This article is dedicated in loving memory to Christopher Reeve, Lee Quigley, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter and Ned Beatty.

Superhero movies have become extremely popular. In fact, they're one of the most popular types of films. However, superhero films used to not be so common or beloved. In the 1940's, there were various superhero movie serials. They were decently successful, but they weren't meant to be re-watched or to have much to have much of a lasting legacy.

Things changed in the year 1978. That was the year that Richard Donner's Superman movie...

Nowadays, superhero films are a common thing. We get about ten superhero blockbusters a year. However, that wasn't always the case. There was a time where superhero films weren't very popular or successful. Sure, there were plenty of superhero-themed movie serials in the 1940's, but those types of movies eventually went out of style.

In the 1950's and 60's, there were barely any superhero films. 1966 brought us Batman: The Movie, which was a wonderful film, but aside from that, there wasn't much going on in the world of superheroes.

There wasn't much superhero stuff in the 1970's, but things...