Superhero-killing stories: why are they famous & why is no one investing?

Perhaps the most common theme of the superhero films is hope. People yearn to see how their superheroes, having lost their loved ones due to violence or having experienced violent crimes themselves, overcome the dangers they face. Since the first superhero story came in the 80s, this has been the central theme for many stories. However, in the last few years, a new crop of stories has appeared in the world of superheroes – ‘superhero killing stories.’ In total defiance of the norm that was established, these stories depict superheroism from a more racist, corrupt, and dubious angle. The surprising thing about them is that audiences worldwide are hooked on these stories. Take “The Boys” for example. The first three episodes of “The Boys”, season 4 scored 1.19 billion viewing minutes during the week of its release. Prime Video touted “The Boys” Season 4 had exceeded its previous season’s viewership by 21% in its first four days on the streamer, with its fourth season reaching No. 1 on Prime Video in 160 countries. And with its explosive ending aired just a few days ago, where it left the audience on the biggest cliffhanger possible, “The Boys” is a series that is on its way to becoming one of the biggest shows of the year. Other comic book stories that deal with the same idea also exist – like Invincible, X-Men: M-Day / Decimation (Marvel), and Justice League: Injustice (DC), which deal with how to take down the greatest superheroes. And they are also just as popular as “The Boys”, if not more. In a world built around superheroes for the past four decades, it is surprising that superhero-killing stories are the ones that are gaining massive attention. So why are these superhero-killing stories so widely acclaimed? Are they more popular than superhero stories? Why are Marvel, DC & others NOT investing in this genre? We answer these questions through this article.

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