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Making a great superhero movie is like building a towering skyscraper – just as a building requires a solid blueprint, a film needs a strong origin story to make its hero work. But times are changing in Hollywood, as major comic book studios likeMarvelandDCappear to be moving away from the traditional “origin story” in favor of gimmicky multiversal crossovers.
Superhero origin storiesused to be more organic, since many moviegoers were unfamiliar with comic books. These stories worked as quick crash courses to understand the heroes they were rooting for. Whether it’s Kal-El landing on Earth and growing up to be Superman, or Bruce Wayne losing his parents and becoming Batman, these beginnings made theDCsuperheroes timeless in the minds and hearts of audiences. However, origin stories are starting to fade, as viewers have grown used to seeing multiple iterations of the same hero.
Why Marvel Skipped Spider-Man’s Origin Story
Tom Holland’s Spider-Manis perhaps the best example of a studio deciding it’s time to move away from the origin story. Unlike his two previous web-slinging counterparts, Holland’s Peter Parker first appeared inCaptain America: Civil War– not even his own film. Marvel introduced him with the assumption that most of their audience already knew who Spider-Man is and what his powers are. There’s no scene or explanation of how this high schooler from Queens became a hero before being approached by Tony Stark inCivil War.
Even in his first solo outing,Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker doesn’t get the usual origin story treatment.Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versionshad distinct, memorable scenes where they were bitten by radioactive or genetically enhanced spiders, which led to their powers. It’s because of this collective cultural memory that Marvel Studios chose not to revisit Spider-Man’s origins in depth. This trend has continued in later superhero films, including those from the other side of the street at DC Studios.
No Flashbacks In Matt Reeves’The Batman
Christopher Nolan’sBatman Beginscould be considered a full origin story for the Caped Crusader, though canonically, the origin typically centers on Bruce Wayne witnessing his parents’ murder during a mugging in an alley. Even non-standalone films likeJokerandBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justicehave depicted this moment on screen. Since Batman has no supernatural powers, it’s this traumatic turn of becoming an orphan and deciding to fight crime that makes him a legend. However, Matt Reeves took a different approach inThe Batman.
Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayneis introduced after the expected origin events have already taken place, and he’s actively out hunting Gotham’s worst. This choice was essential given the film’s nearly three-hour runtime and the fact that audiences are already familiar with Batman’s backstory through previous films and general comic book knowledge. YetThe Batmanstill works as an origin story, showing the young hero in his second year of crime-fighting, almost like an adolescent stepping into real adulthood. Including a scene of his parents’ murder would have added little to the story at hand.
The Future Of Origin Stories In Upcoming Superhero Movies
This trend ofomitting superhero origin storiesis likely to continue, especially for projects featuring universally recognizable heroes. For example, James Gunn’supcomingSupermanfilmis expected to skip a traditional origin arc for Clark Kent, instead focusing on a younger version of the character compared to Henry Cavill’sMan of Steelvariant. This was all but confirmed ina 2022 article byDeadline, which outlined the initial plans of new DC heads Peter Safran and James Gunn.
Major studios likeMarvel and DCmust ask themselves an essential question when developing a prominent character’s film: what does an origin story truly add to the character’s arc or to the larger universe? If it’s just about how they get powers or build suits, it risks feeling superficial. Moreover, some lesser-known heroes, like Peacemaker, prove that they don’t even need separate introductions, and they’re compelling as they are. By now, the superhero genre has reached or even surpassed the familiarity level of other genres, like science fiction, thrillers, and horror, and audiences can spot the origin story trope from a mile away.
Hollywood Will Still Embrace Origin Prequels
Heroes like Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man may have seen many actors portray them over the years, but their core stories remain the same. However, there’s still room to incorporate a delayed origin narrative to add emotional depth to a character. For instance, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films avoid direct mention of Uncle Ben, but Peter experiences similar loss whenTony Stark dies inAvengers: Endgameand later with Aunt May’s death inNo Way Home, even if they’re not quite the same. Perhaps theupcomingSpider-Man 4could serve as an origin story of sorts, as Peter has to rebuild his life from scratch after Doctor Strange’s spell erases him from everyone’s memory.
It’s unlikely that Hollywood will completely do away with superhero origin stories. There’s something special about watching a character rise from zero to hero, especially one that’s already popular in other mediums, likeMarvel and DC’scomic books. Prequels will continue to be a popular way of giving fan-favorite characters their due, as shown in the X-Men franchise with films likeX-Men: First ClassandX-Men Origins: Wolverine. Ultimately, it all boils down to how familiar an audience is with a superhero before they even see them on the big screen.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
