Most Popular Superhero Movie Franchises in Hollywood

For many decades, superhero movies have both thrived and flopped. As the number of movies falling under this sub-genre continues to grow, there are no clear or exact grounds that the success of a franchise is solely based on the time frame and era of its release date. It is expected that a high-quality, and at the same time, entertaining film would find its way topping the box office. However, there is something more to a movie franchise than a single motion picture piece it features. Interestingly, even a crappy movie from the same franchise can still contribute to the popularity of the brand, image, and trademark of that particular superhero's universe.

One-time great superhero movies that fall short in their sophomore attempts typically result to the shelving of future-planned projects for a supposedly growing franchise. Meanwhile, some franchises would have their ups and downs in terms of blockbuster power and critical success, but ultimately, they still live through the hearts of generations of fans. Their popularity goes beyond what the individual movies offer. Each one organically shapes itself to become its own mythology that doing more installments, remakes, and reboots of the franchise can almost always be a relatively bankable and viable endeavor.

"X-Men"

Unlike the long-existing trend of building franchises for a single superhero, "X-Men" started with a number of interesting superheroes and supervillains collectively known as mutants. This movie franchise impressively expands its cinematic scope that within a decade of existence in motion picture format, it has spread like wildfire with sequels, origin stories, and prequels. It continues to do so quite successfully, especially in terms of capitalizing in its varying character archetypes and diverse storylines. This franchise offers much when it comes to playing around with story arcs that would have blockbuster appeal. Its mythical, commercial, and artistic aspects allow its universe to be one of the fastest-growing superhero movie franchises to ever grace the big screen.

"Batman"

For about 30 years now, the "Batman" movie franchise has already had the Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, and Christopher Nolan treatments on the big screen. Aside from their own sequels and prequels exploring the Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight personas of the "Batman" realm, there are also a number of feature-length and short animated films showcasing the famous Caped Crusader. Many short, independent, and foreign films continue to have their own share of "Batman" stories, characters, references, and homages as well. Clearly, this franchise has established itself as a formidable institution in the world of superhero movies for many decades. And while there are a series of substandard offerings and failed attempts to rake in enough cash with some of its movies, the franchise clearly continues to live and thrive even up to now.

"Superman"

From Christopher Reeve to Brandon Routh to Henry Cavill, the "Superman" franchise is nothing short of legendary. Its mythology and iconic stature is uncontested, especially in terms of its classic scope and appeal. Its basic plot and story has captured many decades of fans who continue to religiously follow what's next for the Man of Steel. With the ever-growing number of movies depicting the life of Clark Kent, Kal-El, and Superman, the "Superman" canon has clearly become a mixed bag. Several "Superman" movies still occupy a number of "Best Superhero Movies" lists from critics, film buffs, and all sorts of movie fans. In between the earliest and the latest "Superman" offerings, there are also certain movies making it to a number of "Worst Superhero Movies" lists. In its very essence, "Superman" remains as a timeless cinematic and literary icon.