For as long as I can remember, superhero movies have been among the most anticipated movies of their respective year. In the past decade, Marvel Studios has capitalized on the incredible success of the first Iron Man, and from it spawned a $17.5 billion franchise. But superhero movies have actually been going on for a lot longer than most think. In the 1940s, popular comic books such as Batman and Superman were adapted as film serials. The classic theme of moral protagonist vs villain continued into the 1980s, when movies such as Robocop and Star Wars set a new level of popularity. Since then, there has been an exponential increase of production in this genre; whether it explores an already known plot, like the countless Batman, reboots, or underground stories such as Guardians Of The Galaxy, the movies usually experience a lot of success.

Curiously enough, the majority of that small group of unbeloved superhero films are DC Comics’ action films, which many people point to as an example of the beginning of the end for superhero movies. With the exception of Wonder Woman (who still couldn’t carry Justice League out of its pit), DC’s investment in almost all their movies, from Suicide Squad to Batman Vs. Superman, have barely paid off. The pacing, action sequences, and character charm could be affecting its decline; however, DC is still producing movies such as the upcoming Aquaman. The most interesting thing about this, though, is what it signals about the future of the movie industry. It can be argued that the increasing public frustration and boredom of DC films is a foreshadowing of how audiences are tired of watching the same plot events and elements over and over again.

So does this indicate the inevitable death, or at the very least decline, of superhero films? The answer is unclear—even Marvel Cinematic Universe is unsure of its continuation of dominance in the box office after Avengers: Infinity War. However, there are small signs that there is still hope. While the company has stated that the idea of “phases” (which has been implemented since the beginning of the Avengers saga) might be obsolete, Marvel has already announced its lineup of movies for the next 4 years.  Not only are they continuing its Spider-Man franchise, they’re also introducing new characters such as Captain Marvel. Furthermore, Marvel has recently been actively avoiding the basic obvious superhero elements. For example, most films start out with an origin story—what makes Spider-Man Homecoming stand out from the past few reboots is the absence of showing how Spider-Man got powers, allowing the audience to experience the refreshingly unique adventure Peter Parker instead of watching the same story about the radioactive spider everyone knows.

With enough clever twists and new ideas, the superhero industry can still expect to be entertaining to the masses and thriving. As for the fans, if Infinity War was any indication, it seems like some of them are also not ready to let go of their beloved characters just yet.