The Franchise Recap: Hanging in the Town Square

Some elements of comic-book storytelling are so absurd and, well, cartoonish that they just don’t translate to the big screen. Such is why there was a major push in the 2000s — from the Bryan Singer X-Men movies through to the Nolan Batman trilogy, the Snyderverse, and much of the MCU — to make superhero movies feel gritty and credible; as credible, at least, as superhero movies can be. The gaudy designs of fan-favorite heroes were toned down, their costumes shaded in muted tones.