Domestic Gross of Batman and Superman films
| The Dark Knight: | $533,316,061 |
| Batman Begins: | $205,343,774 |
| Batman & Robin: | $107,285,004 |
| Batman Forever: | $183,997,904 |
| Batman Returns: | $162,744,850 |
| Batman: | $251,185,407 |
| Superman Returns: | $200,069,408 |
| Superman 4: | $ 15,681,020 |
| Superman 3: | $ 56,950,623 |
| Superman 2: | $101,347,629 |
| Superman: | $ 40,925,251 |
It doesn't make sense. Superman is nearly invincible. He has X-ray vision. He can melt steel with his breath. He can fly so fast around the earth that it begins to spin backwards and reverse time. In the last Superman movie, he actually got shot at point blank range IN THE EYEBALL and the bullet bounced off. Superman can do anything. That should make for a great movie every time, right? Superman is invulnerable. He’s polite, he’s respectful, and he’s NEVER tempted to do wrong. He isn’t human. I’ll say that again…HE ISN’T HUMAN.
Batman, meanwhile, is just a rich guy who can fight. That's not so special. I could win the lottery, buy a mansion and a tricked out car, and take Kung Fu lessons. I could BE BATMAN!
And that is why Batman is more popular than Superman. Batman is vulnerable, and we can relate to him. Unfortunately, Superman’s weaknesses often show up in improv.
In improv, playing vulnerable characters is one of the most difficult skills to learn. We (men especially) are raised to believe that we shouldn't show emotion publicly, so onstage we play characters who aren't emotionally affected by the world around them. Many beginning improvisers believe that choosing not to be affected by big offers is a funny and interesting choice. How many times have you seen this scene?
Character 1: "Your mother just died."
Character 2: "Ok, what's for dinner?"
The problem is, while that may FEEL like a surprising and interesting choice, it usually comes from a place of fear. We’re afraid to reveal ourselves on stage in front of strangers. We don’t want people to see the faces we make when we’re hurt, or sad, or afraid, or confused. Those are private emotions, and it’s human nature to want to keep them inside. We’re taught in our real lives to be brave in the face of adversity (which is a good thing) but we mistakenly believe that means to be unaffected by adversity. (Not so good.)
Think about it…who’s braver, the guy who makes a name for himself as a crime fighter by traveling to a planet full of relative weaklings who don’t stand a chance against him, or the guy who knows his life is on the line every time he fights crime, but he does it anyway?
Be Batman.
Now get out there and make stuff up.
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