Overview

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the most expansive and widely viewed fictional narrative in the history of cinema. In 2009, Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, including its subsidiary film production company, Marvel Studios. Since then, the MCU—the collection of multimedia Marvel Studios products that share a single fictional storyline—has grown from two feature films to thirty interconnected movies, nine streaming Disney+ series, a half dozen short films, and more than thirty print titles. By 2022, eight of the twenty-five highest grossing films of all time are MCU movies.The MCU is a deeply political universe. Intentionally or not, the MCU sends fans scores of messages about a wide range of subjects related to government, public policy, and society. Some are overt, like the contentious debate about government and accountability at the heart of Captain America: Civil War. More often, however, the politics of the MCU are subtle, like the changing role of women from supporting characters (like Black Widow in Iron Man 2) to leading heroes (like Black Widow in Black Widow). The MCU is not only a product of contemporary politics, but many of its stories seem to be direct responses to the problems of the day. Racial injustice, environmental catastrophe, and political misinformation are not just contemporary social ills; they are also key thematic elements of recent MCU blockbusters. In The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, more than twenty-five leading scholars examine these complex themes. Part one explores how political issues are depicted in the origin stories; part two examines how the MCU depicts classic political themes like government and power; and part three explores questions of diversity and representation in the MCU. The volume’s various chapters examine a wide range of topics: Black Panther and the “racial contract,” Captain America and the political philosophy of James Madison, Dr. Strange and colonial imperialism, S.H.I.E.L.D. and civil-military relations, Spider-Man and environmentalism, and Captain Marvel and second-wave feminism. The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the first book to look expansively at politics in the MCU and ask the question, “What lessons are this entertainment juggernaut teaching audiences about politics, society, power, gender, and inequality?”

Full Product Details

Author:   Nicholas Carnes ,  Lilly J. Goren
Publisher:   University Press of Kansas
Imprint:   University Press of Kansas
Dimensions:   Width: 15.10cm , Height: 2.70cm , Length: 22.80cm
Weight:   0.363kg
ISBN:  

9780700633883

ISBN 10:   070063388
Pages:   456
Publication Date:   30 December 2022
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available  
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Table of Contents

Foreword, Steve Rogers Acknowledgments 1. An Introduction to the Politics of the Marvel Cinematic University, Nicholas Carnes and Lilly J. Goren Part One Origin Stories 2. Building Worlds: Three Paths toward Racial Justice in Black Panther, Allison Rank and Heather Pool 3. Tony Stark and the Classical Heroism of the Marvel Cinema Universe, Ari Kohen 4. Endurance in Marvel Cinema: Letting Go of Compulsory Overcoming in Superhero Stories, Anna Daily 5. Captain America vs. James Madison, Christopher J. Galdieri 6. “:Operation: Rebirth” and the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Origin Stories as Founding Narratives, Ronald J. Schmidt, Jr. 7. Nostalgia, Nationalism, and Marvel Superheroics, Lilly J. GorenPart Two With Great Power 8. Government as the Bad Guy?, Nicholas Carnes 9. Democratic Monstrosity: Marvel’s Avengers and Extraordinary Politics, Elizabeth Barringer 10. Strange Sovereignty: Fantasies of Supremacy and Coloniality in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Matthew Longo 11. Civilian Control of Superheroes: Applying What We Know from Civil-Military Relations, Stephen M. Saideman 12. Environmentalism and the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Spider-Man: Far from Home as a Cautionary Tale, Nancy J. Hirschmann 13. Marvel Cinematic Universe Villains and Social Anxieties, Haoyang Wang and Christina Zhang Part Three An Expanding Universe 14. Wrestling with Power and Pleasure: Black Widow and the Warrior Women of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Linda Beail 15. From “Grrrl Power” to “She’s Got Help”:: Captain Marvel as the Superhero of Second-Wave Feminism, Kristin Kanthank 16. Vulnerable Heroines: Gendering Violence in Jessica Jones, Menaka Philips 17. “I Know My Value”: Agency in the Prime-Time Network Portrayan of Peggy Carter, Christina Fattore 18. Men and Supermen: Gender and (Over)Compensation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dan Cassino 19. Deep in Marvel’s Closet: Heteronormativity and Hidden LGBTQ+ Narratives in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Patricia C. Rodda 20. Avengers, Assemblage, Danielle Hanley 21. Female Combatants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ora Szekely 22. Who Watches the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Race, Sex, and the Audience for Onscreen Diversity, Bethany Lacina 23. Geopolitical Representations of Africa through the Marvel Cinematic Lens, Meghan S. Sanders Part Four Conclusion 24. “You’ve Become Part of a Bigger Universe” Plurality, Public Things, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jennifer Forestal Afterwords Afterword One: How Marvel Studios Makes a Universe, Carlee Goldberg Afterword Two: Classical Dramatic Structure: A Primer on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Matthew L. Free Film List List of Contributors References Index

Reviews

The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a fantastic collection that deeply explores the connections between this fictionalized world and our own. The wide variety of scholarly perspectives represented in this book means it will be a great resource both for scholars of popular culture as well as those looking for a text they can use in their courses.--William D. Adler, associate professor of political science, Northeastern Illinois University

The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a fantastic collection that deeply explores the connections between this fictionalized world and our own. The wide variety of scholarly perspectives represented in this book means it will be a great resource both for scholars of popular culture as well as those looking for a text they can use in their courses. --William D. Adler, associate professor of political science, Northeastern Illinois University

Author Information

Nicholas Carnes is Creed C. Black Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at Duke University.Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science and chair of the Department of History, Political Science, and Religious Studies at Carroll University.

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