Genre Conventions

Within the superhero genre there are many conventions that need to be withheld to sustain the standards of the genre, I will need to know these to successfully meet the superhero genre conventions accurately. I will be researching and looking at the conventions of the superhero genre to ensure I can incorporate it into my own film accurately. 

The superhero genre began with the Adventures of Captain Marvel in 1941 which started the adaption from comic book to movies, making this genre increase in popularity throughout the decades. Series such as Batman and Robin aimed at children of the 1940's declined and killed the superhero films up until Superman in 1978, along with sequels that were poor which meant that the superhero films were unable to grow for some time. Until X-Men in 2000, Spider-Man in 2002, and the new Batman Begins in 2005, which were all massive successes meaning the following of many superhero films to be made, all beginning a franchise and making the genre far more popular and successful.

This genre has many conventions, such as the superhero being the protagonist, always going on a quest of fighting evil, and saving victims and their home town/city. The good vs Evil has been a narrative convention of this genre throughout each film, the good superhero fighting crime and their enemy and eventually and inevitably winning. A convention of the villain having plans to rule the world or city/town or to create an evil machine etc. in any way to be destructive, and the hero doing all they can to prevent the destruction and possible hurting of innocent people.

There are certain conventions to be had for the superhero, such as having distinguishing powers or abilities of some sort, something that makes them special and giving them the ability to help fight evil in a way no one else could. These can vary from like Spider-Man, Strength and being like a spider, Superman who can fly has superhuman strength, laser eyes as well as x-ray vision. Or like Batman who relies on gadgets and weapons he keeps on his utility belt which help him with being a superhero, and Iron Man who uses his great intelligence with weaponry to create a full body weapon.

Another convention for the actual superhero is an outfit, the stereotype for a superhero costume would involve a cape, of which Batman and Superman stand by, but the convention for a costume would be to have something tight fitting, and some type of boots. Their costume and superhero name are usually mostly relevant to each other, such as Spider-Man having a webbed pattern and a spider on his costume, Superman with his well known 'S' symbol on his costume and Batman with his black and bat symbol, with cape like bat wings. Conventionally these costumes are used to conceal the heroes true identity as well as something comfortable and easy to fight evil in. The superhero always has morals and values and rules, like to help the innocent, save them, don't hurt innocent people, and don't kill anyone not even the villains, just catch them.

Some of the newer heroes don't always follow the typical conventions that were set by older superhero films like Superman. Such as Daredevil, which doesn't have the stereotypical cape, challenging the conventions of the genre, but ensures that other conventions are still used such as having some sort of special power, which is due to radioactive exposure he was blinded but his other senses were heightened beyond any normal persons would be. Captain America also challenges the typical conventions by also not wearing a cape, but being adapted by scientists to make him a capable hero.



Such superheroes like Kick-Ass also challenge the conventions of the hero having some sort of super power or being able to do something incredible and own high tech and amazing gadgets and weaponry, were as this specific superhero has none of these conventional aspects of being a superhero, instead he is shown as an unpopular comic book loving boy who just thought maybe he should try being a superhero himself, without having any powers or even any skills that would help him in fighting crime and evil. This leads to showing him bleeding often and attempting to help people but resulting in himself being hospitalised or seriously injured, this is a break in the conventions of the genre as the superhero is rarely, if not ever shown as to be injured and most certainly not in a serious manor.

Another convention of the superhero genre is that the superhero always has a disguise to be able to separate their real life from their superhero life, ensuring that they can have privacy from the adoring fans and the public eye, which often results in them having a secret hideout, like Batman, which is a place for him to go to be safe and build new weapons etc. Fantastic Four challenged the secret identity convention by being shown in the public eye all the time and not having a separate life, and having their costumes fully showing their identity.

The reason the superhero film has remained such a popular genre is because it inspires the audience, giving the audience a sense of higher meaning of the world that there is always something or someone out there who can help others in need, it promotes that there is safety and help out there no matter what, it inspires the audience with hope that peace and freedom will always be a choice and good will always win.