The Hidden Power of Superheroes: The Ability of Superhero Movies to Influence Political Attitudes

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Cole, Justin
- College of Arts and Sciences, Curriculum in Peace, War, and Defense

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Although the literature on superheroes has expanded in recent years, it has neglected to examine whether superhero movies can affect political views. This oversight is regrettable given the recent surge in the popularity of superhero movies that engage directly with political issues such as The Dark Knight (2008), Iron Man 3 (2013), and Captain America: Civil War (2016). After a lengthy historical exploration of superheroes and a thematic analysis of these superhero movies – which collectively demonstrate that superheroes are an enduring cultural phenomenon as well as provide the theoretical underpinnings of their ability to effect attitudinal change – this study used a two-wave panel experiment to evaluate the extent to which superhero movies could cause attitudinal change. Ultimately, this study found that a significant percentage of participants changed their views on various policies related to the war on terror including torture, mass surveillance, military spending, and foreign intervention as a result of watching these superhero movies. These findings demonstrate that further research in this area is essential, particularly so long as superhero movies continue to receive critical and popular acclaim.

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