Superhero Therapy

'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice'

'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice' released in 2016 with much original excitement and anticipation. There was a sense that this was going to be a major blockbuster for DC Entertainment, a resounding success. Of course, reality turned out to be completely different. Still, the movie went on to gross more than $873 million worldwide.

The movie, characteristic of Zack Snyder's work was culturally divisive and received very poor reviews. The Internet was abuzz with the 'Save Martha' scenes and others. Still, the film if it cannot be accepted for its literary value, despite the critical response, evidently has enormous cultural value and reveals the kind of response that everyday Americans still have to their popular superheroes. Some identify with them, others do not.

It is time, perhaps that we evaluated the place that our favorite superheroes play in American culture. Take Spider-Man for example. When it comes to superheroes, there is no surer choice than Spider-Man: the hometown favorite, the everyday hero, your average guy.

Since the 2000s, there have been three different iterations of the character, with each enjoying a measure of success and eliciting a response from the audience and at the same time, adding something new. In fact, the success of the Marvel formula since the emergence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, rests in a sense, in two essential elements: a grand over-arching story told with the latest available technology, and superheroes that every one can relate to.

The difference between Marvel and DC is that Marvel tends to focus on superheroes that the general public can relate to, whereas, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are presented as archetypes, ideals, gods and aliens that we can look up to. One, attempts to be realistic, the other, idealistic. These approaches have a measure of success, but popular opinion on these superheroes is that they play an important part in our own management of our social problems in the modern world faced technology and the environment at the interface of human development.

Fantasy

Eric Clancy, a curator who put an exhibition about superheroes at the Skirball Cultural Center told CNN:

"In the 1930s, the American Dream had become a nightmare, and I think comic books and superheroes in particular provided an escapist form of entertainment that allowed the American public to go into a fantasy world where all the ills of the world were righted by these larger-than-life heroes."

- 'People Say Superhero Films Are Helping Improve Their Mental Health', LADBible

What is the place of the superhero in contemporary American culture? Perhaps, it plays a role similar to the function it once played during the Great Depression with the transposition of the medium from print and radio to television and the cinema.

The 2010s, which were economically a difficult decade following the 2008 recession, were undoubtedly filled with great creativity as it relates to the superhero genre in the movie industry.

Certainly, Marvel dominated from beginning to end, and a film such as 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (2014) had a lot to say about the state of politics at the time, dominated by the rise of the Tea Party, the problems of ObamaCare, the menace of Isis on the international stage, and the daily opposition from the Republican Party to Barack Obama's policies.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe dominated the decade in the superhero genre and the movie industry. Some of it is due to the 'Marvel formula', which Spencer Harrison , Arne Carlsen and Miha Škerlavaj at the Harvard Business Review center around four core principles:

(1) select for experienced inexperience, (2) leverage a stable core, (3) keep challenging the formula, and (4) cultivate customers’ curiosity.

- 'Marvel's Blockbuster Machine', Harvard Business Review

Much of the formula, as they describe, is a balance between innovation and continuity. One example that the study raises, is the case of 'Black Panther' (2018).

The Marvel Cinematic Universe and its formula, succeed where in some other ways, the DC Universe does not: in forming a shared cohesive universe with realistic motivations and fantastical elements.

The Problems that the DC Universe has had, have been associated with questions about heroism, poor story-telling and the inability to communicate a coherent vision. Perhaps, also, too much concern with philosophy, though, 'Man of Steel' does attempt to grant a sci-fi feel to serious themes of alienation, xenophobia and anxiety. Though Marvel attempts to be fantastical, DC attempts to be more realistic on the big screen, a feature which, in keeping to the iconic status and the levels of power of its core super heroes does not seem to fit the treatment.

Superhero Therapy

In 1978, when 'Superman: The Movie' was released, it was with the tagline: "You'll believe a man can fly." Much of this original anticipation and relationship with the superhero genre rested on this notion of feeling childhood fantasies and appealing to our own sense of escapism. '

Superman: The Movie', though dated in the modern sense, succeeds on its earnestness and in capturing and in fact, defining the essence of the character of Superman for general audiences. It is from this movie, in fact, that the superhero genre and the comic book genre, take their initial impetus, proving that with a general formula, it is possible to appeal to the public.

We can only reflect on the impact that our childhood heroes have had on our upbringing. Children are brought up, regularly wearing Superman, Wonder Woman or Spider-Man and Iron Man t-shirts on a daily basis and wearing their favorite superheroes' costumes at birthday parties.

If we reflect on their importance, we can only note that superheroes due to our familiarity with them, have an importance on our mental health, by making us believe that we, too, can be superheroes.

Huffington Post's Alicia Raimundo, makes some important parallels between people suffering with a mental illness, and superheroes with civilian identities:

"Much like the story of Spider-Man, I found myself battling my own personal villains. And I had a lot of personal villains: self-hate, anxiety, body issues, an eating disorder, depression, suicidal ideation."

'People Say Superhero Films Are Helping Improve Their Mental Health', LADBible

Alicia sees Iron Man as a model to emulate after his actions at the end of the film in 2008.

"Tony Stark is asked to deny that he is Iron Man and even has an ably written up for him to present at a press conference," she wrote. "He approaches the podium to a wave of reporter questions, sits down and says, 'Yes , I am Iron Man' and walks off.

"This simple movie scene has inspired me to be confident with my journey and whatever new mental health struggles come my way."

'People Say Superhero Films Are Helping Improve Their Mental Health', LADBible

This process of identification with superheroes and using their fictional actions as a model to manage mental illness, is being called in the world of psychology as Superhero Therapy.

Does It Work?

This process of psychological identification is particular of the childhood wish-fulfillment that we are supposed to have abandoned at some point during our teenage years, or perhaps, adulthood.

Should we believe ourselves superheroes in order to address insurmountable problems?

The evidence is that, at some point in our lives, in America, we abandon our wish-fulfillment stage and the beliefs in fairy tales, ghosts and monsters, as a furnishing part of our everyday experience. In some respects, humans do need hope and escapism does in some way, fulfill that function.

If tragic events inspired by comic book infatuation have shown us, it is that, we are never completely immune to pathologies, delusions and violence. We must always remember that entertainment is a means to put a temporary pause on the activities of our daily lives and not instead, replace their experience with something that is in fact, fictional.