Marvelous Rise of Superheroes in Cinema: Evolution of the Genre from Sequels to Universes

Marvelous Rise of Superheroes in Cinema: Evolution of the Genre from Sequels to Universes addresses the superhero movie genre’s transformation between 1978 and 2019. To emphasize and
illustrate the conceptual and thematic transformation, the main conventions of the genre are
scanned through several periods, focusing on the developmental age of the genre, including the
dominant period of DC Comics-based superhero movies (1978-1997) and the Marvel “boom”
(2000-2007), and the contemporary age. For this purpose, the book traces the fundamentals of
superheroes from the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics #1 (1938) to the final installment
of the MCU’s Phase 3, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). The transformation has two significant
points. First, the genre’s main conventions have been in a change. Second, the genre’s focus
has changed from sequel filmmaking to the universe concept. The study investigates the Marvel
Cinematic Universe’s dominant, leading, and major role in the genre’s evolutionary process.
Besides, the future of the superhero movie genre is questioned through the multiverse concept to
broaden an understanding of the genre’s following directions.

Tuna Tetik is an assistant professor in the Department of Film and Television at Bahçeşehir University.
He received his doctoral degree at Bahçeşehir University, Cinema and Media Research
program, and directed short films and a documentary that received international awards. His
research interests include superheroes, comics, transmedia, film genres, video-on-demand
services, and video games. Tetik, a life-long fan of comics, is currently lecturing several courses on
digital editing, film production, and screenwriting