Saving the day: how superheroes in film are addressing imperialism and immigration

Cover Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/marvel-comics-cartoon-entertainment-1641554/?

2019 marked over a decade since the release of Iron Man, the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and the culmination of Phase 3 with the release of Avengers: Endgame. In over ten years, Marvel has produced 23 films, with a new phase of projects in the pipeline, which have been rumored to be increasingly “politically self-aware and socially conscious,” with the design to blur the lines between entertainment and the promotion of political ideas. Reflecting on pertinent societal issues such as immigration and post-colonialism, the films contribute to contemporary discourse reflecting on how imperialism has affected the histories, legacies and cultures of countries as well as express standpoints on current crises such as immigration. 

One of Marvel’s “best films to date” Thor: Ragnarok, made an impression on comic book fans and skeptics alike with its stellar cast, “sublimely silly” humour, and creative direction by Taika Waititi. But beneath the surface, Thor Ragnarok is far more than a well-crafted superhero film. Heavy symbolism is prevalent throughout the film and colonist undertones are subtle but identifiable. 

The most obvious example of this is Waititi’s decision to feature Led Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’ prominently throughout the film, reflecting not only Thor’s Norse mythological roots but also the overarching theme of the film. Indeed, depictions of Asgardians in the film subscribe to the definition of refugees as per the United Nations as individuals ‘forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence.’ At the end of the film, facing the destruction of their planet by the dominant aggressor Surtur, they are forced to flee their planet in a space ship, mirroring the ways in which Libyan refugees travel in boats bound to Europe, uncertain of their futures and likelihood of survival but hopeful that the nations they migrate to will accept them and offer sanctuary and shelter. 

In addition to this, the scene in the Asgardian throne room presents Asgard’s own imperial history and role as a colonial aggressor. The murals, literally covering up the history of Asgard and presenting a utopic image of peace and harmony are reminiscent of the tumultuous history of the “major basilica of the Byzantine Empire,” the Hagia Sophia in Turkey. The Hagia Sophia, an architectural masterpiece, was one of the most significant buildings of the Eastern Christian world for over 900 years until the invasion of Turkey by the Ottomans in 1453. This symbolised a turning point as the Hagia Sophia was converted from a Church to a Mosque. Due to the Islamic sanctions against the ‘blasphemous’ depictions of living beings and the desire to demonstrate imperialism, Christian iconography was covered up. Images of saints, angels, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, were removed or plastered over with symbols of Islamic art such as geometric shapes and names of the Islamic prophet and his family in Arabic calligraphy, much like the Asgardian murals. Furthermore, the violence inflicted by the Asgardians in order to expand their empire is also reflective of the actions of the Ottomans upon their colonisation of what was formerly known as Constantinople. 4,000 soldiers and civilians were killed during the siege of Constantinople and estimates suggest that persecution of civilians involved the deportation or enslavement of 30,000 individuals. Venetian surgeon Nicolò Barbaro’s accounts of the siege reflected that Turks “made a great slaughter of Christians through the city” while “blood flowed in the city like rainwater in the gutters after a sudden storm” much like Hela and Odin who “drowned entire civilisations in blood and tears.” 

Using these opposing images, the film uses the imperial past of the fictitious Asgard to represent colonial powers and demonstrates the experiences of refugees in contemporary news through Asgardians’ expulsion from their planet. 

Another Marvel blockbuster with perhaps more blatant political messages is Black Panther. With its 97% Rotten Tomatoes approval rating, the highest Rotten Tomatoes rating of any film in the MCU, and its widespread success at the box office, grossing over US$ 1.3 billion, the film serves as a “love letter to people of African descent all over the world” and is heavily steeped in African colonisation. As described by Carlos Rosario Gonzalez, the film navigates “what Africa means to Afro-minorities” and therefore sparks conversations about the effect of Western imperialism on African people, history, culture and societies. The antagonist of the film, Erik Killmonger, is a particularly fascinating character as he embodies the struggles of people of African descent to reconcile the Western cultures they grew up in and the African culture and customs they feel have been stripped from them. Like African Americans, Killmonger was not given the choice of growing up in his native African homeland of Wakanda and was deprived of his heritage and his people. The loss of his father, his link to Wakanda, also exacerbates his separation from Africa and reflects the sense of abandonment felt by African Americans. His journey to Wakanda reflects the trips made by black Americans to Africa who search for roots as though they are “seeking their birth parents.” All Killmonger has are stories and “fragments” which allow him to feel “close to the culture” but never completely part of it. These feelings are mirrored by African Americans who try to piece together fantasies from the tales they are grow up hearing while still being told “you are Americans. That is all.” The mistrust and suspicion with which the character is greeted upon his return to Wakanda demonstrates the mentality of he is “not one of us!” Killmonger is continually ostracised due to his accent, customs and practices which are far removed from those of the Wakandans and renders him culturally orphaned, much like African Americans today. Black Panther’s use as a political device to express African American discourse in mainstream media depicts how superhero films are increasingly rescuing society from its traditional ethnocentric and Western-dominant imagery and demonstrating the experiences and cultures of ethnic minorities.  

Themes of domination by an antagonistic villain are inherently suited to the plot devices commonly used in superhero films as they offer conflict to resolve and an enemy to overcome. The idea of a morally righteous and courageous beings with extraordinary, superhuman powers saving the day offers an idealistic and comforting solution to the cultural and social issues plaguing modern society. As such, superhero films draw on the contemporary struggles in society to weigh in on contemporary discourses and highlight the injustice and difficulties faced by individuals through imperialism, colonisation, expulsion, displacement and forced immigration and hopefully raise awareness for the plight of people across the globe.