10 Superhero Movie Clichés That Need To Die

1. Genius IQ

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"Oh, yeah, that's He's got a genius IQ, you know." And let's be honest - there aren't many cinematic superheroes who don't have a genius IQ. It's all part of the territory. That usually comes down to the fact that most of these guys were once scientists who accidentally got themselves caught in gamma rays or radioactive spillage, so, yes, they probably would have been geniuses. But haven't we got to the point where a superhero gathering is just the big screen version of a MENSA meet? Just take a look at the members of the Avengers: three out of six members have genius IQs. Shop around: so does Batman and Spider-Man and nearly everybody who has ever been in the X-Men. Not to mention that every single super-villain has a genius IQ, too, because God forbid anybody fights a dumb-ass. I understand that these characters have to be smart because, hey, they have to be able to build their suits and computer programs and weapons and it's an easy way of making that happen. But where's the guy with an average IQ who gets superpowers and has to learn to utilize them without all the help that a genius IQ grants you? That's why Thor is such a great element in the Avengers line-up - he's an archaic brute. We're not saying that this is cliché that needs to disappear from cinema entirely, because most of the characters we're dealing with here have a long established history and the genius part is kind of an untouchable aspect in most of their backstories. But it also seems kind of "easy" because it's never earned - a genius is a genius once you've said so, and when you get past the fact that everyone is remarkably intelligent in superhero movie world, it kind of loses its edge. Agree or disagree with this article? Let us know in the comments section below.
 
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