Summary
Getting to see a superhero in action is obviously the primary draw to mostcomic book movies, but many of them will feature moments in which capes and masks get hung up. Having a precedence in the comics, this trope has existed for a long time, and movies adapting the most famous superhero properties have followed suit with a litany of stories that take inspiration from source material in which heroes take a (usually temporary) leave of absence. Fromthe films of the MCUto standalone stories, there are countless examples of such narratives.
There are several benefits to exploring a story in which the hero takes a break from their vigilante activities. These story beats allow for a great in-depth exploration of who a given character is in their civilian life, if they even have one, and can work as a great narrative low point for a hero to rise from internally. Though it’s come to be a commonly used plot point, even some of thebest superhero movies everhave relied on it in the past.
We Asked You to Vote for Far Side’s Funniest Superman Comic & the Winner Is a Perfect Movie Parody
We asked Screen Rant readers to vote on Gary Larson’s best Far Side comics starring Superman, and the winner includes an iconic movie reference.
10Spider-Man Quits Being New York’s Protector
Spider-Man 2
Widely considered one of thebest Spider-Man movies everand the greatest installment of Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy,Spider-Man 2seePeter Parker struggling with his ability to maintain his superhero career. With both his love interest and his best friend now distant to him, Peter Parker is at his lowest point ever. If that isn’t enough, he begins to experience the intermittent loss of his powers, eventually resulting in a full-blown failure.
The straw that breaks the camel’s back is Mary Jane getting engaged to John Jameson, which causes Parker to renounce being Spider-Man for good, despite New York City’s rising crime rates and the antics of Doc Ock. While his heartbreak over Mary Jane may strip away his powers, her endangerment brings them back, which eventually allows Peter to return to Spider-Man out of necessity, if nothing else. This creates an interesting relationship between Parker’s love life and his powers in the Raimi films.
9Tony Stark Scales Back His Iron Man Life Dramatically
Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3is a fascinating entry in Iron Man’s Marvel Cinematic Universe solo trilogy, and one of the most underrated films of the entire franchise. Stripping back Tony from his expansive armory of Iron Man suits and forcing him to survive off of his own ingenuity alone in the wilds on rural Tennessee,Iron Man 3put the MCU’s flagship her on the backfoot for the majority of its runtime. The playing field is leveled against villain Adrian Killian, however, once the “House Party” protocol is enacted, allowing Tony to utilize his full roster of Iron Man suits.
The number of suits Tony has built and his general dedication to life as Iron Man area a spot of friction between himself and Pepper Potts throughout the film, and it seems as though a compromise might never be reached. While he doesn’t outright quit,Tony symbolically destroys most of his suits as a gesture to Potts, dramatically scaling back his dedication to being Iron Man, even removing the antiquated arc reactor in his chest connecting him to his armors. That being said, this heel-turn doesn’t last long in the MCU, and soon Tony is forced to suit up again.
8Star-Lord Decides To Finally Stop Running
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is unique for feeling like the first “true ending” of a series within the MCU. Much of this is due to the state of the Guardians' roster by the end of the film, with only Rocket and Groot remaining on the team by the end credits. Of all the departures from the main team, Star-Lord’s is one of the most striking, deciding to return to Earth and reunite with his long-lost family.
Being just a child when he was abducted by Yondu, Star-Lord has spent the entirety of his adult life running from his past, something theGuardians of the Galaxytrilogy seemed to exemplify with his adventures. At long last, he decides to return to his home planet. This ends up making for one of the most poignantcharacter endings in the MCU, as seeingPeter Quill’s family recognize him as an adult after believing him to be dead,or worse, is truly heartbreaking.
7Batman Retires From Crime-Fighting
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knightis considered to be one of the finest comic book movies ever made, and even it isn’t above utilizing the well-known trope of a hero’s retirement. At the end of the chaotic events of the film that leaves both Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent dead, Batman is publicly believed to be the murderer of the latter. This results in Bruce Wayne eventually retiring as Batman, utterlytraumatized and a public enemy to boot.
A sadder, more disillusioned Bruce Wayne is introduced
The effects of this retirement are seen in the follow-up filmThe Dark Knight Rises.Here, a sadder, more disillusioned Bruce Wayne is introduced, rotting away in the decrepit Wayne Manor without his crime fighting career to rely on. With organized crime all but eradicated in Gotham by this point thanks to the draconian laws passed in the wake of Dent’s death, there doesn’t seem to be much need for him anyway.
6Batman Comes Out Of Retirement Just To Fake His Own Death
The Dark Knight Rises
Though the film begins with Bruce Wayne retiring from his double-life as Batman,The Dark Knight Risessees Batman spurred into action for the first time in eight years. After Bane drags him out of hiding, Batman puts a stop to his and Talia Al Ghul’s plans to eradicate Gotham, dragging away their nuclear device inthe flying Bat vehicle.This seemingly leads to his death in a nuclear explosion, as he flies the rapidly ticking time bomb out over Gotham’s bay.
However, the end ofThe Dark Knight Risesreveals that Bruce Wayne actually survived the ordeal thanks to the last-minute addition of autopilot to The Bat’s codebase. Alfred sees him enjoying a meal with Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle in Florence, Italy, the two sharing a nod confirming that not only is Bruce Wayne alive, but he’s once again given up life as Batman. This makes Christian Bale the only live action Batman to retire not just once, but twice.
5Batman Is Long-Retired In An Alternate Reality
The Flash
Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy isn’t the only big-budget superhero film to explore the idea of a retired Batman. ThoughThe Flashcenters around its titular speedster hero, a fair amount of screentime is given to Michael Keaton’s Batman, brought back to the movies via multiverse shenanigans. Here, it’s revealed that after the events ofBatman Forever, Keaton’s Bruce Wayne has fallen into a similar rut as Christian Bale’s inThe Dark Knight Rises,eking out a pitiful existence in Wayne Manor.
That being said, Barry Allen manages to convince Bruce of the error of his ways, inspiring him to once again don the cape and cowl in order tojoin him in the fight against Michael Shannon’s General Zod. It’s a thrill getting to see Keaton return to his iconic role so many years later, but it’s too bad his Batman ends up dying in an unbelievably pitiful sacrifice play that doesn’t even make a difference in the final battle. Perhaps Keaton’s Batman should’ve stayed retired, both in and out of universe.
4Deadpool Seems To Be Attempting Normal Living
Deadpool & Wolverine
At the time of writing,the upcomingDeadpool & Wolverineisn’t quite out yet, but it’s already clear the film will be making its own pass at a retired hero. In the trailers released so far, the film seems to be beginning with a status quo featuring Wade Wilson living as normal of a life as he can. Never one to put on his red suit and katanas for less than personal reasons, the Merc with a Mouth was never a city-patrolling crimefighter in the first place, and with no personal mission, it seems as though he’s defaulted to a sensible lifestyle.
That being said, it’s clear that Wade is aching for a return to anti-hero action by the first act of the film. His feigned smiles in the earliest moments of the first trailer fool nobody, and it seems as though the romantic flame between him and Vanessa may even be dying out.Surely it won’t be long before Deadpool comes out of retirement for one last job.
3Iron Man Settles Down To Raise A Family
Avengers: Endgame
If Tony Stark was already semi-retired inAvengers: Infinity War, thenAvengers: Endgamecould be considered the moment he truly gives up the famous gold and red helm for good. Living an idyllic life with Pepper Potts and his new daughter, Tony Stark made it out of The Snap better than any other Avenger, moreso than the depressed Thor, the muderous Ronin, or even the eccentric Hulk. He also makes it clear that he wants to protect this life, initially unwilling to join the other Avengers in their search for time travel.
Though coming out of retirement may have ended disastrously for him, Tony Stark wouldn’t have it any other way
Sadly, this peaceful, simple life couldn’t last. Always Iron Man at his very core, Tony can’t help but work on the time travel equation in his spare time, eventually joining the Avengers in their “time heist” of the Infinity Stones, leading to a final confrontation with Thanos and his own death. Though coming out of retirement may have ended disastrously for him, Tony Stark wouldn’t have it any other way.
2The Incredibles Is All About Superheroes In Hiding
The Incredibles
While many superhero films utilize the idea of a retired hero, none of them make it the crux of the story quite like Pixar’sThe Incredibles.One of thestrongest films to come out of Pixar, the 3D animated masterpiece by Brad Bird centers on a family of superheroes in hiding after all powered vigilante activity is outlawed by the U.S. government. Both Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl begin the film with their hero days long behind them, though it’s clear that Bob Parr longs for a return to the glory days.
The idea of balancing one’s own desire to re-live their youthful fantasies with their present day commitments to their family is an ingenious avenue to take the tired trope of retired heroes down. When Bob does come out of retirement in secrecy,it’s a dangerous, but thrilling venture,and one that his wife doesn’t take kindly to finding out about. While The Incredibles ends on a hopeful note to heroics, it puts into perspective the strain of such an idea on both societal and family units.
1Nite Owl And Other Heroes Are Out Of Service
Watchmen
Similarly toThe Incredibles,Watchmenposits a world in which superheroes have become something of a relic of the past. Once operating as government figures under the authority of the defunct hero team the Minutemen, the heroes of the gritty universe are mostly retired by the events of the film. The one glaring exception is Rorschach, who continues his masked vigilantism despite its illegality.
Ozymandias and Nite Owl are both similarly retired heroes in the film, though they both end up returning to their costumes for very different reasons. While Nite Owl reluctantly agrees to accompany Rorschach and Silk Spectre in uncovering the Blake conspiracy, Ozymandias only returns to his identity privately as he unveils his plan. It’s here thatWatchmencreates one of the most fascinatingcomic book moviesto heavily revolve around heroes who quit.
