New research reveals New Jerseys top superhero choice has changed

The 21st Century has seen a shift in pop culture thanks to the rise in popularity of comic book-based movies and tv shows. While characters like Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and Hulk have enjoyed decades of mainstream popularity, the last 30 years have elevated the recognition for many more superheroes and their contrasting villains.

In 2026, some of the biggest movies and streaming shows involve characters originating from Marvel and DC Comics. There is plenty of internet buzz and anticipation for movies such as Spiderman: Brand New Day, Supergirl, and Avengers: Doomsday.

On streaming, Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is the most-watched show on Disney+ in 2026, and HBO Max series Lanterns has plenty of interest when it debuts this summer. Nicholas Cage is the star of the upcoming Spider-Noir show coming to Amazon Prime, and X-Men: 97 Season 2 looks to build on the wildly popular season one.

In fact, 15 of the 60 Highest Grossing Movies of All-Time (25 percent) are comic-book-based films

The research team at OVID set out to learn who are the most popular comic-book characters in the United States. With the ever-changing landscape for pop culture and understanding regional popularity, these types of surveys give us plenty of information.

Overall, Marvel Comics characters are more popular than DC, with 76 percent of Americans favoring Marvel over DC. Even though two of the most famous Superheros are published by DC (Superman and Batman), Marvel has exploded in popularity over the last 25 years with seven of the Top 25 highest-grossing movies featuring Marvel characters.

The numbers are a lot closer when you measure individual comic book characters favorited state-by-state. 28 states favorite Superhero is from Marvel, and 22 States favorite is from DC.

New Jersey Has Switched from Marvel to DC in 2026

In recent years, researchers found that New Jersey residents' favorite superhero was previously Marvel Comics' Daredevil. The character's popularity has risen over the last 10 years since the debut of the streaming show, first on Netflix and revived on Disney+.

But the OVID Team has discovered there is a new favorite Superhero in New Jersey, and its actually a switch from Marvel to DC. NJ was one of four states whose favorite superhero is Batgirl.

Originally debuted in 1960s DC Comics, Batgirl was a character added to the world of Batman at the request of television executives. The Batman live-action TV series needed a ratings boost, so DC agreed to debut Batgirl in the comic books concurrent with her introduction for the TV show.

In the decades since, Batgirl has become a key member of DC Comics "Bat Family" with different fictional women putting on the mask to fight crime. In recent years, Batgirl has seen a resurgence in popularity due to new comic book storylines, and the inclusion of the character in different animated shows and movies.

New Jersey is also one of 14 states whose favorite comic book villain is The Joker. The archnemesis of Batman, The Joker is the most popular villian in 28 percent of the United States followed by another Batman villian, Bane (18 percent).

Did you know that Batman and his fictional city under his protection, Gotham City, are located in New Jersey? Here is the full list of most famous fictional characters who are based in The Garden State: