The concept of the hero has been around since the dawn of man. Greeks had their Hercules, their Achilles, Odysseus, and Theseus. England has King Arthur and his Knights. France has Roland and the Paladins. Judas the Maccabean, Caesar, Alexander, the list goes on and on.
In my opinion, we look at heroes for inspiration. We all have a drive to become something more than what we already are or perhaps imagine ourselves more than what we appear. We, each of us, have special talents and abilities that we could use for either the greater good and become a hero or to harm and destroy and become the villain. Like all heroes, we are not without our weaknesses and challenges. When we turn to movies, books, TV shows, or games, why are we drawn to these protagonists? What makes a certain hero our favorite?
I see two things when observing the popular superheroes of our day. First of all, there are heroes that we can relate to. Within their character, we see ourselves and are thus brought into their world more intimately and put ourselves into their tights, as it were. We see how they handle challenges and obstacles in their lives, we draw parallels with our own lives, and we find solutions and answers to difficult questions for the hardships we face.
The second thing I see are shining examples, beacons of hope, power, and success. While not all can relate to Superman and his nigh godlike powers, we still find ourselves drawn to the character and connect to something. What is it? Perhaps it is not so much that we see ourselves in a character this powerful and idealistic, but we see something we aspire to become. Our divine and infinite potential is made manifest in the most powerful and firm of heroes, a goal we can strive to become.
The difference between reliability and aspiration are something of a debate among especially superhero fans. Some may not like Superman for being “overpowered” and “alien.” Some find Batman too brooding and human to find any hope or to look up to anything. Some feel Marvel characters are better because typically they are more flawed and human. Some feel DC characters are more mythological and timeless. Perhaps depending on who we are and where we are headed is reflected in our taste in the heroes we see.
I personally have always enjoyed Spider-Man for being the nerdy average kid that has everyday problems to deal with on top of carrying the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. I always, in turn, have felt to use my talents and abilities not to simply idle by and live an average life, but to use those abilities to carry out a responsibility to improve the world around me and help people through the gifts I have been given. Just like Peter Parker/Spider-Man I find both the mundane troubles of life and the ideals of helping the greater good equally challenging to get through.
Perhaps those that prefer the relatable and flawed feel that the ideals of the “Superman” are beyond reach, or at least at their current state, but within a flawed “Tony Stark” or “Daredevil” they see themselves enough to latch on and follow to work through the troubles at hand. Perhaps they appreciate the realism and practical application of the stories to their own lives.
Perhaps those who prefer the Thor, Superman, or Captain America even in a way see a beacon, a standard to elevate themselves to. They vicariously live immortal through the unfaltering strength and direction of these idealists, these best of the best in a world of heroes, and by so doing, they leave the story with more power to face their own lives with confidence than they had started.
Today I think we can all appreciate the effort of thousands of artists for reinvigorating our favorite icons and fictional friends as they are translated into live action journeys. Many of the creators of these comic book films come from different and unique perspectives that add a fresh look to heroes in a way that makes us reevaluate ourselves and our tastes.
Some attempt to make a hero that was created almost a century ago into something more contemporary, perhaps like Nolan’s update on Batman. Others find value in the traditional ideals of a hero and maintain a timeless essence of a character, similar to Joe Johnston’s Captain America hearkening back to a more idealistic and black and white tone. Sometimes “we can use a little old fashioned.”
Tremendous strides have been made to create heroes for our day, to bring them from the page to a living, breathing human being… or living, breathing alien… or mutant… or monster. The genre of Modern Mythology has become legitimized and regarded as something more than a mere excuse for cash. I believe many of the film makers out there that are working on these projects understand the core of why we love these characters so much, why we thirst for more every year, and why people pay billions of dollars to watch them. It’s more than just cool action, good effects, bad ass villains, hot girls, popcorn, 3D or IMAX. The best of superhero films speak to our souls, our very beings. We either see ourselves in the journey or see something we can look up to and hope for. The power of a motion picture magnifies the strength of the original story in ways we could have never imagined even a decade ago.
Today is the golden age of the modern hero. Today is a good day to be a fan. Today is a good day to find inspiration and hope in the future. Today is a time where perhaps we need heroes, real or fictitious, the most.