Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 9 p.m.

Repeats Thursday, Aug. 27, at 2 a.m.

For more than a decade, one genre of movie has stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of box office receipts, media hype and star power. RISE OF THE SUPERHEROES analyzes how superhero movies, once thought to be too campy and mainly for children, have taken over Hollywood and produced smash hit after smash hit.

As the film delves into the past decade of superhero flicks, it explores the factors that are making these movies the highest-grossing.

While the 1990s relied on stand-alone epics based on books or historical events, audiences now enjoy the escapism and cutting-edge special effects that a modern superhero movie can provide.

It also doesn’t hurt that the kids who grew up reading comics are now older and have more money to spend.