By Olivia Dodge
In the summer of 2025, three superhero movies hit the big screen, and the messages they carried had a profound impact on people in ways that were not expected.
Thunderbolts*, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps were the major hits of the summer that drew comic book fans to the theaters to witness the greatness of inspirational characters being brought to life.
Thunderbolts* was released on May 2, and while the movie did not succeed at the box office, it succeeded with its viewers, as one of the main themes of the movie was mental health.
Mental health is a topic that not many people will talk about, or will gloss over very quickly, but not in this Marvel movie. This movie follows six strangers who are forced to work together despite all their personal issues, which ultimately leads to an unexpectedly found family aspect.
This movie taught its viewers that it is okay to not be okay and that you don’t have to be afraid to ask for help. It also taught viewers that healing won’t always be easy and that it can get messy.
Only two months later did the Kryptonian hero return to the big screen on July 11 with Superman. This film follows a man living a double life and how he needs to clear his name as his enemy releases a video that frames him as a destroyer of the world, so he must rely on his allies to help him reclaim his superhero identity.
With everything going on in the world when the movie was released, Superman inspired people to stand up for what they believe in and to fight for what is right. While many people knew beforehand that kindness is a trait everyone should possess, the film made people want to put more kindness into the world and to help where people needed it.
One phrase that became very popular after the movie came out is how “Kindness is the new punk rock,” and many people have used it when sharing videos of them doing good deeds. Two weeks later, Marvel’s first family debuted in theaters on July 25 with The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The film follows four superheroes who are family and must rely on each other for protection. This movie alone shows what it means to protect your family and the reality of what parenthood is.
The movie showed its viewers that being a parent is as hard as being a leader whom people look up to. It also inspired people to have empathy for those they don’t know, to believe in unity, and to accept others no matter their imperfections.
While all three of these movies inspire us to open our eyes and learn from them, they also have a deeper message behind the ones already seen, and it has helped reshape how we now see superhero movies. The message is that we are all human at the end of the day, and we all go through the same things.
We saw that the heroes we look up to all go through what we do from day to day. Whether it’s depression, happiness, sadness, or hope, we are all human and struggle and strive in society.
We got to see both the human and hero sides of our favorite characters, and it is the reason why Thunderbolts*, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps resonated with us in a much deeper and more meaningful way than superhero movies ever have before.
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Photo courtesy of StockCake, Public Domain, via stockcake.com.