Comic book movies, particularly those featuring the superheroes of Marvel and DC Comics, have become an increasingly dominant force in pop culture over the past 20 years. Even once-obscure characters like Shang-Chi or Peacemaker have become household names thanks to their popular film adaptations — however, no genre is without its common pitfalls, and the superhero movie is no exception.
For every beloved masterwork likeInto the Spider-VerseorThe Dark Knight, there are plenty of superhero films that fall victim to the same overused tropes. Even otherwise enjoyable movies will often feature some of these frustrating clichés. So without further ado, here are just a few of the commonplace comic book movie tropes that are probablybest left in the past.
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The Gritty Reimagining
A frequent trend throughout the history of 21st century comic book movies has been toning down the more campy elements of the source material, in an attempt to make the story more grounded and palatable to moviegoers. After the backlash to Joel Schumacher’sBatman & Robinin 1997, it makes sense that following superhero films would want to come off as less childish and over-the-top, but these attempts at gritty realism sometimes went a bit too far. TheX-Menfilms infamously traded the heroes’ iconic costumes for generic black leather uniforms, with Cyclops even mocking the idea of wearing “yellow spandex” in one scene. From removing the sci-fi elementsof the Dark Phoenix Sagato turning Deadpool into a silent killing machine, the earlyX-Menmovies routinely downplayed the fantastical nature of the source material, usually to detrimental effect.
Of course, that’s not to say that all superhero movies should be fun and lighthearted. Somber characters like Batman and Wolverine tend to benefit from darker, more grounded films, as evidenced by the success ofThe Dark KnightandLogan. However, they are far from the norm. Zack Snyder’s attempt at a gloomy, doubtful Superman inMan of Steeldrew the ire of many fans and critics alike, while his take on Batman came off as downright villainous at times.Snyder’sJustice League, on the other hand,received better reception thanks in part to its lighter tone. Thankfully, this trope seems to be mainly on its way out thanks to the normalization of more comic-accurate adaptations, but there’s no denying that it cast a shadow over the superhero genre for far too long.
Too Many Jokes
On the other end of the spectrum, leaning heavily into comedy isn’t necessarily good for superhero movies either. In the early days of the MCU, the witty banter of films likeIron ManandThe Avengerswas seen as a breath of fresh air coming off the heels of the Dark Knight Trilogy. However, later movies likeDoctor Strange,Avengers: Endgame, andTaika Waititi’sThorfilmshave often been criticized for relying too heavily on humor, sometimes even undercutting dramatic moments with forced or inappropriate jokes. Some recent MCU entries have been showing progress in this regard —Shang-ChiandSpider-Man: No Way Homeboth knew when to stop the jokes and let the drama play out, whileBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreveris perhaps the most intensely emotional Marvel film to date. Even so, this is one recurring flaw that’s unlikely to be fully addressed any time soon.
The Origin Story
A good origin can be a crucial part of a hero’s story, providing a foundation for rich, compelling character development. However, that doesn’t mean that moviegoers want to sit through the Waynes’ death in Crime Alley orClark Kent’s youth in Smallvillefor the umpteenth time. Spending the bulk of a film’s runtime on the protagonist’s origin story just means less time dedicated to the superhero action that everyone came to see, and it’s especially frustrating when the origin in question is one everyone already knows — as the mixed reception toThe Amazing Spider-Manproves. It’s no wonder that most superhero adaptations these days tend to either skip the origin story together (as inSpider-Man: HomecomingandThe Batman), relegate it to flashbacks (as inDeadpoolandAquaman), or just get it out of the way quickly (as inInto the Spider-VerseandShazam!).
The Generic Love Interest
For decades, the term“love interest” in the superhero genrewas synonymous with “damsel in distress”. Characters like Vicki Vale inBatmanand Mary Jane Watson inSpider-Manseemingly existed to get attacked by villains or cause relationship drama, possessing little to no agency or interiority compared to their male counterparts. Even more recent characters like Rachel inThe Dark Knightor Vanessa inDeadpoolremain woefully underdeveloped before eventually getting killed off to further the hero’s character arc. Even Amy Adams’ Lois Lane received far too little focus than she deserved.
But once again, this issue is showing signs of gradual progress. The MCU’s MJ Watson has been vastly more popular than her Raimi Trilogy predecessor,thanks to Zendaya’s immensely likable,nuanced performance — plus, it helps that she often aids Peter in saving the day, showing actual agency instead of just getting kidnaped. In fact, many other love interests these days are heroes in their own right, from Gamora to Nakia to Catwoman. Jane Foster in particular got a major upgrade inLove and Thunder, going from distressed damsel to Mighty Thor. Shang-Chi doesn’t even get a love interest, proving that a superhero movie doesn’t need a romantic subplot to be good. While there are still a few outliers, like the decidedly forgettable Christine inDoctor Strange, things are still mostly going in the right direction.
The One-Dimensional Villain
Since most superhero movies are primarily focused on fleshing out the heroes, the villains can often suffer as a result.For every Green Goblin,Killmonger, or Baron Zemo, you have a Whiplash, Yellowjacket, or Kaecilius. For every Riddler or Amanda Waller, you have an Ares, Cheetah, or Enchantress. Even iconic villains like Lex Luthor, Joker, Doctor Doom, and Carnage have suffered poor adaptations in revenge years. And once again, it’s natural for the hero’s development to take priority over the villain’s, but that doesn’t excuse the presence of an outright bland or badly-written bad guy. Even if Marvel and DC movies have provided some excellent villains, the existence of underwhelming antagonists will likely never disappear for good.
Always Taking Off The Mask
Whenever a masked hero or villain is played by a big-name actor, it’s not uncommon tosee them remove the maskat any given opportunity, even in the middle of a fight. Whether it’s due to a need to depict the actors emoting or just a desire to show off famous people’s faces, this trend can be a bit distracting once you first notice it. For instance, nearly every Spider-Man movie has Peter losing his mask during the final battle. Characters like Iron Man, Black Panther, and Star-Lord even come with high-tech, automatically removable masks for this exact purpose. Batman, perhaps characteristically, is the major exception to this trope, with Robert Pattinson spendingthe bulk ofThe Batmanwith his face hidden beneath the classic jet-black cowl. This one is admittedly more of a nitpick than a real narrative issue, but it’s prevalent enough to warrant mention regardless.
