Given how massive and unwieldy Marvel and DC’s interconnected movies and TV franchises have become, trying to enter these series can feel like stepping into an overwhelming universe. With a collective runtime of over 550 hours, watching the MCU is now an extraordinary commitment. Not only do the films alone require a significant time investment, they also require an intimate knowledge of the franchise’s overarching storyline and expansive cast of heroes, villains, secret agents, intergalactic warlords, and everyone in between.
While the colossal MCU and ambitious new DCU form the basis for the superhero narrative today, it’s interesting to look back at a time when superhero films were still a fledgling genre struggling to secure their place in mainstream entertainment. With Christopher Reeve's Superman leading the way, superhero movies throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s tried to bring the colorful worlds of their comic-strip counterparts to the big screen, with varying degrees of success. For every Tim Burton-backed Batman, another faithful comic book adaptation flew under the radar. And of all these largely forgotten films, it’s The Phantom, released 30 years ago today, that most embraced the pure pulpiness of comic books.
