Current:Home > reviewsDC Comics' boss knows the challenges ahead — and the problem superhero films can pose -Dynamic Wealth Solutions
DC Comics' boss knows the challenges ahead — and the problem superhero films can pose
View
Date:2025-04-24 06:18:45
Let's start with the obvious point: Superhero movies transformed the film industry over the last 15 years.
Now for a not-so-easy question: How does the man in charge of some of the most beloved comic book characters chart the years ahead?
Who is he? Jim Lee, 58, is the new president of DC Comics, adding the title alongside his existing duties as publisher and chief creative officer.
- Born in Seoul, South Korea, Lee and his family immigrated to the U.S. when he was 5.
- In the 1980s and early '90s, he was an illustrator for the hugely popular X-Men series with Marvel. He and his colleagues later founded the independent publishing outfit Image Comics.
- Since 1998, Lee has been at DC Comics, redesigning iconic characters like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, while also being a key decision-maker in the company.
What's the big deal? Even if you aren't into comic books, you can't have missed the enormous impact superhero films have had on pop culture.
- Lee worked on X-Men Vol. 2, #1, released in 1991. It's often cited as the best-selling comic book of all time, with more than 8 million copies sold.
- But since 2008's Iron Man, it's superhero movies that make companies like DC and Marvel the big bucks. Many, like The Avengers and The Dark Knight, have grossed more than $1 billion.
- Yet recent superhero movies have been more critically divisive and less profitable at the box office than their predecessors, prompting questions about superhero fatigue kicking in.
- NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour host Glen Weldon says the offerings are now so vast and spread across multiple platforms that studios can no longer expect audiences to know the backstory going in, which means movies will be under more pressure to stand on their own — not simply ride the wave of the superhero genre.
- Lee told NPR that one of his central goals is "shepherding this great mythology that was created almost 90 years ago and keeping it alive and contemporary and vibrant."
Want to hear from more creators? Listen to the Consider This episode with The Wire creator David Simon, talking about AI, television and the writers' strike.
What is Lee saying? Speaking to NPR's Juana Summers, Lee opened up about superhero films and the evolution of beloved characters.
On whether he thought comics would translate to blockbuster films:
No. Absolutely not. You know, when I was growing up — and certainly when I got into comics — it was a very niche hobby. It was a very small business.
The fact that it has transformed pop culture and become such a pillar of everything that kids and people that are into this kind of thing love is just mind-boggling to me.
On the problems this can pose:
Once you hit a certain number of people, it's too large for everyone to kind of love everything. And so they, basically, have splintered into different groups. It's almost like pro sports at this point.
Like, even when it was Marvel versus DC, I still felt like everyone loved comics. They embraced the storytelling. They embraced the notions of heroism and hope that the stories reflected. And now it's been elevated beyond that. It's almost independent of what the storytelling is about. And it's more about business factors or political factors, societal sort of discourse. It's become highly polarized.
On staying relevant:
The key to the success has been never to treat them as sort of creatures that are ossified in amber. We need to change with the times, and we need to bring in new voices. We need to change elements of who these characters are. We need to diversify the quote-unquote "portfolio" of characters that we have.
So, what now?
- Lee says that in his new role he will continue to prioritize telling great stories with comics, because they're the engine that powers the rest of the DC brand.
- "Yes, you need the broader, more casual audience to really hit those elevated numbers in terms of box office or viewership. But at the end of the day, if you don't have that core fan base that loves and knows the material intimately to help sort of propel and drive that energy, it becomes very challenging," he said.
Learn more:
- 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' sends off its heroes with a mawkish mixtape
- 'Love and Rockets' celebrates 40 years of edgy, Latinx, alternative comics
- A decade on, the 'This is fine' creator wants to put the famous dog to rest
veryGood! (58989)
Related
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- A list of major US bridge collapses caused by ships and barges
- NYPD officer shot, killed during traffic stop in Queens by suspect with prior arrests
- $1.1 billion Mega Millions drawing nears, followed by $865 million Powerball prize
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- 'Euphoria' Season 3 delayed, HBO says cast can 'pursue other opportunities': Reports
- Suki Waterhouse Gives Birth, Welcomes First Baby With Robert Pattinson
- Last Call for the Amazon Big Spring Sale: Here Are the 41 Best Last-Minute Deals
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- 'Bachelor' finale reveals Joey Graziadei's final choice: Who is he engaged to?
Ranking
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- US consumer confidence holds steady even as high prices weigh on household budgets
- New York City to send 800 more officers to police subway fare-beating
- $1.1 billion Mega Millions drawing nears, followed by $865 million Powerball prize
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- March Madness winners, losers from Monday: JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers steal spotlight
- President Joe Biden wins Missouri Democratic primary
- Wendy Williams' guardian tried to block doc to avoid criticism, A&E alleges
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
'Nothing is staying put in the ocean': Bridge collapse rescue teams face big challenges
New York police officer fatally shot during traffic stop
In the Kansas House, when lobbyists ask for new laws, their names go on the bills
New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
Strippers’ bill of rights bill signed into law in Washington state
Visa, Mastercard settle long-running antitrust suit over swipe fees with merchants
Trump's bond is now $175 million in fraud case. Here's what the New York attorney general could do if he doesn't pay.