Martin Scorsese expressed dissatisfaction stating that superhero movies lacks uniqueness and emotional and psychological depth. In his opinion, these movies depict spectacle rather than character. Scorsese is not alone in his view - this has been a general opinion among film critics for decades.

Justin Wyatt examines the recipe for commercial success in his book High concept: Movies and marketing in Hollywood from 1994. Film theorist Kristin Thompson however, denounces the idea that High Concept or post-classicism changes structures in narrative.

This thesis examines visual style and intertextuality in three films released in 2019: Avengers: Endgame, Hellboy and Joker. Are there similarities and/or differences in relation to Wyatt’s theories?

All three movies use style and intertextuality to tell their stories and they all have excess scenes to please the audience visually. However, they still use classic Hollywood narrative with three acts and cause-and-effect storylines.