The Superhero Origin… Again?

We all love an origin story, right? But how about the origin story rebooted, then rebooted, then rebooted ad nauseum? But wait…isn’t that what happens in the comic book series? Why is it then that the rebootings of superhero origin stories in film are so upsetting to the fan base? Why also if we all complain so much about reboots do we still flock to the cinema? This brings us full circle to the question from the start: we all love an origin story, right?

What is a superhero origin story?

Interestingly, it is actually quite difficult to pin down a comprehensive definition of an origin story. Standard online definitions provide generalisations of “a story about the origin of a character” or “how they became who they are.” Partly, this ambiguity is due to the fact that the phrase origin story, or origin myth if you prefer, is exactly what it states – it is the story that captures the emergence of a hero. In fact, the concept of the origin is a core element at the heart of the definition of a superhero. In Peter Coogan’s seminal definition of the superhero, he writes:

A heroic character with a selfless, pro-social mission; with superpowers – extraordinary abilities, advanced technology, or highly developed physical, mental, or mystical skills; who has a superhero identity embodied in a codename and iconic costume, which typically express his biography, character, powers, or origin (transformation from ordinary person to superhero). [emphasis added] ¹

Coogan has captured the essence of the power of the origin story – that it displays the ‘transformation from ordinary person to superhero.’ Is this not the core appeal of the superhero? That they were once ordinary, like us, but through some intervention they are now a super-human version. This moment of transformation is what captures the passion of the audience; it is the moment we are most enthralled by. Yes, we love the action, the defeat of the bad guys, etc. but this one crystallising moment where a character is raised up from the unknown into a hero ² is what draws us back to the genre again, and again. Yet this does not in full capture why such a simplistic narrative device is able to capture the imagination of millions of people.

The appeal of the origin story

Perhaps it is that origin stories can inspire us or provide models for coping with adversity, or finding meaning from loss and trauma, or perhaps even discovering hidden strengths that can be used for good. ³ Is it not the bridge between the relatable, the normal person who is just like us, and the aspirational, somehow becoming faster, stronger, better? ⁴ When you consider the origin story, especially if it is a character we already know, it can often appeal to contradictory desires: for something nostalgic, and something new. ⁵ An origin story is about the journey of a character that sets them on a road we are already familiar with, thus appealing to our nostalgic desires to engage with a comfortable past. Yet, it is also often new in the sense that we may not have seen this particular interpretation, or insight to the character’s origins, thus engaging us in new story telling in a comfortable manner.

Fundamentally also the origin story plays a rather vital part in narrative storytelling. A film in particular is a highly structural narrative device that needs to ensure the maintained engagement of the audience. As such the origin story is often logically positioned to occupy all of the first act to help ground the understanding of the real world the hero has emerged from. It will include their dreams, their relationships and the lives they have been living. ⁶ It is often a vital element that is required to ensure the CGI action of the third act has believability and connection to the hero’s arc. The origin story is required to allow the audience to understand the how and why of what is happening in the action sequences of the film. One begins to see the difficulty then in why filmmakers continually return to the origin story, for when you tell a superhero tale it is a natural impulse to want to start at the beginning. ⁷ Otherwise the risk becomes that a superhero film is nothing but super-human figures bashing each other with ridiculous powers – entertaining? Yes. Sustainable? Not so much.

Yet here’s the big question of the moment – why the rise of the reboot?

1. Is it about money?

An obvious argument could be made for the fact that perhaps studios are responding to the domestic block buster sales numbers. With the failing of their franchise sequels, they then look at the original numbers of the first film – the origin story – and consider if another new generation is ready to re-meet their hero. However, when you look at the earnings it paints a very interesting story. Absolutely Spider-Man did better in box office earnings than the two following sequels, yet The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel did progressively worse. Spider-Man Homecoming, however, not jumping as high as the first did actually do overall better than Spider-Man 3, and both The Amazing Spider-Man’s. Is this indicative that a reboot was successful here because of the timing? After all there is twelve years different between the films. Yet there is about the same time frame between the first and most recent Fantastic Four film (ten years) and the latest film has tanked dismally at the box office. Only five years separated Hulk and The Incredible Hulk, but they are both within a tiny margin of each other in their earnings.

There is then the issue of the Batman franchise. Looking at the domestic box office is a fascinating endeavour, considering especially that it does not reflect the changing financial differences in the periods of time between the original 1966 version and now. However, what is interesting to look at is the huge success of the first of the new franchise with The Dark Knight, followed by the steadily dropping numbers of its sequels, with actually the first of the franchise being the origin story of Batman Begins, which falls as low as the original versions in box office numbers. So indeed it does not easily appear that the act of rebooting equals financial success.

Yet, regardless of comparison numbers, the average box office gross (minus production budget) for a reboot is a cool $52 million. ⁸ However, the films that are grossing off the charts are actually the sequels in series such as Jurassic World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Furious 7, which really does beg, again, the question of why do studios continue to push and fund reboots? ⁹

2. Is it about ownership?

One argument often made is that the use of the origin story is the filmmakers paying their due to the brand’s original fan base, ¹⁰ or alternatively as justification for breaking canon. Or is it to pay homage to the genre, by working to begin at the very beginning? Yet there is fair argument that many comics did not always begin with the origin story themselves. For instance, in 1961 Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the heroes of the Fantastic Four powering up following a summons. There is a quick flash back to the origins, but the comic then gets back to the focus on the battle. ¹¹

However, in relation to a number of the film remakes the reboot can be directly tied to the matter of ownership – in relation to the rights, the studio and the director – all of these stakeholders have wanted a chance to offer their unique vision of the superhero’s origins. Let us take a moment to look at the break down of a few of the most obvious reboots and their ownership.

First up is Spider-Man.

The original rights were purchased in 1985 by Sony and the 2002 release was directed by Sam Raimi who went on to make two further sequels. Then in 2010 Sony announced a reboot by Marc Webb who focused on the comic format of The Amazing Spider-Man, with two films. Then in 2015 Disney, and with them Marvel Studios, announced a deal with Sony to use Spider-Man in the Captain America: Civil War. A new Spider-Man, sans origin story then appeared.

Second – Fantastic Four.

Constantin Films bought the rights in 1986 with a low budge version produced in 1992 under Roger Corman. In 2004 a distribution deal with 20th Century Fox saw the two films emerge directed by Tim Story. Then a reboot occurred in 2015 directed by Josh Trank to negative reviews, including from the director himself.

Batman has perhaps experienced the most change.

First came the adaption of the television version in 1966. Then in the 1980s Warner Bros began a series, with Tim Burton at the helm in 1989 and 1992. Then Joel Schumacher in 1995 and 1997. Note also that Burton’s Batman was Michael Keaton, while Schumacher used two different actors: Val Kilmer and George Clooney, respectively. The reboot began with Batman Begins, a true origin story, in 2005 directed by Christopher Nolan, with then two further instalments of the trilogy. Warner Bros in response to Marvel’s move launched their own cinematic universe, which picked up another new Batman in 2016 directed by Zack Snyder. Interestingly, the reboots of Batman have not always centred on an origin story, but rather incorporated a flash-back formula to support character growth and in many ways this has helped separate the franchise from the others – although arguably what they do have is supervillain origin stories instead as the key premise of each film. However, an interesting consideration here is that unlike the Marvel films that have been released through various studios, DC has consistently operated with Warner Bros for their releases allowing a greater continuity.

With so many different cooks in the kitchen it is no wonder that the reboot is continuously occurring. Really, perhaps the only way forward will be the uniting of all Marvel under the Marvel Cinematic Universe (consider Disney’s eagerness to purchase Fox Studios and the wave of X-Men films we are sure to soon see), but even then if franchises keep swapping hands we should prepare ourselves for more reboots to come.

3. Isn’t it always about the Monomyth anyway?

It is of course, impossible to have a discussion about origin stories, or even really superhero stories, without discussing their connection to Joseph Campbell’s monomyth. After all at its heart a superhero story can always be summarised as a tale about a hero who battles supernatural forces and returns home with greater power. ¹² Superheros are simply the modern day demi-gods, who must have come from somewhere; and origin stories are the framework that tell us where and how they have emerged as heroes. ¹³

Campbell’s monomyth emerged as the summation of an examination of mythological stories of the archetypal journey of a hero through fifteen phases; it is collected in full in his opus The Hero with a Thousand Faces. What Campbell’s monomyth captures is the progression of a hero’s journey through what have become iconic stages and are especially pertinent to the study of fantasy, and now superhero genres. It is also, to an extent, the easiest and most recognisable form of storytelling and at its heart it is the origin story. Beginning with the Departure a hero experiences a call to adventure and receives supernatural aid. In superhero stories, the supernatural aid is the source of their new powers. They then cross the threshold, which symbolises moving into the field of adventure, and enter the belly of the whale, which is their willingness to engage with their new powers. Following this stage is the Initiation where the hero undergoes a road of trials, meets a love interest, experiences temptation, atonement and apotheosis (realisation of a greater truth), before finally achieving the ultimate boon, which is usually the acceptance of truth or wisdom. The hero then Returns to learn to live in the moment and take up their mantle of hero (the process follows the initial refusal to return, a magic flight, rescue from without, crossing the return threshold, becoming a master of two worlds and finally the freedom to live). ¹⁴

Does this sound familiar? It should as it is the exact narrative plot points present in every superhero origin film. The monomyth reflects an important truth about our love for linear narratives, but it is also considered lazy writing as nothing a writer does while following this formula will be new to the audience. Instead what most successful superhero films appear to do is take one aspect of the monomyth and make that the focus, or they jumble the series using flash-backs and character-driven dialogue to capture moments within the hero’s journey. Two really interesting examples of a new approach to inclusion of the origin story and reboot are The Incredible Hulk and X-Men: Days of Future Past. The Incredible Hulk actually includes the origin story of the Hulk in the opening credits in a montage form. While X-Men: Days of Future Past actually returns into the past (the source of the origin story) to tell the alternative story and reboot the series.

The best and worst reboots.

This is the most controversial topic, as everyone has their own opinions. Yet, this is a key consideration as it is the viewers, the fans, the audience that determine the box office success and failure of different superhero films. So simply based on the discussion engaged with here there are arguments that can be made for each film. For instance Batman Begins can be considered a great reboot simply because it was considered a necessary step to solidify the unclear origin of Batman in preparation for developing the new Dark Knight Trilogy. However, financially it was not a success when compared that same trilogy, which begs the question – would the trilogy have done so well if Batman Begins was not made?

High on the list of reboots complained about online are of course Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. One argument for the problematic reception of Amazing Spider-Man was that it occurred too close to the end of Reimie’s series, where Batman perhaps succeeded by the larger time span between the last film and the reboot. Fantastic Four, however, has no such excuse as it has (within the fickle mind of Hollywood) been long enough for a reboot to occur. It also used the same name, giving no real distinguishing feature to even justify why a reboot was occurring. Batman was the beginning, the origin story we had not really ever had in full – while we know the catalyst for Batman, this film provided us with a framework to understand how Batman as a hero emerged. Spider-Man also attempted to identify itself as emerging from a particular version of the comics – not in itself a bad idea to appeal to a particular demographic of fans. Yet, here we have Fantastic Four, same name…same narrative points…what was the point of this again?

So, where does this leave the superhero origin story? The age of the reboot may appear to be fading with the rising popularity of ongoing franchises, however, there is still a need for trepidation. Directors that appear to embrace the move from origin stories to a more faithful revitalisation of the comic version are having greater critical success, yet leaping into the action leaves ambiguity around the character’s backstory, and if not handled carefully can lead to later disappointment when audiences notice continuity issues with earlier films. Is there an easy solution? No. However, perhaps rather than spending millions on endless poor reboots, studios could in fact employ the right people with the right vision (note that this is not a reboot example, but based on the inclusion of this film in The Hulk box office chart) – take Thor: Ragnarok for instance – who would have thought giving such a huge franchise to a fairly independent filmmaker such as Taika Waititi could have lead to such an outstanding and enjoyable film? Does this mean that superhero films should just skip the origin story? Not necessarily. There is still a vital place that origin stories play in film franchises, but perhaps – one could suggest (without having to do the hard work themselves) – they could just get it right the first time?

We all love an origin story, right?

What do you think? Leave a comment.