Superhero Movie Posters That Used the Exact Same ‘Floating Head’ Design Template (Way to Be Original, Hollywood)

In many ways, superhero movie posters are an art form in themselves. Aside from the trailer for a particular film, these posters are undoubtedly the most effective way to market a movie. After all, a unique, well-thought-out movie poster can make anyone stop and look twice. From capturing the imagination in a single image to creating instant Hollywood iconography, posters are a powerful marketing tool.

But have you ever looked at a movie poster and thought to yourself, “Why does this look so familiar?” Well, you’re not alone. As one Twitter user astutely pointed out, most movie posters all look the same these days.

It’s true that the “floating head” poster design template has become commonplace these days, with the heads of actors copied and pasted into a one-sheet. Contrary to popular belief, this design goes back decades. The first memorable “floating head” posters came from Drew Struzan’s indelible designs for the original Star Wars trilogy. 

But with the popularization of photo editing software, the “floating head” template became ubiquitous in movie poster marketing campaigns. Instead of hiring an artist to carefully paint a poster design for them, studios could now just take boring stock photos of actors and photoshop them against any background.

Especially with the rise of superhero movies and the MCU, this practice has become standard for many modern tentpole movies. Here are 10 movie posters that used the exact same “floating head” design template.

Cover Photo: Marvel Studios