Superman and the Fantastic Four: Initial Moves that Rescued Comic Book Films — By Welcoming Comic Books

      This summer might be the turning point for comic book movies: Superman and the new Fantastic Four: First Steps rejuvenate the fatigued comic book movie genre by doing something many films in this category have avoided: fully embracing comic books.

      In the early days of adaptations, Hollywood seemed intent on separating comic book films from their original source. Although the first Superman was commendable, it brought in The Godfather’s writer and star — Mario Puzo and Marlon Brando — to enhance the narrative's weight. Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman effectively navigated the balance between the campy tone of the 1960s Batman and the serious approach of Frank Miller’s Dark Knight. Warren Beatty's 1990 Dick Tracy took bold steps toward comic accuracy, employing a limited color scheme reminiscent of classic comic strips.

      However, as comic book movies gained dominance at the box office in the early 2000s, certain trends began to emerge. Films tended to stick to comic book lore while avoiding content that might alienate mainstream audiences—those unfamiliar with the source material.

      The X-Men series illustrates this dual approach well; while having admirable traits, they dressed almost everyone in black leather, setting the films apart from the vibrant costumes of the comic book version, particularly from Chris Claremont's era. Christopher Nolan’s highly-regarded Dark Knight trilogy shunned superpowers, presenting us with a highly logical Batman whose costume details served practical, realistic purposes.

      You can listen to our in-depth discussion on Superman on the Low Key Podcast available wherever you access podcasts, or here:

      Iron Man was so grounded that I recall a friend telling me he took his wife to watch the 2008 film without explaining its premise. She believed they were viewing a war movie until Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark first donned an early version of the Iron Man suit — thirty-five minutes in, she finally realized she had been tricked into a comic book film.

      Zack Snyder’s superhero films underscored the notion that they were not intended for children: in 2013’s Man of Steel, Superman kills a villain, while grimness permeates every aspect. The low point came in 2016 with the dismal Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

      As the Marvel Cinematic Universe rose to prominence, MCU films sometimes embraced their goofy side, benefiting from it. The 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy, under passionate comic book fan James Gunn, delved deep into lesser-known MCU characters like a talking raccoon named Rocket. The following year, Paul Rudd starred in the playful and sharp Ant-Man, showcasing a thief-turned-hero who can shrink to the size of an ant and enlist ants in his justice crusade.

      Nonetheless, most films still aimed for a middle ground. Some major Marvel features were genre films featuring superpowered individuals—Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a paranoia thriller in the ’70s vein, Thor: Ragnarok was a psychedelic sci-fi comedy, and Black Panther presented an Afrofuturist take on a Bond film.

      When accurately depicted comic book costumes appeared in movies, they were often celebrated by hardcore fans, typically played for humor. Hugh Jackman’s comics-inspired blue and yellow outfit in last summer’s Deadpool and Wolverine served as a joke on various levels: seeing such a faithful representation onscreen seemed absurd, particularly for Wolverine, whose past film portrayals included surviving the Hiroshima bombing.

      The Deadpool series are not just comic book films but rather parodies of them.

      Sony’s 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse excelled at honoring comic book narratives and history in a brilliant and beautiful manner. While I adore it, being animated might prevent it from ever achieving the same jaw-dropping realism as this summer's live-action superhero successes.

      Superman and Fantastic Four: First Steps feel refreshingly novel in their live-action celebration of comic books. They are unapologetically comic book films, fully devoted to and respectful of their source material. Both have received positive reviews, with Superman already experiencing success, and Fantastic Four, which hits theaters this week, is projected to perform well, partly due to strong word-of-mouth from early viewers.

      What makes Superman and Fantastic Four: First Steps special is that the "nerdy" elements are also the most enjoyable.

      By "nerdy," we don't imply any negative connotation — we refer to the Oxford definition, which describes it as "characterized by great enthusiasm for and knowledge about a particular subject, especially one of niche interest."

      Superman’s writer-director, James Gunn, came to lead DC Films through a series of complicated events that began with his temporary firing from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise over humorous, controversial tweets. (Right-wing individuals, upset by his left-leaning politics, uncovered these tweets to tarnish his image.) Fortunately, wiser perspectives prevailed, allowing him to direct DC's 2021 The Suicide Squad, which impressed Warner Bros. executives enough that they entrusted