I've been thinking a lot about Superman lately.
Normally, that might seem like a strange thing to say, but let me explain. It's no secret that, in recent years, superheroes and comic books have made a massive resurgence (starting especially in 2008 with the release of Marvel's "Iron Man"). So I've found myself wondering why superheroes have remained relevant for now 80 years since their creation and why now, of all times, they're so culturally important again.
I'm probably going to linger on our favorite Man of Steel for a little while, so bear with me.
Superman is often thought of as the world's first superhero (though technically second if you count Lee Falk's The Phantom) as he debuted in 1938, against the darkness of World War II. While he had less of a strict moral code at his debut than he would later develop, he still served the very basic function of: "stop bad guys, save people," which, if I'd be so bold, is reflective of the cultural attitudes at the time. Even now, most people, especially Americans, boil World War II down to Good vs Evil and stopping that evil no matter what. By the early 1940s, he was placed even more definitively in the hero role, coincidentally right around the time the United States entered WW2.
From then on, Superman became, more or less, what the world thinks of him as: the epitome of kindness and morality, the "boy scout." Looking at world events from the point on, he grew to be exactly what people needed at that time: an unwavering light that things like the Cold War, Vietnam War, etc. were looking to snuff out for so long.
And then we have the highly controversial contemporary interpretations of the world's greatest hero. In recent years, DC Comics has introduced some interpretations of Superman of which not everyone has been incredibly fond.
In a recent run of multiple DC comics titled "Truth," Clark Kent loses both his powers and secret identity, bringing him down from his classic near-perfect self to someone human, someone on street-level with the rest of humanity. In a purposeful reflection of the world today, Clark finds himself in the middle of a potential clash between police and protesters, standing with the people of Metropolis even when things turn violent. Even without powers, Superman remains a man of the people.
Perhaps the most divisive example of a new interpretation of Superman is in Zack Snyder's films "Man of Steel" and "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," the first two films in DC's Extended Universe. In both films, this version of Superman (played by Henry Cavill) has received criticism for not being the unwavering character he has been in the past. Instead, Snyder gave us a character who's heavily conflicted about his purpose in the world, a character trying to do the right thing in a realistic world that may not view him favorably. While I understand the criticisms, I'm also totally on board with the purpose of making Superman this way. To me, it makes him more relatable and personable than, perhaps, he ever has been before. I feel like everyone can relate to wanting to be a good person in a world that seems to be trying its hardest to work against you. Especially with recent events.
On the topic of relatability, I'll make a shift to another another popular character right now: Captain America. In short, his recent stories within Marvel's Cinematic Universe have shown him much in the same boat as the DCEU's Superman: trying to do his best in a world that may not let him. In "Captain America: Winter Soldier," we also see Steve Rogers trying to adjust to a world he no longer recognizes, which everyone has experienced at some point in their lives. Then, in "Captain America: Civil War," we see him struggling to do what he thinks is right even in the face of violence and law enforcement.
Since day one, superheroes have grown and adjusted as culture and the world itself did, going from a simple protagonist/antagonist ideology at their origin, to something more hopeful as the world grew darker during the Cold War. And now, superheroes and comic book characters as a whole are arguably the most human they've ever been, working to be the best they can be in a world that makes it as difficult as possible. Perhaps that's why these characters and their stories remain culturally relevant. These "American Mythologies," as a professor I once had called them, continue to evolve for new audiences, retaining the same basic principles while making adjustments to the ever-changing world.
