Challengers, Marty Supreme, Love Lies Bleeding and other recently released sports movies have shifted from primarily action and sports focused, to more character and relationship focused plots with morally complex lead roles. In older sports movies, the main characters and plot of the movie were almost solely focused on the sport the lead played and the issues that came with that. In newer sports movies, while the climax is typically still the “big game” at the end, the characters, and more specifically the protagonists are more complicated and human.

In older sports movies like Rocky, the protagonist is a comically butch guy who uses his physical strength to get through the main conflict of the story. While still great stories, the characters are often two dimensional or considered “under-developed” by critics. Recycling of the same old plot lines is common, which can make the movies boring to watch due to being so predictable. The characters don’t have to make very difficult decisions and their relationships with other people are less detailed and realistic. This makes them hard to dislike, but not much easier to form strong positive opinions on either. 

The 2025 movie Marty Supreme is an excellent example of the opposite: the extreme development of a deep character, delving into an athlete’s personality rather than just their ability. The main character Marty is likeable but not perfect, making a lot of mistakes over the course of the movie. While pingpong is a big part of the movie and a key character motivation for the protagonist of the film, there’s not a lot of actual game play. Marty is never portrayed as a hero in the movie but is rather learning and growing as a character, being done in a relatable and human way. This new age of sports movie is showing professional athletes in a different, more authentic light and will hopefully continue into 2026.