Any way you look at the last 25 years in film, there’s no denying that superhero movies have been a vital part of 21st-century big screen entertainment. Many refer to the release of “Iron Man” in 2008 as the official kickoff of what would become the moneymaking engine that resulted in a steady stream of blockbusters,

“‘F1’ is going to be Apple’s biggest release at the box office by far,” says David A. Gross, who runs the FranchiseRe movie consulting firm. “This film looks like the successful business model Apple has envisioned and wanted to execute for several years.”