The superhero movie genre originated in comic books at the tail end of the 1930s and flourished during one of mankind’s darkest epochs viz. World War II. Since the conclusion of that war, superhero comics have been struggling for acceptance as an art form in its own right.
The superhero movie genre is now the dominant genre in the entertainment industry. From a 1% market share in 1998, the superhero movie genre grew to a 20% market share in 2018. Marvel Studios – now owned by Disney – is the undisputed leader in the genre earning over $22 billion at the global box office in about 12 years, since the release of Iron Man in 2008.
The character of John Constantine began life as a supporting cast member of DC Comics’ Saga of the Swamp Thing series, in the mid-80s. Created by Alan Moore at the behest of Swamp Thing artists Stephen Bissette, John Totleben and Rick Veitch, the trench-coated, chain-smoking, cynical magician would become popular enough to merit his own solo series – Hellblazer – in 1988.