How Black Panther Continues To Deconstruct The Superhero Genre

The Future Of Superhero Movies

Though it’s difficult to be fully specific because of our proximity to these films and times, we can easily compare the uneasy truths that our superheroes have faced to many of our own. The realization that there weren’t nuclear weapons in Iraq. The release of damaging, classified documents from WikiLeaks. The recent scandals involving some of our favorite figures in the film industry. All of these cases have cast their respective institutions and members in a decidedly dubious light. We ask: how can we trust them now? And, were they always so?

Coupled with this are certain groups and individuals looking to emulate the past and “make things great again” in the face of new threats and challenges. Therefore, with plots such as Wakanda’s murderous enforcement of lies, Asgard’s colonization of the stars and Ego’s insidious masculinity, superhero movies seem to be asking some pertinent questions. Is our nostalgia – our love of conventions and institutions – truly justified? Based on their experiences, T’Challa, Thor and maybe even Star-Lord would probably argue not.

Moreover, the way in which Black Panther and his fellow heroes hold their traditional centers of power to a greater degree of accountability is very significant. T’Challa’s respect for some Wakandan traditions – and his rejection of outmoded ones – is a reflection of how we’re currently re-conceptualizing Western culture and society.

Superheroes have long fought to progress social justice in the pages of their comics. The newest batch of movies takes this fight one step further – to the problematic sources within our mindsets and the establishment. The superhero genre is already set to continue for some time. Therefore, in the wake of Black Panther’s success, it’s going to be very interesting to see how our notions of super-heroism and super-villainy evolve even further still.