Same here. Also true of my superhero-obsessed eldest son (he's now 20). He first saw this one when he was four. He watched for two and a half hours on the sofa, in total silence, utterly captivated (even though I expect some of it went over his head at that age). Then, as the end credits rolled, he burst into tears. I asked him why, and he said: "Because it's finished."

I think watching this for the first time was something of a religious experience for him! He went on to be a huge fan of other superhero films - especially the Raimi Spider-Man films, the X-Men films, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, and of course, the MCU (I took him to the cinema to see all of the latter, from the first Thor film onwards, and Captain America in particular made a similar impression to that of Superman).

Anyway, I'll now read the rest of your article. :)