Summer 2025 was always going to be a critical season for superhero cinema. Fans and critics alike knew that the fate of Warner Brothers’ DC Studios depended on the success of James Gunn’s “Superman” and that “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” would launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the franchise saw wilting box office returns across Phases Four and Five. Fortunately, both movies garnered fan appreciation and performed respectably at the box office.
The films could owe their successes to solid scripts, iconic characters and ubiquitous marketing. However, they also share a distinct quality that has evaded comic book adaptations over the past couple of decades. Both “Superman” and “Fantastic Four: First Steps” feel like… comic books.
Comic books are, of course, a broad medium that can vary from the action packed to the avant garde. They also offer bright colors, quippish dialogue, and cartoonish superheroes showcasing powers that can almost border on the absurd. This is what comic books came to be in their Golden and Silver Eras in the 1940s and 1960s, respectively, when heroes like Superman and Fantastic Four were making their earliest appearances on the page.
Despite this legacy, most superhero movies over the past two decades have kept a safe distance from such comic book associations. Certain elements of iconography carried over, but the tone has mostly been serious, toeing a delicate line to appease fans while also attracting general audiences of all ages and backgrounds. For this reason, movies like “X-Men,” “Iron Man,” and “Man of Steel” feel like comic book characters dropped into a real world, rather than existing in the cartoon settings of their source materials.
Earlier film adaptations of superhero comics were less shy about their characters’ campy roots. The 1960s “Batman” series was notoriously kitschy, yet it became a cultural phenomenon. Christopher Reeve’s “Superman” movies or Tim Burton’s “Batman” and “Batman Returns” were a bit less sardonic, but still retained cartoonish elements. Towards the end of the millennium, however, the camp had worn thin with Joel Schumacher’s “Batman Forever” and “Batman & Robin,” which were criticized for their childish takes on the caped crusader. When “Batman & Robin” flopped in 1997, it briefly scared off Hollywood from making movies with costumed heroes.
To revive the genre, superhero movies had to learn to take themselves more seriously. Accordingly, “Blade,” “X-Men,” and “Spider-Man” changed the tune. While these franchises have some cheesy moments by today’s standards, they marked a more realistic departure from the ’90s superhero style. This trend reached a zenith in 2008 with Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight,” an emphatically grounded superhero movie that garnered critical praise uncommon of the genre.
Although some films like “Man of Steel,” “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Thor: The Dark World” might have been criticized for being too brooding, a populist balance of humorous dialogue mixed with high-stakes action proved the genre’s tried-and-true formula worked. On the other hand, a few superhero movies, such as “Ant-Man,” “Shazam!” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” might’ve offered more comedy than others, but they all still felt of the real world and made for the multiplexes rather than lifted from the panels.
In the 2020s, however, the superhero genre has arguably lost some of its popularity. While the tone and formula hasn’t changed too drastically, the movies do not earn as much money or inspire the same fanaticism. This year, however, “Superman” and “Fantastic Four: First Steps” represented a break with tradition.
“Superman” offered something different — this Superman had a dog. One of the very first scenes shows the Man of Steel rolling around and bickering with his Kryptonian canine. You might think that this addition was a wacky invention from the mind of James Gunn. However, comic book readers know that Krypto the Superdog has existed for over a half a century and debuted in a 1955 issue of Action Comics.
The film feels even more like a Golden Era comic book as it develops. Audiences see Superman save squirrels from trees and use some of his campier powers like super-powered breath. He isn’t the only hero to showcase more absurd abilities in the film: Green Lantern tries arresting a Kaiju by binding his hands in giant green mittens. Also, the characters all wear comic-accurate costumes — red trunks and all.
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” took a similar approach, giving characters familiar suits and borrowing scenes straight from the page. As a direct homage to the comics’ 1960s roots, the film takes place in an alternative version of that decade, a retro-futuristic New York City with flying cars and robots. It looks like something out of “The Jetsons.” A montage early in the film also shows the titular superhero family saving the city and the world from various threats, including some of their oldest comic book villains like Giganto and the Mole Man.
“Fantastic Four” set decorator Jille Azis says, “The original Marvel comics were a massive influence whilst researching the design ideas and styles. We continually referenced the work of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, the original creators of Marvel Comics. The director, Matt Shakman and production designer, Kasra Farahani wanted a direct link from the pages of the original comics to the retro-future style of the film.”
She adds that the team even recreated “the original office of Kirby and Lee in a scene in Time Square” using “an exact replica of the typewriter, drawing board, and even the same inks and pens used by the pair!” This is not just a clever Easter egg, but yet another comic book reference, as Lee and Kirby would frequently insert themselves and their Marvel bullpen into the world of their characters.
Above the aesthetics and callbacks, though, the two films feel like comic books largely due to their tone. David Corenswet’s Superman saves the world with optimism and a smile, never giving in to the despair of his threats. It’s a stark contrast to Henry Cavill’s Superman, who spent “Man of Steel” balancing charm with broodiness, and ends up killing his foe in a drastic departure from the comic book character. Meanwhile, in “Fantastic Four,” the heroes are a loving family. They don’t rise above internal tension like the Avengers or the Suicide Squad or even the previous incarnations of themselves in the 2005 or 2015 “Fantastic Four” films. They are a team through and through. Despite some light bickering, their love for one another is palpable in every scene.
What provoked this turn towards comic book-accurate campiness in 2025, and why are fans appreciating it now versus in the ’90s? Perhaps there is a correlation between modern audiences and cringe humor, which comic book camp can certainly be read as. Alternatively, audiences may be exhausted by ultra-serious superhero movies and want something with more levity, especially given all of the turmoil happening in the world right now.
Then, there could just be the natural desire for something different. Part of the superhero genre’s decline in recent years could be attributed to over-saturation of the same old formula. Ironically, by borrowing more heavily from “Superman” and “Fantastic Four,” comics that were published over 50 years ago, these movies are bringing something new to audiences.
Whether we’ll see more of this comic book camp on screen remains to be seen. DC Studios will release “Supergirl” and then “Clayface,” which Gunn has said will be a horror film. Marvel, meanwhile, has “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” releasing next summer before back-to-back “Avengers” movies. While it’s confirmed that the Fantastic Four will return in at least the first new “Avengers” film, they join an enormous cast of Marvel characters under the direction of Joe and Anthony Russo, franchise stalwarts.
For now, comic book fans can rejoice in finally seeing their beloved characters and set pieces brought to life truthfully, and moviegoers seeking superhero films that dare to think differently can enjoy this summer of colorful, uplifting and refreshingly campy heroes. After all, saving the world doesn’t have to be such serious business.
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