With Disney+ releasing more information on upcoming Marvel shows and 2020 seeming like the rise of female heroes, I took a step back from my excitement to reflect on just how much these heroes have affected my life.
My love for comics and superhero movies started off at a young age, I was a comic book nerd, I got really into Batman and the Marvel universe. These superheroes were just really cool. They had interesting origin stories and complex villains, and just following their stories was hard for me not to do. I was a young teen when the Marvel Cinematic Universe really got started and watching these heroes go from comics to the big screen was a whole different experience.
Watching the Avengers save the world while also learning how to deal with their own personal problems was something that hit close to home. Seeing Iron Man’s past story of a troubled home life or Black Widow’s tragic and tortured past before even becoming an Avenger showed me that even the strongest characters go through their own issues.
Being a depressed and anxious teenager who didn’t know how to deal with the stress of everything changing, I was scared and felt so small, but then it hit me. I asked myself, “What’s the difference between me and them?” I pushed away the obvious examples like not being a billionaire or an alien from outer space with intense powers. If you take away those factors, everyone becomes personified.
We all face tough situations and hard life issues. These heroes got up and brushed themselves off, fight after fight. They got hurt and knocked down to their lowest points but still found the courage and strength to keep going. It was never easy, and it took time, acceptance and determination, but they did it. That’s something I- and many people out there- had to learn. In order to grow, I needed to learn how to forgive myself and keep fighting even if it felt pointless. I’m human- I still have flaws and issues but knowing I’m not the only one. Having these characters to look up to makes everything easier.
Just because I don’t have powers, doesn’t mean I can’t help or save myself.