What's up with all these superhero movies?

It seems superhero movies are the rage these days.

From Batman and Superman to X-Men and The Avengers, one would think that Marvel Studios and DC Entertainment have deliberately hijacked the movie industry. It seems one or more of these CGI-laden flicks come out each year.

And who can blame them?

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was released in the U.S. on March 25, has already pulled in a whopping $851.9 million. Not too shabby, considering it was produced on a not-so-shoestring budget of $250 million. I saw the movie a few weeks ago and thought it wasn't as good as any of the movies in The Dark Knight trilogy. But that's neither here nor there.

Meanwhile, Captain America: Civil War, slated to hit theaters in the U.S. on May 6, is expected to earn more than $190 million domestically and somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 million worldwide in its opening weekend.

I remember how, back in the day, superhero movies primarily targeted children, their key demographic. Now, just about everyone and his brother has seen one of these movies. They not only have a loyal following among different age groups, but across different countries. Indeed, the superhero phenomenon has gone global.

As long as these blockbuster films continue to rake in the big bucks, Hollywood will continue churning out sequel upon sequel. Unfortunately, seldom are sequels as good as the original. (One notable exception is The Dark Knight, in which Heathrow Ledger's Academy Award-winning performance stole the show.)

Do you enjoy watching these superhero movies? Do you think production companies should aim to scale back on making so many?

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