Movie tropes are common elements found in films that add to the story. “A heroic last stand,” “lost cities,” and “dragons” tend to be the typical tropes found in fantasy and science-fiction films. These storytelling devices help elevate the stories and, in some cases, are what help define and differentiate a particular genre of movies from the rest.
Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe share common storytelling devices, such as introducing each new character with their life before they were a hero and how they gained their unique ability or power. They also have specific movie tropes that only occur in their films.
Multiverses
Multiverses propose the idea that several universes exist besides the current one. Each multiverse operates on its timeline in its world, but occasionally there is the possibility that the seal that separates the worlds ends up shattering, causing the universes to intersect. This concept isn’t limited to only superhero movies: The Lego Movie and Everything Everywhere All At Once all have their version of a colliding multiverse. Still, superhero movies are more likely to incorporate it than other movie genres.
Different versions of the same hero, past versions of the hero, or twisted villains are some of the universes that merged with the present one. Avengers: Endgame, What If …?,Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverseand X-Men: Days of Future Pastare a few of the movies that incorporated the concept.
Memorable Cameos of a Well-Known Person
Cameos or appearances of well-known actors are in popular TV shows such as The Simpsons and Family Matters. Most of the time, these guest appearances are only for an episode or even a few episodes, and sometimes, their appearances are brief, which only a few viewers will notice.
Marvel movies and DC Movies try to incorporate a cameo in a few movies. Most notable is Stan Lee ‘s cameo in the MCU movies. Stan Lee was an American comic book writer responsible for writing today’s blockbuster Marvel films. DC films include cameos of well-known individuals such as Neil deGrasse Tyson in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Drew Barrymorein Batman Foreverand Lynda Carter (the first Wonder Woman) in Wonder Woman 1984.
Dramatic Superhero Landing or Fighting Pose
All eyes are on the hero as they jump from a tall building, perform a somersault, and gracefully land on the ground. This dramatic superhero landing or fighting pose is seen throughout the superhero films. It is part of that particular character’s signature pose.
In Black WidowYelena Belova (Florence Pugh) points out that even the female assassin, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson), does a pose whenever she’s fighting. However, Natasha (Black Widow) is not the only one who developed a dramatic superhero pose or landing that is iconic to the person. Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) in Deadpool even joked about the superhero pose when Angel Dust (Gina Carano) jumped off a platform to land before him.
Massive Destruction (And Little Consequences)
Saving the world comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Many innocent lives are saved, and the evil is eliminated. Yet, that does not mean that the city came out of this unscathed, whether it was only stopping a small robbery or the final climactic battle of the film.
The humans in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicedid notice the unregulated power that Superman had, along with how he destroyed part of it in the process every time he intended to save the world. In The Avengers, the Avengersassemble their team while taking out part of New York during the Battle of New York.
Pillar of Light
The final battle in movies is between the hero or group of heroes and the villain or group of villains. The villains enter the scene by breaking up the sky and shining a stream of light. This stream of light, a “pillar of light” or “sky beam,” appears as a blue light that signals a portal opening.
In The Avengers, the “pillar of light” appears because the Tesseract caused a portal to open,and in Captain America: The First Avengerthe Tesseract also plays a role in opening the “sky beam,” as the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). In Suicide Squadthe sky beam took a swirling electrified appearance is commented by Deadshot (Will Smith) as a “swirling ring of trash in the sky.”
The Costume – They Think They Need It
Whether they have a cape or not, can easily hide under their regular clothes, or require some time for a wardrobe change, each hero has their own style that makes them recognizable. Without their costume, they might as well be any other civilian walking through the streets of Queens, Gotham, or New Mexico.
Superman disguises himself as the reporter while wearing his iconic suit underneath regular clothes. Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) feels more powerful with his Cloak of Levitation which serves as its own weapon. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) constructs a suit that allows him to fly, among other abilities. These heroes are just as powerful whether they wear suits or not. This lesson was one that Tony Stark gave to Peter Parker (Tom Holland) after Peter carelessly tried saving people in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Foreshadowing Significant Events
Viewers who watch movies closely and pay particular attention to the context and clues throughout the film might find out that the movie revealed future events that impact the story. These foreshadowing scenes can appear like a wise character giving information that may have a deeper meaning or a post-credit scene that introduces a new character that will play a crucial role in the next film.
Movies from the DC Universe reveal important points both in dialogue and minor actions. In Wonder Woman 1984Diana (Gal Gadot) starts losing her powers when she has trouble removing a lock from a garage door. Previously, this would not have been a problem for Diana. However, this one incident is the starting point to the issues Diana encounters later on. In the post-credits scene in Ant-ManHope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) sees the Wasp suit and says, “It’s about damn time,” thus foreshadowing her role as the Wasp in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
The Superhero’s Supportive Love Interest
Being a “superhero” does not automatically guarantee the “cool-kid” status at school or, in some cases, the famous person liked by everyone. Often these heroes had to mask their identity from everyone else. However, these heroes can only hide their identity for so long before someone finds out about it. Luckily, if it’s their love interest or potential love interest, they will proudly stand next to the hero and support their tough decisions and battles.
Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) supported T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) inBlack PantherMichelle Jones (Zendaya) tried to help Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Homeand Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) was one of the few people that Diana could trust inWonder Woman. While these love interests have their special abilities, a few movies show they can step into the shoes of their loves and fight their battles like Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) (before she wore the superhero suit) in Iron Man(2008), or Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) from Thor: Love and Thunder.