We Create Our Own Demons: The MCU’s Illusion of Progressivism

Abstract

“We Create Our Own Demons” explores examples of early films and characterizations in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that claim to present progressive depictions of minority cultures and races, yet fall short, as well as later installments that endeavor to provide more effective minority representations. Films such as Iron Man and Iron Man 3 are examined for their problematic representations of Arabs, while Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever develop their African, Black, and Latinx characters with a much more genuinely progressive push. Utilizing race and cultural theory from the likes of Fredrick Aldama, Penelope Ingram, Evelyn Alsultany, and Ramzi Fawaz, this essay analyzes Iron Man’s repackaging of Arab stereotypes under the guise of progressivism, Black Panther’s Afrofuturist calls for Black solidarity in the face of a purportedly post-race society, and Wakanda Forever’s exploration of the racial and generational trauma caused by the colonization of the Americas. Each of these works is also analyzed for how they reflect their contemporary cultural moment. From Iron Man’s proximity to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, to Black Panther’s development within an increasingly vocal anti-Black, anti-Latinx America, it is important to understand how the illusory progressivism with which we develop fictional minority characters can actually serve to further entrench racial and ethnic stereotypes and hurt the communities it intends to protect.