The Myth and Modern Cinematic Superhero-Making from the Perspective of Cultural Studies

Cinematic superheroes can be considered as modern cultural and mythic phenomena whose multilayered characters enjoy various philosophical meanings like ancient myths. Diverse forms of superhero genre constitute a significant part of media culture and environment. The aim of this study is to answer how modern cinematic myths fulfill various ideological goals from the perspective of cultural studies. Cultural studies tries to analyze the conditions which lead to the production and determination of the role of social, economic and political forces as well as the power structures. Within cultural studies, the cultural semiotics of Roland Barthes has been used in this study due to his innovative definitions of myth. The results of this study show that the superhero, as a metaphor of real life, can simply embody countless metaphorical meanings since s/he turns the film into an arena of conflict between paradoxes, cultural meanings, social customs and political suppositions. More than consumerism, the aim of modern mythologization is to achieve a homogenous society in line with liberalist life style. Moreover, the hero-making narrative of cinema, especially Hollywood, is at the service of creating the central signifier of the American capitalist ideology which transfers the cultural concepts in accordance with current norms and regards some goals like national security, the Cold War, changing the racial and sexual stereotypes as well as environmental issues.