Superhero movies have come to dominate the big screens. From both DC Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment, there has been an abundance of superhero movies to fill our screen for hours on end. In the last ten years, there have been blockbuster hits, such as The Dark Knight, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Avengers.

Superhero movies have woven their way into the hearts of millions. The films bring people to together with the excitement of new and expanding storylines and characters. Superhero movies inspire and teach audiences how to be brave, but they show even heroes have vulnerabilities. “They inspire me to do things like workout and be my best self,” said sophomore Keron Howard.

Marvel Entertainment released Black Panther on February 16, 2018, which had a star-studded cast, who included  Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, and Danai Gurira. This film is one of the first to have a full black cast and strong female characters. The movie helped get a foot in the right direction of wanting more variety all across the board to be brought to life through these superhero films. “I think it is great to have more diverse movies. It brings a sense that anyone could be a superhero and that all kids can watch a movie and say that they want to be like that,” said freshman Trista Book. Having superhero films bring more diversification allows for more representation. This representation allows young children to be able to see themselves in those superheroes on the big screen.

As a another year closes, it only means people are closer to the release dates of looked forward to superhero movies. From the Marvel Universe, we have Captain Marvel set to release on March 8, which has Brie Larson as Captain Marvel at the forefront of the first female driven superhero film for Marvel. The anticipated Avengers: Endgame premiers on April 26, which may have audiences saying farewell to some of the beloved and classic heroes. Spider-Man’s sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home comes out July 5, where the friendly neighborhood spider goes on a European vacation. 

Spider-Man: Far From Home ranks number one on his anticipated list of  superhero movies Howard’s excited for. “The trailer was released this month; it seems fun, energetic, positive, and it doesn’t seem sad like Avengers: Infinity War ending. I like Tom Holland, he has comedic timing and is not some thirty-year-old playing a teenager. I liked seeing Spiderman and Nick Fury interact. It’s fresh and not something that has been done before,” said Howard. 

The list doesn’t stop there, as we have two more superhero movies coming to theaters. The Dark Phoenix, starring Sophie Turner hits theaters on June 7. From the DC Universe , Shazam! stars actor Zachary Levi as the adult superhero Shazam, and Asher Angel as his younger self. Shazam! arrives on April 5.

Last year, there were numerous superhero films that premiered at the theater. Some of the big hits include Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Aquaman, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. From Marvel Entertainment came the long-awaited cross over event of the year, Avengers: Infinity War. The movie sparked much excitement, and made 2.048 billion dollars at the box office. People went to their nearest theater to see how the heroes finally came together to defeat the mad titan, Thanos. Across the many movies made from the DC and Marvel universes, “Easy Avengers: Infinity War. It balances everything correctly from character’s storylines and gave each character a moment to shine on the screen,” Howard said as his favorite film.

The upcoming superhero films for 2019 seem to be promising, and fans are sure to be anticipating the arrival of each. This year, there will be new introductions to characters, possibly becoming some new fan favorites. In 2019, there might be tears as people say goodbye to long-time treasured heroes. Superheroes don’t seem to be leaving the big screen anytime soon as more movies are underway for the coming years. “I like superhero movies because of the tension and the action. You get a sense of what it is like to live like a superhero. Everything that you see is not real, but you think it is,” Book said. The films are much more than heroes fighting bad guys, but the audiences appreciate the messages and enjoyment they get throughout the film.