The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe PDF Author: Nicholas Carnes
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 070063388X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 436

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Book Description
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?”

The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe PDF Author: Nicholas Carnes
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 070063388X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 436

Get Book Here

Book Description
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?”

Avengers Assemble!

Avengers Assemble! PDF Author: Terence McSweeney
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231851227
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 527

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Book Description
We are living in the age of the superhero and we cannot deny it. Avengers Assemble! is a vibrant and theoretically informed interrogation of one of the defining and most financially successful film franchises of the new millennium. In the first single-authored monograph on the topic of the Marvel cinematic universe, Terence McSweeney asks, "Why has the superhero genre reemerged so emphatically in recent years?" In an age where people have stopped going to the cinema as frequently as they used to, they returned to it in droves for the superhero film. What is it about these films that has resonated with audiences all around the globe? Are they just disposable pop culture artifacts or might they have something interesting to say about the fears and anxieties of the world we live in today? Beginning with Iron Man in 2008, this study provocatively explores both the cinematic and the televisual branches of the series across ten dynamic and original chapters from a diverse range of critical perspectives which analyse their status as an embodiment of the changing industrial practices of the blockbuster film and their symbolic potency as affective cultural artifacts that are profoundly immersed in the turbulent political climate of their era.

Religion and Myth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Religion and Myth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe PDF Author: Michael D. Nichols
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476681597
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 209

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Book Description
Breaking box office records, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has achieved an unparalleled level of success with fans across the world, raising the films to a higher level of narrative: myth. This is the first book to analyze the Marvel output as modern myth, comparing it to epics, symbols, rituals, and stories from world religious traditions. This book places the exploits of Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther, and the other stars of the Marvel films alongside the legends of Achilles, Gilgamesh, Arjuna, the Buddha, and many others. It examines their origin stories and rites of passage, the monsters, shadow-selves, and familial conflicts they contend with, and the symbols of death and the battle against it that stalk them at every turn. The films deal with timeless human dilemmas and questions, evoking an enduring sense of adventure and wonder common across world mythic traditions.

Phase Three: Marvel's Captain America: Civil War

Phase Three: Marvel's Captain America: Civil War PDF Author: Alex Irvine
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0316314099
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 143

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Book Description
Marvel's Captain America: Civil War pits hero against hero! Captain America and Iron Man lead two teams of heroes in a clash that will change the course of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following the record-breaking success of Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the First Avenger will jump into his next big screen solo adventure on May 6, 2016 in Marvel's Captain America: Civil War! Inspired by a classic Marvel comics storyline, the third cinematic Captain America adventure will put Cap against his fellow Avenger, Iron Man. Chris Evans will reprise his role as Captain America, joined by Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Chadwick Boseman (42, Get On Up) as the Black Panther, a character who will make his big screen debut in the film.

Assembling the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Assembling the Marvel Cinematic Universe PDF Author: Julian C. Chambliss
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476664188
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
The Marvel Cinematic Universe--comprised of films, broadcast television and streaming series and digital shorts--has generated considerable fan engagement with its emphasis on socially relevant characters and plots. Beyond considerable box office achievements, the success of Marvel's movie studios has opened up dialogue on social, economic and political concerns that challenge established values and beliefs. This collection of new essays examines those controversial themes and the ways they represent, construct and distort American culture.

The Hours Have Lost Their Clock

The Hours Have Lost Their Clock PDF Author: Grafton Tanner
Publisher: Watkins Media Limited
ISBN: 1913462544
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
The Hours Have Lost Their Clock charts the rise of nostalgia in an era knocked out of time. In The Hours Have Lost Their Clock, Grafton Tanner charts the rise of nostalgia in an era knocked out of time. Nostalgia is the defining emotion of our age. Political leaders promise a return to yesteryear. Old movies are remade and cancelled series are rebooted. Veterans reenact past wars, while the displaced across the world long for home. But who is behind this collective ache for a home in the past? Do we need to eliminate nostalgia, or just cultivate it better? And what is at stake if we make the wrong choice? Moving from the fight over Confederate monuments to the birth of homeland security to the mourning of species extinction, Grafton Tanner traces nostalgia’s ascent in the twenty-first century, revealing its power as both a consequence of our unstable time and a defense against it. With little faith in a future of climate change and economic anxiety, many have turned to nostalgia to weather the present, while powerful elites exploit it for their own gain. An exploration into the politics of loss and yearning, The Hours Have Lost Their Clock is an urgent call to take nostalgia seriously. The very future depends on it.

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Storybook Collection

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Storybook Collection PDF Author: Marvel
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780316271462
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Read the adventures of Marvel's greatest Super Heroes as they save the world and the universe! © 2016 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

The Science of Marvel

The Science of Marvel PDF Author: Sebastian Alvarado
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1507209991
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
Science meets fantasy in this behind-the-scenes look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe—now you can experience the magic of the movies, and learn how to replicate it in real-life. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with extraordinary humans and abilities. There are teenaged geniuses swinging through the streets of New York, billionaires creating impenetrable armor in hidden caves, and aliens flying through wormholes to Earth. All of these characters seem to lie firmly in the realm of fantasy—but the technology behind them might not be as farfetched as you think… The Science of Marvel pulls back the curtain and reveals the secrets behind Marvel movie magic, and shows us how to recreate these comic book wonders in our everyday life. Using quantum physics, a little bit of mechanical engineering, and some out-of-the-box thinking, you’ll be amazed to discover that it’s possible to create a real-life Captain America, Incredible Hulk, or Black Panther. The perfect gift or collectible for Marvel fans everywhere, The Science of Marvel brings beloved movies and characters to life like never before.

Theology and the Marvel Universe

Theology and the Marvel Universe PDF Author: Gregory Stevenson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1978706162
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 279

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Book Description
In Theology and the Marvel Universe, fourteen contributors examine theological themes and ideas in the comic books, television shows, and films that make up the grand narrative of the Marvel Universe. Engaging in dialogue with theological thinkers such as Willie James Jennings, Franz Rosenzweig, Søren Kierkegaard, René Girard, Kelly Brown Douglas, and many others, the chapters explore a wide variety of topics, including violence, sacrifice, colonialism, Israeli-Palestinian relations, virtue ethics, character formation, identity formation, and mythic reinvention. This book demonstrates that the stories of Thor, Daredevil, Sabra, Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Thanos, Luke Cage, and others engage not just our imagination, but our theological imagination as well.

The Contemporary Superhero Film

The Contemporary Superhero Film PDF Author: Terence McSweeney
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231549792
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 223

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Book Description
Audiences around the globe continue to flock to see the latest releases from Marvel and DC studios, making it clear that superhero films resonate with the largest global audience that Hollywood has ever reached. Yet despite dominating theater screens like never before, the superhero genre remains critically marginalized—ignored at best and more often actively maligned. Terence McSweeney examines this global phenomenon, providing a concise and up-to-date overview of the superhero genre. He lays out its narrative codes and conventions, exploring why it appeals to diverse audiences and what it has to say about the world in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Unpacking the social, ideological, and cultural content of superhero films, he argues that the genre should be considered a barometer of contemporary social anxieties and a reflection of cultural values. McSweeney scrutinizes representations of gender, race, and sexuality as well as how the genre’s conventions relate to and comment on contemporary political debates. Beyond American contributions to the genre, the book also features extensive analysis of superhero films from all over the world, contrasting them with the dominant U.S. model. The book’s presentation of a range of case studies and critical debates is accessible and engaging for students, scholars, and enthusiasts at all levels.