5 reasons why superheroes are superbrands | Key4Communications |

Ben Affleck is the new Batman in the sequel to The Man of Steel, in which this hero will share the screen with Superman. This is the latest announcement in the superhero film genre, which is increasingly announcing more movies, sagas, and spin-offs.

For example, between 2005 and 2012 the Batman trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale was released, and in 2015 we will already have a new actor, Affleck, playing this DC Comics character.

Something similar happened in Marvel with Spider-Man: Sam Raimi's trilogy was released between 2002 and 2007, and in 2012 the character was reborn in another movie, with sequel scheduled for 2014.

Without any doubt, superheroes are properties that work very well, and there are reasons for this.

1. They allow the creation of entire universes. For example, taking into account the planned trilogy and the spin-offs for nearly every superhero, The Avengers will count between 2008 and 2018 with a total of 14 films, in a strategy that DC Comics wants to imitate both with the union of Batman and Superman, and with The Justice League, scheduled for 2017.

This line of work counts with releases every year, so that the property's products remain in shelves for longer periods of time.

2. Superheroes are classic characters. For example, Superman is 75 years old and the first Spider-Man trilogy has strengthened the continued presence of the character in products aimed at boys. Most of them are easily recognizable properties with years of history.

They also have an additional advantage: the continuous releases allow renewing and adapting the image much more easily than in the case of other classic characters, so they can always reach new and young audiences.

3. Their target is very broad. Typical entertainment licenses focus on younger audiences, but superheroes also reach young people and adults, allowing the manufacture of multiple categories: not just toys and back to school, but also apparel, plus collector products, for example.

4. They count with additional audio-visual support. Marvel has a programming block on Disney XD, featuring Spider-Man and The Avengers animated series, among others. DC's characters are present in DC Nation on Cartoon Network. Also, almost all characters count with video games in virtually all platforms.

5. Their box office success is indisputable. The seven Avengers' movies released so far have made the franchise the third highest grossing in history, only behind Harry Potter and James Bond, and just ahead of Star Wars. Batman is the seventh and Spider-Man, the tenth.

As for individual movies, The Avengers is the third highest grossing film in history, and Iron Man 3, the fifth. The third instalment of Batman is in ninth position.

In addition, The Avengers reached the highest revenues in its first weekend, followed by Iron Man 3. The third instalment of Batman is the fourth best opening, and the second, the fifth.

Given all this, it seems pretty clear that we will have superheroes for a long time, as they will continue to be an essential part of the licensing business.