I know. I’m shocked!
If I had to guess, I’d say this OnePoll survey (commissioned by Visit Anaheim ahead of this summer’s opening of Avengers Campus at Walt Disneyland) which questioned 2,000 Americans probably didn’t talk to “hard core” nerds/geeks, but rather more mainstream.
That’s my perception, because any time the topic gets brought up, Supes is rarely the favorite hero in his own brand, being unseated by Batman. Batman finished third in the voting, with everyone’s favorite wall-crawler wedged between the World’s Finest. Captain America and Iron Man are 4 and 5 respectively, with Wonder Woman the sixth favorite among those polled.
Here’s the entire Top Ten:
- Superman
- Spider-Man
- Batman
- Captain America
- Iron Man
- Wonder Woman
- Aquaman
- Captain Marvel
- Black Panther
- Wolverine
That’s a lot of Hollywood dollars. And no offense to Aquaman, but would ANYONE have had him in their top ten? I think he gets a boost due to his recent big box office debut. And if I’m being honest, I say the same for Captain Marvel and Black Panther. Now that is not a knock on any of these characters, but rather an indication that their profiles were elevated due to having successful (and in Black Panther and Captain Marvel’s cases, MASSIVELY SUCCESSFUL) solo films.
While the Man of Steel got the nod as America’s favorite superhero, I think it surprises exactly no one that the Clowned Prince of Crime heads the list of favorite super villains.
As beloved as Tom Hiddleston is, with a Loki show on the way on Disney+, consider me surprised that the God of Mischief is in the back half of the Top Ten.
- Joker
- Catwoman
- Venom
- Thanos
- Lex Luthor
- Magneto
- Penguin
- Harley Quinn
- Mystique
- Loki
Also, with the pomp and circumstance around Harley Quinn, I would have thought that character would be in the top five. I still think, even at number 5, Lex Luthor is underrated. He and Thanos have a lot in common, in that they say the best villains are those who see themselves as the hero, that they are doing the right thing. That was everything about Thanos in the MCU.
Also, side-bar…I think Venom and Harley Quinn could both, at times, fall into the “anti-hero” category.
Let’s see what else the poll said.
THE SUPERPOWERS AMERICANS WANT MOST
1. Invisibility 37%
2. Healing 35%
3. Time travel 35%
4. Superhuman strength 33%
5. Superhuman intelligence 33%
That’s 173%, just incredible. Also, and even in the world of the coronavirus where healing would come in handy, I still want the ability to teleport. Are you kidding me? No more commutes? No more trying to find a parking spot for a ballgame? No more traveling (driving or flying) to the vacation destination…just BAM! (or “BAMF!”) and you’re there. Don’t mind that subtle smell of brimstone.
Respondents said that Superman would beat Batman in a fight. The Avengers are their favorite superhero team, and Marvel was preferred over DC by a 2-1 margin.
What’s your take on the findings of this survey? Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know via social media. Because when there’s a damn pandemic going on, talking about superhero nonsense is good for us all.
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