10 Reasons The Comic Book Movie Fad Is Here To Stay
10. They're Stories About Universal Archetypes
In his highly influential work of comparative mythology, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, mythologist Joseph Campbell contended that mythologies around the world contain a common, archetypal hero story. The hero character always finds himself or herself swept up from a mundane existence into a supernatural realm where he or she must defeat superhuman opponents. George Lucas cited Campbell's book as a key influence on Star Wars. Lucas purposefully channelled the hero archetype for Star War's protagonist Luke Skywalker. Audiences everywhere found something to relate to in Lukes story because his journey resembled the structure of numerous myths found throughout human culture. The hero archetype is comic book movies' bread and butter. Every member of the Avengers and Justice League fits the hero character mould in some respect. Unlike other genres, superhero movies represent a type of story that has been popular ever since Homer wrote the Odyssey. At the moment, Marvel and DC are building mythologies for their heroes that are reaching worldwide audiences at an almost unprecedented level. Audiences havent tired of the hero story despite seeing thousands of iterations of it for thousands of years. Comic book movies reliance on the hero archetype for their structure will ensure a healthy longevity for the genre.
