The Only Superhero Movie to Go Full Steampunk Is a Peak-Era Achievement

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Superheroes and steampunk aesthetics seem like a natural fit, but they haven’t often combined in movies. While there are a few examples – like the 1980s-inspired The Rocketeer and the poorly received 2010 Jonah Hex, which included some steampunk touches – these two styles generally haven’t mixed. A notable exception is the film Wild Wild West, which embraced the steampunk genre and expanded on it in its popular 2008 sequel.

It wasn’t a shock to see steampunk elements in Guillermo Del Toro’s 2004 film, as he’s consistently shown a fascination with steam-powered technology, gears, and intricate mechanisms throughout his career – from his earlier works to his recent films like Frankenstein. However, he truly embraced the steampunk aesthetic in that particular movie, and it remains perhaps the most affectionate and detailed exploration of the genre in his entire body of work.

Del Toro Was a Die-Hard Fan of the Hellboy Comics Before Making the Movies

Following the success of the Marvel Comics adaptation Blade II in 2002, Del Toro chose to continue working with comic book material. However, his next project was much more meaningful to him than the Blade sequel. He was determined to adapt — a comic series he’d been a longtime fan of — for the big screen.

It’s easy to understand why Del Toro loved Mignola’s work. Both artists shared similar inspirations – classic Gothic stories, thrilling pulp fiction, horror, folklore, history, and a deep passion for monsters. Del Toro was a huge fan of Mignola’s dark, atmospheric stories about a demon who unexpectedly became a hero, working for a secret agency that investigates the paranormal. He immediately knew who should play the lead role: Ron Perlman.

By then, Perlman had become something of a good luck charm for Del Toro, having appeared in his films Cronos and Blade II, and they had developed a strong working relationship. However, Perlman wasn’t yet a well-established leading actor in Hollywood, which made it hard to convince a big studio to fund a large-scale project with him as the star.

I remember Guillermo del Toro being absolutely certain Doug Jones was the perfect Hellboy. He just knew Doug could bring a real heart and humor to the character, even hidden under all that incredible makeup. Thankfully, Guillermo convinced everyone, and Doug gave the performance of a lifetime! He became Hellboy – a surprisingly relatable guy who loved cats, enjoyed a good cigar, and just happened to solve supernatural mysteries while dealing with a giant stone hand and, you know, the potential apocalypse.

I remember when the first Hellboy movie came out – it did pretty well at the box office, bringing in almost $100 million worldwide despite a $60 million budget. But honestly, it really found its audience when it hit DVD. Everyone I knew was renting it or picking up the special edition. Then, a few years later in 2006, when Universal took over distribution from Columbia, they announced a sequel! Hellboy II: The Golden Army finally arrived in theaters on July 11th, 2008, and it was totally worth the wait.

The movie received even better reviews this time, appearing on several critics’ year-end Top 10 lists. It also performed much better at the box office, earning $168.3 million. However, its success was quickly overshadowed by the release of the hugely popular film, The Dark Knight, the following week.

The Steampunk Influences in Both Hellboy Movies Are Huge

The first Hellboy movie is a thrilling, old-fashioned adventure with a touch of cosmic horror, but director Guillermo del Toro still manages to showcase his fondness for steampunk. This is evident in the detailed set designs and, most notably, in the character of Karl Ruprecht Kroenen – a frightening undead Nazi whose body is filled with gears, cogs, and clockwork parts. While Kroenen was a simpler character in the original comics, del Toro reimagined him with a disturbing backstory centered around a dangerous obsession with surgery, including the removal of his eyelids and lips.

While watching Hellboy II, it’s easy to feel like director Guillermo del Toro really went all-out with the steampunk aesthetic, perhaps feeling he hadn’t fully explored it in the first film. The movie also introduces a new member to the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense team, alongside Hellboy, Liz Sherman, and Abe Sapian: Johan Krauss. He’s a psychic spirit who exists within a special suit that gives him a human form and stops him from fading away.

I love how Guillermo del Toro really brought Krauss to life! Like he did with Kroenen, he gave Krauss this amazing steampunk vibe. His suit totally reminded me of those old-fashioned diving suits from the late 1800s – you could almost imagine him stepping out of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. But it was also super creepy, with that fishbowl helmet and steam puffing out where his mouth should be. It was such a cool and unsettling design!

It’s significant that Krauss is portrayed as an “ectoplasmic” spirit, as ectoplasm was central to the spiritualism movement of the late 1800s. This period, while marked by rapid technological progress and societal shifts that inspired steampunk, also saw evolving views on religion and what happens after death.

In the past, many people claiming to have psychic abilities said they produced a substance called ectoplasm during trances, believing it was a form of spiritual energy. Some described this ectoplasm as a thick, jelly-like material – one spiritualist even called it “a viscous, gelatinous substance.”

Introducing the Titular Golden Army is Where Del Toro Went FULL Steampunk

Bringing Doug Jones as Krauss instantly gave Hellboy II a much stronger steampunk feel than the first movie. However, the Golden Army itself is central to the film’s steampunk identity. These incredibly detailed, clockwork-powered robots, created by a goblin blacksmith to stop a war between humans and magical creatures like elves, fairies, and trolls, perfectly embody the ‘fantasy steampunk’ aesthetic.

The movie truly comes alive during its incredible finale when Guillermo del Toro showcases the fantastic fairy tale army. Seeing Hellboy and his team fight the awakened hordes – creatures that have been asleep for thousands of years – is a stunning visual experience. But the film also begins with a gorgeous animated prologue, set to a soothing narration by John Hurt as Professor Bruttenholm reading a bedtime story to young Hellboy. That opening sequence alone makes the movie worth seeing.

Because Hellboy II: The Golden Army relied heavily on real-world effects rather than computer animation, the film’s fantastical creatures and environments weren’t created digitally. Instead, the production team painstakingly crafted the ‘Golden Army’ as physical statues and even life-sized models, utilizing practical effects like makeup, puppets, and performers in elaborate costumes.

Del Toro considered the Golden Army the most difficult aspect of the film to create. Because these creatures had rigid, hard shells, making them move realistically was a huge challenge. It took three designers eight months just to figure out the mechanics of their movement. Del Toro explained they meticulously designed every joint and component, ensuring that ‘every nut and every bolt makes sense,’ and laughed about the level of detail.

Looking back, Guillermo del Toro absolutely nailed his vision for Hellboy II: The Golden Army. He really shifted the series from straight-up horror into a much richer, darker fantasy world, drawing heavily on folklore and myth. And the steampunk elements? Nothing else in the superhero genre even came close at the time. It’s funny, though, because now it feels like something special from a different time. Soon after, the MCU’s style of CGI-driven blockbusters took over, and we lost some of that unique, personal touch that Del Toro brought to the table.

Currently, this film stands as a career highlight for the Oscar-winning director and a prime example of a filmmaking style rarely seen today. It’s truly unfortunate that he never had the chance to create the frequently discussed third installment, which likely would have…

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Gears, Demons, and Golden Machines: Test Your Hellboy Steampunk Knowledge!
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2026-02-06 04:11