Syd Field | Q&A Notes: "Creating Super Hero Characters"

From the Webinar Archives of Syd Field The Art of Visual Storytelling.
Q: Rodrigo asks, “Can these rules also be applied to superhero characters or is there something different for super heroes?”
A: Well, what is a superhero? I mean, how would you define a superhero, Rodrigo? Would you say someone-a superhero is a character unafraid of death, who shows no fear, who does larger-than-life actions or reactions. Is that how you describe a superhero? Could be like “X Men,” for example. They’re all super heroes.
Or could be like various other movies. The “Rocky” film was a superhero.
You also have Batman. You have Superman. These are characters who are larger than life. And I would say that what you do is to create a character, like Chris Nolan does in “Batman,” and then you put him or her into situations which are larger than life, and then your character becomes a superhero. That’s what cartoon characters and comic book figures are. So the rules are also applied to super heroes. So the answer to your question, Rodrigo, is a definite “yes.”