For both fans and non-fans alike, American superheroes are a ubiquitous presence in the media. It is near impossible to not hear news of the latest superhero flick, whether it is from TV, the internet, or simply through word-of-mouth. The immense popularity of the genre, or rather business, is demonstrated by the financial successes enjoyed by the two titans of American superhero comics: Marvel and DC. One case being Marvel’s “The Avengers,” which surpassed $1 billion in just less than three weeks – the series went on to achieve further box office smashes with “Infinity War” and “Endgame.”
Via its vast collection of stories and vibrant characters, Marvel has garnered global attention to its array of iconic superheroes. Although superheroes have existed in pop culture for decades, the public never appears to get tired of them. Despite ongoing discussions that the genre is becoming outdated or that there just seems to be “too many superheroes,” the culture and its popularity prevail to this day. This unceasing demand can be possibly understood when viewed through a modern sociopolitical framework.
One common feature of essentially all superhero films (regardless of whether they are from Marvel or DC) is the helplessness or complete uselessness of the police. This is constantly seen in scenarios where superheroes jump into action just as the police are rendered powerless by the villains. After all, this is what proves the heroism of the superheroes: getting the job done with abilities that others do not possess. Such scenes also have an entertaining purpose, as audiences get to enjoy the spectacle of more powerful forces subduing enemies; a major fantasy element that makes superheroes so alluring. But when viewing this trope through modern lenses, it makes sense why superheroes are shown to be above the police.
For long, America has had issues with police brutality. From the Ferguson Riots of 2014-2015 and the most recent Black Lives Matter protests that took place in 2020, the problem has long remained and continues to flare. For the black community especially, the police are far from being protectors but an absolute menace. Even as people protested the corruption within the police department, few changes have actually been made. In the Ferguson Riots, for instance, the grand jury had decided not to indict the police officer responsible for shooting Michael Brown. As for the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 following multiple deaths of black civilians, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, clashes continued as the police further suppressed protestors with violence. In America, the police have a well-established reputation for being corrupt, violent, bigoted, and unresponsive to civilians. Thus, this is possibly one of the factors that contribute to the admiration and hope towards superheroes; reflecting the desire for an outside force of justice and tremendous power to combat an evil that the police are unable to combat.
Another modern factor can be attributed to the growing rise of the alt-right or authoritarianism worldwide. With Donald Trump as perhaps the most conspicuous head of state, numerous world leaders have been recently showing concerning signs of fascist-like behavior, including the suppression of freedom of speech, ruthless attacks against critics, and support for militarism. China’s Xi Jinping has tightened control over Hong Kong as protestors continue to demand for democracy, while Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil has openly denied that there was a fire in the Amazon forest, in spite of the amount of incriminating evidence that the forest was rapidly being razed to the ground. With such untrustworthy figures in power, as well as their ignorance for obvious problems at hand, it is not difficult to feel a sense of hopelessness or futility as very little changes are made – protests are crushed while leaders increasingly become numb to criticism. Perhaps this is another key reason why superheroes continue to enthrall audiences: when all seems at loss, we turn to our imagination, hoping for a force of good to overcome such insurmountable problems.