Most Modern Superhero Movies No Longer Do Something The Classic Masterpieces Mastered

Looking back, the dawn of the MCU was a key moment in Hollywood history. It led to a superhero boom that has only really slowed down over the last few years; and yet, despite the fact modern superhero blockbusters struggle to perform in the box office, they still have massive cultural significance. There can be no doubt next year’s Avengers: Doomsday will be one of the biggest hits of the year, in large part because of the return of Robert Downey Jr. – as a villain, this time.

And yet, remarkably, modern superhero films have failed to learn one key lesson from the classics. As good as the likes of Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and so many other blockbusters may be, there’s one key way they’ll never hold up to the likes of the 1978 Superman film. There’s a sense in which Iron Man set the entire genre in a different direction, and it’s yet to do a course-correction.

Classic Superhero Movies Did One Thing Better Than Modern Movies

There’s a reason the 1978 Superman film was such a success, and it’s only partly due to the stunning performance of Christopher Reeve. It was also notable for an unforgettable soundtrack, with a stunning theme composed by the legendary John Williams. That theme has established itself as a permanent part of Superman lore, so legendary that James Gunn riffed on it in this year’s reboot. From that moment on, each superhero became known for their own distinctive theme tune. It’s still almost impossible to think of the 1988 Batman film without remembering Danny Elfman’s music, for example.

The MCU took a different direction with 2008’s Iron Man, though. Marvel wanted to tell superhero stories that were set in “the world outside your window,” and that meant deliberately avoiding theme tunes. Alan Silvestri pushed things in a different direction with Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers, and it’s possible the entire genre would have moved in a different direction – if not for James Gunn. Guardians of the Galaxy used music in a totally different way, and the genre generally forgot Silvestri’s example.

Modern Superhero Movies are Implicitly Admitting the Problem

Oddly enough, many modern superhero films have admitted the mistake. Gunn’s example is a case in point; while the 2025 Superman film has a tremendous theme, it largely riffs on the classic Donner version. When the MCU began integrating X-Men characters into the current narrative, it was with versions of the theme from X-Men: The Animated Series. These decisions implicitly acknowledge that the modern superhero films are standing on the shoulders of giants, rather than serving as masterpieces in their own rights.

There are some positive signs, though. Fantastic Four: First Steps featured a delightful fanfare that’s particularly distinctive, and that’s not really a coincidence; the film was set in an alternate timeline, meaning Marvel had no worries about setting the story in “the world outside your window” anymore. Appropriately enough, that’s a step in the right direction for the entire genre – a move towards something more fantastical, something more dramatic, that dares to bring the wonder and joy of the entire genre to the real world.

It’s time for the genre to decide to make more masterpieces – which will include iconic new themes, not just homages to the past.

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