre in particular stand out above the rest? The superhero genre has been dominating the film world ever since Iron Man released in 2008. Although not winning many Oscars or Academy Awards but still grossing more money than any other movie in box office revenue.

The superhero genre can be defined as “a genre of speculative fiction examining the adventures, personalities and ethics of costumed crime fighters known as superheroes, who often possess superhuman powers and battle similarly powered criminals known as supervillains.” So what makes this genre so successful?

According to a Kyoto-based study published in the journal “Nature Human Behavior” they found that infants display a greater affection and desire for those who do heroic actions, even those as small as stopping someone from pushing someone else.

But not only is the reason scientific, it is also cultural. Superheros have been embedded in our culture ever since Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and first appeared in Action Comics #1, in June of 1938. There are Marvel movies and DC movies, it does not matter whether you are a fan of both or not, odds are you enjoy both of their movies and superheroes.

These movies and characters are so embedded into our culture and people’s own lives that they are willing to see the movies, even multiple times in theaters, a man named Tony Mitchell saw Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War 42 times in theaters. To some people they are more than just movies, they are works of art, like a comic book on the big screen. Maybe that is why four out the top ten highest grossing movies of all time belong to Marvel, being all three Avengers movies and Black Panther.

Movies provide not only entertainment but comfort. How many times has someone turned on his or her favorite movie when feeling stressed or upset, and superhero movies in particular are some of the most comforting because they show that no matter how bleak things may get, good always triumphs over evil.