Audience, Participatory Culture, Interactivity

Marvel has been popular for many years, with the promise of a number of film deals in the future coming into light, as well as continued animated TV series and more. Turning to a more serious nature of why films and franchises’ based on Superheroes are so popular, relates to the ‘social climate’ of the world in which the people/civilians are living in. When people are uncertain in the economical climate, and need reassuring, the ‘popularity’ of the superhero can be classified and associated with a sense of youth culture, freedom, and a ‘rise in spirituality’.

With the general idea that the public are ‘united’ due to the culture of Superheroes, the genre has therefore been taken in by a broader range of consumers, the audience developing from younger kids, mainly masculine to a niche audience of female teenagers, and so called ‘die hard’ fans who have followed the culture and theme from an early age, being the the 30+ age bracket (Oropeza, 2005).

The way in which audiences find popularity in films can be swayed by conformity, which a general masculine persuasion due to the strong masculine influence within the genre of films. Due to modern popularity, men feel compelled to see these films due to a male popularity fanbase. The female fanbase is weaker, but growing in popularity and revolves more around merchandise and alternative forms of distribution/involvement.

A variety of aspects within Marvel films appeal to these wider audiences for example:

-        Muscles/masculinity/role model for female i.e. Chris Evans in Captain America

A physical appearance that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye attracts a strong female fanbase, especially of an older audience due to popular celebrities taking on the roles with either humour, believable acting, or just pure muscle. This is a strong attribute that directors flaunt within Marvel films, such as Captain America to create wider distribution, as well as to reflect a positive male physique which could be appealing to a male audience.

-        Role model – strong/protective/patriotic – male audience

The strong masculine character who acts protective of the other character, who takes control and power over evil is a strong attribution that the male audience craves to represent. This could be a way of finding out their identity and finding comfort in something they’d like to think they’re related/similar to.

-        Action/super powers/ abilities – Kids

The focus on role models with in my Marvel case study doesn’t strive from individual accomplishment, but on the other hand the emergence of a cultural context within the moral high ground of the 'superhero genre' produced, strongly supports the broad participation in both the production and the distribution of the media texts. (Jenkins, 2009)
Even the villains which have been made more pronounced in recent years, have redeeming qualities of which kids could be inclined to see as a 'role' model. An example of this would be Loki in Avenger's Assemble who regrets his actions, learns from his mistakes, showing good

Accessed: creativecommons.org - http://crazyeli.com/
x-men.html

qualities that younger generations are expected to reflect in their behaviour. Both the villains and heroes are depicted as both to give the audience an active participation within the film to decide their morality and whom they believe more likely to take their word as truth. They are depicted as troubled and confused and need to overcome their own personal issues, making their characters more relatable to a wider audience. This is a key feature in Marvel films and has consistently been relied on for development of plot and a sturdy narrative structure. The cross platform derivative in the form of merchandise, gives the younger audience a chance to interact with the text by dressing up and reading books and relating to it in their own way.