The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

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Edited by Nicholas Carnes and Lilly J. Goren

Type: Studies
Subject: Genre > Fantasy
Keywords: Marvel, superheroes, ideology
Publishing date: 2022
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
Collection: Politics and Popular Culture
Language: English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 456 pages
6 x 9 ¼ inches (15 x 23.5 cm)

ISBN

978-0-7006-3388-3

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Book Presentation:
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?”

About the authors:
Nicholas Carnes is professor of public policy at Duke University.Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University.

Press Reviews:
"An engaging and thought-provoking offering to the discourse that will appeal to political scientists, pop culture scholars, and Marvel fans alike."—Journal of Popular Culture

"This is excellent academic research, and as an extra, it does what comic books (and related media) always did: it will entertain you."—popcultureshelf

"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 takes its worthy place among a growing number of works in political science that take popular culture seriously. The editors and contributors take a view of politics as expansive as the MCU itself, attending to not just familiar areas of politics such as government, law, and public policy, but also to subtler dimensions of society and culture of political significance, including issues of identity, representation, and influence."—Robert E. Watkins, associate professor of political science and cultural studies, Columbia College Chicago

See the publisher website: University Press of Kansas

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