Not that I'm trying to view everything in the world through the lens of U.S politics, but it just occurred to me as I was dishing in yet another BvS thread, thinking about "liberal press" Clark Kent vs "brutal street justice" Bruce Wayne: most of the MCU heroes would be either mostly conservative, or largely unconcerned, with U.S. Politics. Am I right that a U.S. liberal looking to find an analog hero in the MCU reflecting their values had none, up until Black Panther?
Iron-Man: Tony definitely had an eye-opening experience when it comes to weapons-dealing and American foreign policy, and a character turnaround as a result. But he remains a "billionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist" funding grants at MIT, yes? His is the futurist, the capitalist, and those who share that worldview find him as their analog among the Avengers.
Captain America: Almost a walking ideation of the best of old-fashioned American ideals, cap is committed to liberty and equal opportunity and somehow missing a lot of the ugly racist or sexist aspects of people from the period, ostensibly due to his own time as "the little guy." However he's pretty clear that "there's only one God, ma'am," helping old-fashioned Christian conservatives to find some analog among the heroes.
Thor: Largely unconcerned. Does this make him an analog for viewers also largely unconcerned, who consider political squabbles "tiny, and petty"?
Hulk: Bruce Banner might actually be the best bet for the only liberal MCU hero before BP, but I don't recall him ever saying anything to reveal his political leanings. Do you?
Black Widow/Hawkeye/Nick Fury: I don't know guys: spy-games, wide-scale surveillance, super-secret organizations with super-secret heli-carriers, etc. etc. If not conservative, than at least unconcerned with a lot of liberal concerns. Not sure if these characters functioned as analogs for a military audience as much as, say, Michael Bay shamelessly created in his Transformers series, though.
Spider-Man: Still figuring it all out. Perfect analog for kids doing the same.
Black Panther starts out largely unconcerned with U.S Politics, and in fact the world at large, introduced as more isolated and xenophobic. Killmonger is introduced as a revolutionary radical hiding within a conservative military, with a damned good point about Wakanda's values, to which T'Challa listens. At the end of the movie he adopts a more liberal stance, beginning to focus on creating opportunity and social reform with his nation's resources.
What do you think, am I way off-base here? The movies are largely apolitical, up until Black Panther, as well. Is being liberal and apolitical largely antithetical? Whatever the case, I was very glad to see audiences voting with their wallets in support of Black Panther, I loved what the movie had to say.
Iron-Man: Tony definitely had an eye-opening experience when it comes to weapons-dealing and American foreign policy, and a character turnaround as a result. But he remains a "billionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist" funding grants at MIT, yes? His is the futurist, the capitalist, and those who share that worldview find him as their analog among the Avengers.
Captain America: Almost a walking ideation of the best of old-fashioned American ideals, cap is committed to liberty and equal opportunity and somehow missing a lot of the ugly racist or sexist aspects of people from the period, ostensibly due to his own time as "the little guy." However he's pretty clear that "there's only one God, ma'am," helping old-fashioned Christian conservatives to find some analog among the heroes.
Thor: Largely unconcerned. Does this make him an analog for viewers also largely unconcerned, who consider political squabbles "tiny, and petty"?
Hulk: Bruce Banner might actually be the best bet for the only liberal MCU hero before BP, but I don't recall him ever saying anything to reveal his political leanings. Do you?
Black Widow/Hawkeye/Nick Fury: I don't know guys: spy-games, wide-scale surveillance, super-secret organizations with super-secret heli-carriers, etc. etc. If not conservative, than at least unconcerned with a lot of liberal concerns. Not sure if these characters functioned as analogs for a military audience as much as, say, Michael Bay shamelessly created in his Transformers series, though.
Spider-Man: Still figuring it all out. Perfect analog for kids doing the same.
Black Panther starts out largely unconcerned with U.S Politics, and in fact the world at large, introduced as more isolated and xenophobic. Killmonger is introduced as a revolutionary radical hiding within a conservative military, with a damned good point about Wakanda's values, to which T'Challa listens. At the end of the movie he adopts a more liberal stance, beginning to focus on creating opportunity and social reform with his nation's resources.
What do you think, am I way off-base here? The movies are largely apolitical, up until Black Panther, as well. Is being liberal and apolitical largely antithetical? Whatever the case, I was very glad to see audiences voting with their wallets in support of Black Panther, I loved what the movie had to say.
