"Wonder Woman"? "Iron Man"? "Deadpool"? Before the superhero bubble bursts, it's time to take stock

Shares

June 18, 2017 7:00PM (UTC)

In an interview with the Associated Press in 2015, Steven Spielberg had an observation that has been pretty common currency among cinephiles and superhero nerds for quite some time: "We were around when the Western died and there will be a time when the superhero movie goes the way of the Western."

Two years later, the superhero boom not only hasn't yet gone bust, it seems to be stronger than ever. 2017 has already brought us "The Lego Batman Movie," "Logan," "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2," and "Wonder Woman." Before the year is out, we will also have "Spider-man: Homecoming," "Marvel's The Inhumans," "Thor: Ragnarok," and "Justice League."

Advertisement:

Yet while movieupon repeated viewings. In many ways, "The Dark Knight" feels less like a superhero film than it does like a great crime saga, akin to "The Godfather" (which, appropriately, is #2 on the IMDB scale). "The Dark Knight" isn't just one of the greatest superhero movies of all time; it's one of the greatest films, period, and works incredibly well even for viewers who haven't seen its prequel ("Batman Begins") and sequel ("The Dark Knight Rises").

Advertisement:

Two recent superhero films that may also stand the test of time, and for somewhat similar reasons, are "Wonder Woman" and "Deadpool." With "Wonder Woman," its importance is linked to the fact that it's a milestone in the history of cinema — a financially successful and critically acclaimed superhero movie helmed by a