It is not the blatant money grab that is hounding fiction nerds the world over for their hard earned cash that is so worrisome. The real problem is the weakness of these glass deities we call superheroes.
Comic book heroes are an amazing medium for displaying the good and evil of humanity, and the tenacity required to overcome systems of injustice. Our fictional heroes stand up for justice against the antiquated or corrupted institutions that represent a perversion of justice. All of the Avengers’ origin movies found that true justice must be pursued outside the institution, the government, the kingdom or whatever.
The problem lies in the narrow focus of the superhero archetype. Physical strength is associated with success. Physical beauty is associated with the idea of a hero.
Is this the analogy of social justice we want to be passing on to the next generation? These superheroes are too weak, too unrelatable, too Caucasian and too focused on unrealistic manifestations of injustice.
Racism has no face, no army of robotic minions that simply need to be smashed to bits to resolve the issue. Poverty cannot be defeated by single combat against a supervillain in a secret volcano base. Institutionalized shaming, fear and guilt cannot be driven back into space with lasers, a brave speech and a plot device.
Superheroes are only a half-measure. They make the idea of standing up against injustice cool. What is needed is a glorification of tangible individuals standing up against real forms of injustice.
Ironman, Thor, Spiderman and the rest teach kids that justice should be striven for, and can be achieved. However, their strong appearance on the outside just rings how hollow they are inwardly by their failure to connect with the real world. They teach that the outward appearance of justice is the means to instill an attitude of tolerance and love in others. What they do not teach is how to actually achieve justice. Which is ironically, just like the institutions they strive to topple.