Superheroes LOVE Trains

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Trains. They span continents. Subways connect our American cities (if you live in New York, LA, or DC). They might even help us survive the apocalypse. But they also feature heavily in superhero movies. And in this video, I want to ask why.
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Music by Epidemic Sound
00:00 Why Trains
01:00 Trains are History
06:12 Trains are Cinematic
19:25 Trains are Choice

[@NandovMovies]

What's your favorite train scene? Also, if you want to train yourself on some new skills, the first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare skl.sh/nandovmovies04236

[@calebmarmon1310]

I mean, Spider-Man 2. Sometimes the obvious answer is the right one.

[@jorgec98]

I see what you did there

[@imveritasproductions]

Kingpin vs miles just because you can feel how vulnerable miles is. However Spider-Man 2 is always a classic

[@ivoandre8345]

Obviously Ant-Man... Come on, it's a mini train that goes B E E G train!

[@Dookieman1975]

Bullet train… just bullet train… all of it

[@secondengineer9814]

"The train is a force of nature" That's a wild statement to hear because it's also a symbol of industry

[@markn866]

Industry relies on nature.

[@kylemccormack1785]

The separation between nature and industry is mostly an arbitrary artifact of extremist environmentalism.

[@bbrbbr-on2gd]

The train is the people's transport.

[@JazzyUnderscoreTrumpeter]

Humanity is natural.

[@d3j4v00]

Industry is a force of Nature too

[@MyNameMeansPalm]

Holy moly. "Superheroes solve the trolley problem". That's a great line to describe the trope.

[@QazwerDave]

Trains have many people in it and can't divert from danger on the track. It's a great thing for the hero to save !

[@jahleel0077]

Exactly. The train is like the falling person situation on steroids. Or like a ticking time bomb that you don't really need any set up or exposition to explain.

[@markn866]

Agreed, to simplify: Trains are great vehicles!

[@Aliraldd992]

Also, if you jump on a train to catch you breath, you don't need to drive or pay attention, so you can relax and unwind giving you an opportunity to talk between the characters because no one listen to other passengers on a train

[@camipco]

It's true, but it's definitely more than that, because a substantial number of these involve trains that are unoccupied, or are like military trains only occupied by bad guys, or where the train and passengers aren't in danger, which is the case with most of the fights on the outside of trains.

[@lunatickoala]

This applies to more than just superhero movies, but trains also can't stop easily and are confined spaces which means that it's more obvious when new characters and elements are introduced without establishing how they got on board. This doesn't prevent hacks from doing it anyways but it makes it more likely that someone catches it during story development.

[@johnhagman4041]

I didn't realize how much I needed Nando to talk about trains for 30 minutes.

[@UnseenVids]

We have been served.

[@NowaboMusic]

I like trains.

[@atavious2491]

Now all we need is for Thomas the Tank Engine to transform into a giant mech and battle against a Godzilla-style Barney the Purple Dinosaur while being operated by Teletubby Power Rangers

[@chadhenderson2922]

I’d like to see the train trope reimagined as an airport moving walkway in a satire. It wonderfuly robs the trope of all of its tension.

[@matthewrandell5055]

amazing

[@Jansenbaker]

-I think you forgot one. Ant-Man on the toy train.😄- I have no words, this was a great exploration of trains in these stories. I honestly never noticed just how frequently they are included in stories.

[@c-nads]

12:03

[@Jansenbaker]

​@@c-nads Oops. Thx.

[@Canady117]

I'm a bit biased but Spider-Maguire 2's train sequence is my all-time favorite superhero/train sequence. Such an effective scene full of emotion and hope.

[@mr.dr.prof.patrick7284]

biased or not you’re not wrong in the slightest… that crazy camera shot where peter is swinging and it zooms out of Oc’s glasses… that was sick… using the speeding train and it’s surrounding areas as a battleground is sweet… fast moving, dodging each other and objects on the way, then the tension goes even higher once the train starts heading for the unfinished bridge.. it’s such a spider-man thing to do and such a spider-man thing to see him giving it his everything in order to save people … it’s amazing and no other movie has been able to replicate it

[@projekttaku1]

@@mr.dr.prof.patrick7284 maybe no other movie, but I think supeman & lois tops it.

[@projekttaku1]

My favorite is superman & lois. When superman is presented with the choice of "capture this superfast teen who has no control over his powers" or "save people on a train", he chooses the train, because that's just the kind of guy he is. And the way he fixes the train is very smart, using his heat vision not just as a "blast of energy". It perfectly mixes Reeves/Routh heart with MOS scale.

[@JayFingers]

As a (former) New Yorker, I laughed aloud when you said the subway announcement in “Spider-Verse” transported you back to NYC. You are so right! 🤣🤣

[@temporarycurator]

Can't stop the A-Train, Baby! Unless you're *insert endless list of superheroes who stop a train with moments to spare, or a failing heart*

[@FinelinePictures]

"That light at the end of the tunnel? Guess what, that's not heaven. That's the C Train!" Say what you will about Daredevil 2003, but that's an absolute cold bar.

[@billylee112]

Your ability to write captivating 30 minute explorations like this is incredible

[@eddache]

I must choo-choo-choose my words carefully! This is a fantastic video! I always enjoy thorough breakdown of something that seems absurd but makes a ton of sense!

[@anxiousoptimism5517]

Clever.

[@frankunodostres473]

this video is a love letter to comic books, superhero stories and film itself. what a beautiful piece from one of the most brilliant minds on youtube

[@katherinealvarez9216]

The most intense thing ever is trying to catch the train. And then realizing that you got on the wrong train.

[@JandreAeroScootSalinas-xj9dp]

And jesus christ trains need an award on how many times it has been saved by superheroes

[@thegooldash2443]

as a story writer and (kinda) story boarder for games, setting a fight on a train is low-key my favorite thing to do i cant describe it properly but the constant moving nature of it, the need to keep moving and claustrophobia of it all makes it a perfect set piece for an action fight to take place on

[@ToraVanguard2004]

It's the breakneck speed and sense of constant danger for me, I love it.

[@thegooldash2443]

@@ToraVanguard2004 >Spiderman pfp this guy gets me ❤️

[@ToraVanguard2004]

@@thegooldash2443 Cheers bud, Im actually a writer myself too :) For my current wip I'm planning a fight scene on the London Underground, my mc has electric powers so when the power cuts off she's the only light source. Gonna be awesome hopefully lol

[@thegooldash2443]

@@ToraVanguard2004 love the sound of that ‼️ maybe make it take place between stations so it's completely dark except for your MC could have a really nice section where the antagonist gets the upper hand in being essentially invisible while the MC is in a direct disadvantage

[@LaBooF42]

These are my favorite Nandi videos. He attacks the genre with a unique angle. Keep killing it Matt!

[@levydeat]

I have not ever considered his name wasn’t Nando

[@ZachBobBob]

@@levydeat Same this news has messed me up

[@camipco]

Nice. I think there's another thing that you touch on in some of these. But the train is a place where you get a bunch of civilians who are a cross-section of society, who are thrown together by the circumstance, and who can't escape. So it gives stakes that the civilians don't have an obvious way to avoid, and the audience doesn't get to judge them at all (compared to, say, Joker holding a benefit hostage, well those are all super-rich gothamites so we feel some kind of way about them). And in Raimi's Spiderman 2, we see this deliciously reversed, where the regular people save Spiderman, and part of what makes that scene compelling is that it's this random group of people who didn't choose to be there.

[@mr.moviemafia]

The “Christopher Plummer” joke at 5:26 was so clever it took me a minute to understand it. It’s a reference to the movie “All the Money in the World”, which originally starred Kevin Spacey (Lex in Returns) but was replaced by Plummer

[@Jansenbaker]

I don't understand. It sounds like he's just saying a model train set is present.

[@nathanl8622]

@@Jansenbaker The joke is referring to Lex as Christopher Plummer. Most of that section isn't a joke (like you said, he's just listing off all the trains in superhero movies), but it is a joke when he uses the wrong actor's name on purpose.

[@Jansenbaker]

@@nathanl8622 Ok, I misread it that Christopher Plummer replaced someone in Superman Returns, not realizing that's that one old guy I've seen mentioned before. I see now, he did it in another movie. But I don't see how him replacing the same actor connects to the Superman movie specifically. Like, just because it happened, and it was funny to remind you? Or was the situation reversed in Superman Returns? I've got a block here. Wait wait... is this even Superman Returns? Sorry. I don't remember

[@gabrieltmacedo]

As many other superhero tropes, they used a lot of trains in the first episodes of NBC's Heroes. The famous quote 'save the cheerleader, save the world' was said by Future Peter in a NYC subway, Hiro teleports the first time while dozing in a Tokyo subway, and Claire uses her regeneration powers to save people for the first time in a train crash fire. Later, we'd discover her biological mother caused the explosion.

[@jayymorris5285]

Oh the memories of that amazing show

[@isaiahwilliams2642]

As a die hard train enthusiast and cinephile, this is EXACTLY the video I needed.

[@ydderynnad]

I forget where I read this, so take it for what it's worth, but i once read that the "running away from the train" legend was that some members of the audience were being playful and thought it would be funny to "run away" from an "oncoming train."

[@bobbyfasciano4137]

It’s about time Nando talked about the greatest super hero movie of all time: The Incredibles.

[@matttheking1655]

The Spiderman 2 train scene, is still one of the best action scene ever in any comic book movie, and that movie released back in 2004!🤔👌 Sill holds up today!👍

[@EricChoiniere]

What could probably fit in the "cinematic" category is the importance of the contents of a train. Often it's people to save, but it can be the microwave emitter in Batman Begins, or one interesting case: in Days of Future Past, the inactive Sentinels are being transported by train, which is where Magneto gets to them and infuses them with metal so he can control them.

[@ironick729]

I always love Nando videos, but this might be one of my favorite videos, not just of Nando, but the site as a whole, such a common concept elevated to a level that made me think long and hard about how incredible trains can be both metaphorically and visually! Thanks for this masterpiece Nando!

[@solvemproblerstudios5889]

Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. I’d say all three of the items recur because they genuinely are incredible feats. Reacting to a bullet, stopping a train, and surviving a fall from extreme height all work as cinematic set pieces.

[@zacharysmith8148]

I wonder if a lot of it is referential based too. Like as you just mentioned, Superman and Spider-Man have a train scene in like all of their movies. It’s a wink and a nod to their legacy.

[@brycehamilton6132]

I wish for superhero movies had a train-ing montage

[@eggknob]

hello

[@Skyewardbound]

I mean, Mr Incredible literally lifted with trains in his workout montage

[@meluiethbox844]

Very disappointed this video didn't include one of my favorite scenes from Defenders, which is a complete guilty pleasure of mine. In the final episode, Matt Luke and Jess need to get to Union Circle fast, the police are after them, and they have no money on hand. Then Jess pulls out her Metro Card, and it cuts to them quietly riding the subway at 1 in the morning. It's slow, it's quiet, the cuts are long but the camera is handheld, it's breather and tension, and Jessica Jones steals a can of beer from a passed out homeless guy which is very funny.

[@anikxa6401]

I had no idea that listening to a guy who talks about the superheroes and trains can be that entertaining! This video essay is amazing

[@Sarfraz42]

One of my favourite and funny train scene is in Wallace and Gromit: the wrong trousers. Just insanely fast action pacing, clarity of story, satisfying conclusion and just such a laugh. Spiderman 2 is arguably the best in a superhero setting, again the conclusion to which is just brilliant to watch.

[@CrossOutBryce]

I'm writing a superhero comic that has a train scene in it, so I feel VERY ATTACKED RN 😂

[@DamonBanks142857]

Superheroes have to be better/faster/stronger to “solve the trolley problem.” That said, it makes total sense that they almost always need to train in their respective media 🙃

[@ThePhilmer]

As a train enthusiast, I really love this video and I think it's one of your best yet. It's very well written and explores the topic in depth. I need more video essays like this.

[@animatorFan74]

Oh man, I literally just now watched Blade and saw the train sequence. That reminded me that you had this video about trains in comic book movies. I was checking if you missed mentioning it, but you were right on the money. I never realized just HOW much trains are used in superhero movies. Now I can't unsee it..... lol

[@headcanon6408]

I know it's not technically a superhero movie but everything in this video made me think of Bullet Train, which is sort of the ultimate train-based action movie, incorporating most of these elements into the story

[@RuntheJewelsAndFukYouToo42069]

I can tell you exactly why without watching. "As powerful as a locomotive" that line alone with Superman set the tone for strength.

[@CDKohmy]

Trains are the modern river in regards to liminality. Consider that in many Irish myths and legends, most battles take place at rivers. There are also may mythic rivers in the underworld.

[@v.v365]

I haven’t written a train into my superhero story (takes place in Washington dc, plus I don’t live in in area that relies on train travel, so I don’t have as much experience on trains to readily draw from in my writing) but I have written a fairly important train into a witch story I’m working on, and I’ve dabbled with the idea of the witch characters having to save their world so maybe it counts in the storytelling format of superhero stories

[@ghostsurfer23]

I read the title and thought to myself "because trains are cool, and you can do a lot with them cinematically. it isn't complicated." It's kind of like how someone noticed a LOT of the movies in MCU phase 1 (and I think a few beyond) feature a plane having a single wing destroyed. There were news articles and whatnot being like "what does this mean?!" And I think the right answer is simply that it's the coolest way to destroy a plane onscreen, so it makes sense its a tool they'd use more than once. But I love the depth of thought you put into this question. This whole video is the right answer, and there's nothing simple about it.

[@jaydenlindsey5770]

trains as a setting is more common than you’d think. snowpiercer, bullet train, train to busan, etc.

[@ivoandre8345]

Ant-Man's thomas the tank engine scene is the best superhero train scene... ok, maybe not the best, but the most comedic!

[@akiraeatsguitarpicks491]

I like trains

[@jayjohnscreations]

I was rewatching the 1979 classic 'Turkish Superman' with my family. And to my amazement, would you have it, there's a train sequence where two trains are going to crash into each other and Superman has to stop them. Mind blowing. Even rip-off cinema understands the power of a suprrhero train scene.

[@Jasonwolf1495]

I feel like there's one additional thing not mentioned, trains have a very high capacity. You could do all the same stories with a big truck more or less, but a train well thats a train full of people, we don't feel bad for a truck's cargo, but people there's something to save.

[@marcofioretti6908]

Trains can also show us a character's nature, stopping a train from crushing can be the ultimate show of strength and heroism. At the same time crushing a train an be the ultimate shoe of villainy; we truly understand just how evil and uncaring for human life Omniman is when he uses his son to cut through an entire train and all his passangers, killing hundreds of civilians and leaving his son covered in blood and guts and traumatized.

[@IcyDiamond]

Simple, trains are a cool action set piece that can lead to very high stakes due to many people being trapped on them, also they’re done pretty differently every time, you can’t tell me that Spider-Man 2, The Incredibles, Batman Begins, and Spider-Verse all did it in the same way

[@PeterParker-ff7ub]

it's always stopping a train so it is the "same"

[@TF2CrunchyFrog]

@@PeterParker-ff7ub I mean, trains only have two modes: Standing still, and moving. Stopping an out of control train is a task for a superhero. Getting a stopped train moving is a task for an engineer.

[@nochannelmusician769]

Honestly vehicles are important in action in general so it’s only a matter of time before trains pop up. You could easily make this video about car chases or planes

[@gctypo2838]

17:51 Well-timed cut. No capes.

[@josefagomezschmeisser8356]

As a small town raised, moving to a city with metro, they never stop being amazing and scary, from the risk to fall to the rails electricity charged, or just the speed of it that could pass to you, to the doors that just close, my backpack was stuck once and I was so scared, the crowds that are merciless, also once I almost couldn't leave the wagon cuz we were so cramp that I had to push forward and ended up falling to the floor just before the door closed and that backpack broke one string, i mean my first year on the city was so shocking. And also the peak hours you are so cramp like touching shoulders and back with people and perverts are a real risk, and then the train just stops working for like 5-20 minutes between stations due to a power outage (Latinoamérica) and you are just stuck underground with all those people until the power gets back. Yet still when it's empty or just not collapsed i feel like I'm in the future unbelieving how I can move to different districts that look like different cities, i probably sound pretty lame but I was raised in the countryside, i can't help it. Also I'm on !y 3rd year of university and I've learned how to survive in the metro and in the city

[@blackedoutreviews]

Love the inclusion of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, such a great show

[@blatherskitestudios2278]

So glad i gave the fictional city in my superhero campaign its version of the subway

[@emanuelrojas2]

It goes back as far as twirling mustache villains tying damsels to railroad tracks.

[@devinjudin2500]

The Lone Ranger and Legend of Zorro both have major train scenes in the third act. More western set films, but both feature masked vigilantes.

[@draykosanbar]

This was a fantastic video essay - it might be your best video ever. Great work.

[@carterlindstrom4831]

You asking if there is a train in my favorite superhero movie. Me confidently denying this assumption only to soon realize that yes, it does have a train scene.

[@LincolnDWard]

Which movie is it?

[@spinjitzumasterfalcon]

There's also tons of train scenes in the 2012 and 2018 versions of TMNT. Both of which use those vehicles very well in their scenes

[@toyloliSpare]

Eh. For me while "More powerful than a Locomotive" is the original bar to pass. That derives from the old movies where the heroine was strapped to tracks and had to be saved which predates comic book hero comics. Out running or rescuing from a train is Hero 101.

[@Doctor_Straing_Strange]

Ok, I love this video, incredible work, Nando. One of your best videos

[@liamhall1794]

I never thought of this but I guess there are a lot of trains in super hero movies🤔

[@DarkNomad347]

Man, what a wonderful video I never knew I needed.

[@AKAorphan]

Love the content Nando!

[@nathorpe]

This is your best work.

[@Foonsiz]

I didn’t know I needed this video until now, great work!

[@ladydimitrescu4746]

Heres the reasons i can come up with: 1) Practical. Trains are just a practical thing for filmakers to make fights on, as its small and easy to build. Simply by having a fake train as a set and having a moving digital background is super easy for filmakers to do. 2) Theatrical. Trains are very dynamic, and really help convey the fast paced action of the superhero fight scene. The rush of the train forward mimics the rush of the plot which builds tension. 3) Symbolic. Trains are somewhat symbolic of the story itself. The story must progress forward, so having the characters fight on or in a train is the most literal way of saying the plot is moving forward. Those are just my reasons.

[@floramew]

It's not a movie, but your bit in the middle reminded me of possibly my favorite superhero story in recent years: the video game World's End Club. A few different chapters took part on/with a train-- these kids are literally trying to walk from the southern tip of Japan to Tokyo, so when they find a train they can drive it helps a lot. It's a mostly deserted post apocalypse, so no power of third party trains, but inside trapped and roof battles both happen, and even a bit where the party is split because they need to decouple part of it too lose a boss they can't handle yet, and someone needs to keep the boss's attention while the cars go on separate tracks.

[@jaydenson3849]

This video is great!

[@YoungProfessorUtonium]

Train levels in video games are always fantastic as well. Interesting to see this video!

[@errorcode4858]

This is easily the best video on your Channel, and that’s high praise considering the quality of your other content. Fantastic video Nando!!

[@kszk7321]

THANK YOU !!!! I HAVE SPENT THE LAST SIX MONTHSSS THINKING ABOUT TRAINS IN, admittedly, ACTION MOVIES (and not just superhero movies, but still)

[@ExtraMichael]

Wowwwwww what a mic drop of a final line. I have chills. Great video as always

[@atquinn1975]

Was surprised to see no mention of The Matrix, which is basically a superhero movie and has its most pivotal scene in a subway station and features train action as well.

[@DavidSheftell]

This was absolutely fascinating! Thank you for this!

[@erwahl_]

Amazing deep dive Nando!

[@hug-the-raccoon]

It's amazing how deep this video is. Well done sir

[@beighss]

Enjoyed this much more than I thought I would, I now appreciate trains a lot more

[@spider-man500]

Spider-Man 2 started the trend, and is still the best one. That train scene is timeless and will never be topped.

[@samuelgeorge3407]

My man can make a super hero video about anything. This has to be one of my favorites. Bravo Nando

[@ShivamGupta-sr9zf]

This is probably one of your best works.

[@PillarofGarbage]

absolutely fantastic video!

[@steamedcheeseprod]

Hey dude, really cool video. A nice departure from the fancastings and standard movie reviews.

[@themorrislessgroup]

Great video ! Love the history and philosophy

[@thepop-culturediscussion6495]

You are quickly becoming one of my favourite youtubers with your extremely well made videos. Absolutely love them man. Keep up the great work! 😎

[@darthjoc]

Love your marvel legends collection. 🙌 Oh, the video was nice too.

[@harsyakiarraathallah2222]

the Fact that a Train was in the First Movie, No Wonder we see these kind of Train in Many Media

[@josefagomezschmeisser8356]

This was such a great analysis, i think that fight scenes to being interesting have to have a) personal stakes or b) intestring setting that adds more danger like what you mentioned in Black Panther, fight each other and the risk of the setting itself and the trains being so fast and risky in regular everyday life circumstances are like a specific kind of danger that we are familiar with feeling and relate

[@Artzera824]

increadible video

[@henrymacleod2006]

This is why Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is my favorite comic book movie

[@TeddyRen]

I can't wait for the video about bridges

[@Joenah5]

Also, trains are just cool

[@jasonshaw2065]

Dang. Great video. I won't be able to unsee the train cliche and the trolley choice cliche now.

[@fredymayhem]

It’s a little of the tizzy, we love it

[@bethwilkins9506]

11:53 I saw Daredevil once like 5 years ago but that line has been living in my head rent-free ever since.

[@Wallard_]

Nando really showing once again hes the biggest superhero fan 💪👑

[@ssjwek]

amazing video nando!

[@dedrik1461]

Beautifully constructed essay and 😂 I can't believe it took 26 minutes to get to the omni-man train scene, seconds in and I thought that's where you were going. One of my favorite runaway train scenes comes from Iron Man: Armored Adventures, it was the first train scene I saw in superhero media as a kid before I watched the incredibles and eventually Spiderman 2. I don't think I'll ever forget it. 🔥🙏🏾 Nice video

[@mateodoris6856]

I also think trains are just a stapple of action movies, and superhero movies have a lot of action in them. Westerns, and even modern-set action movies have trains just as often as superhero movies. Just watch literally almost any Liam Neeson movie

[@halorin]

This is why I sub to this channel, because Nando compares Ultron to a train.

[@marcusong4551]

Meanwhile in Japan, 5 trains combined to form a giant monster-fighting robot.

[@SandB]

Having watched so much Nando Cut it feels weird to watch a researched Nando vid