The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Volume 2: Into the Multiverse

Publisher Marketing: " The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Volume 2: Into the Multiverse is an impressive interdisciplinary volume that leaves aside debates about artistic value or defining cinema in favor of infinitely more constructive analyses of the ways the MCU both entertains and engages with important social issues. Carnes and Goren gather an array of scholars of politics, philosophy, social sciences, and popular culture to examine on-screen representation, audience demographics and motivations, and the philosophical underpinnings of this immense media franchise. This book has something for every scholar and student interested in the various, and at times complex, ways the MCU contributes to global political and philosophical conversations."-- Sam Langsdale , author of Searching for Feminist Superheroes: Gender, Sexuality, and Race in Marvel Comics "While addressing core political ideas such as law and government, sovereignty, racial justice, feminism, coalition politics, ethnic politics, and demagoguery, to name a few, Carnes and Goren's The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Volume 2 is not tied to a narrow, orthodox conception of what politics is. Instead, the editors and contributors take different, complementary views, offering a broad picture of the politics of the MCU. The book is rightly interested in what makes it to the screen, but also how that result is influenced by political contexts and social pressures."-- Rob Watkins , author of Freedom and Vengeance on Film: Precarious Lives and the Politics of Subjectivity "This book is an essential read for anyone who is critically interested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and where it is going. The essays shine a much needed light on such important issues as race, LGBTQ, and feminist politics played out through superheroes. It should be required reading in any university course dealing with contemporary popular culture."-- Jeffrey A. Brown , author of Love, Sex, Gender, and Superheroes "Academics assemble! If each of the Avengers had the superpower of being an astute cultural critic, they likely would not have been as effective in battle against Thanos, but they might have produced a book as trenchant as The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Volume 2. "-- Gavin Edwards , coauthor of MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios "As Sam Wilson is a worthy successor to wield the vibranium shield, The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Volume 2 is an outstanding follow-up to Volume 1. Volume 2 offers excellent insights and critiques into how Marvel's Phase 4 engages with politics, teaching readers valuable lessons about the law, representation, and identity. For instance, I was surprised to learn that US citizens think Steve Rogers is a Republican."-- Steven Rogers , author of Accountability in State Legislatures Table of Contents : Acknowledgments 1. The Politics of Phase Four, Nicholas Carnes and Lilly J. Goren Part One: On-Screen Politics 2. Philosophizing with a Hammer: Thor, Nietzsche, and the Death of God, Elizabeth Barringer 3. Drop the "A," Just Thena: Gods, Agency, and Responsibility in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Danielle Hanley 4. What Do We Smash When We Smash the Fourth Wall?: The Power and Limits of Metafiction in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law , Christopher Galdieri 5. Finding a Way Home?: Spider-Man's Unexpected Villain Rehabilitation Program and the Politics of Punishment, Michelle Phelps and Nicholas Carnes 6. Suspect Bureaucracies: The "Deep State" and Portrayals of Government Entities in Phase Four, William D. Adler 7. Loki : Sovereignty and Political Violence for All Time, Always, John McMahon and Dnaielle Hanley 8. The Symbolic Character of a New Captain America, Nicole Gellar and Aaron Smith Walter 9. From Captain America to US Agent: John Walker and the Anxiety of American Decline, Haoyang Wang 10. Vigilantes or Heroes?: Hawkey, She-Hulk, and the Importance of Motivations, Ari Kohen and Brian Riches Part Two: Fan Politics 11. The MCU vs. Democracy?: Trust in Government and Political Participation among Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Nicholas Carnes 12. Are We the Good Guys or the Bad Guys?: Projecting Partisanship in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte 13. The Sista Soldier Moment: Shuri and the Progressive Base in America, Kareem R. Muhammad 14. Who Saw Phase Four?: The Marvel Cinematic Universe Audience and Expanded On-Camera Diversity, Bethany Lacina Part Three: Representation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe 15. "When the Light Is Inside You, No One Can Turn It Off" Magic Girlhood in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Linda Beail 16. She Hulk, Feminism Sardonic, Nancy J. Hirschmann 17. Mother, Monster, or Both? The Portrayal of Wanda Maximoff's Violence in PHase Four, Christina Fattore 18. Fighting with One Hand Tied behind Her Back: Origin Stories, Power, Gender, Heroes, and Superheroes, Lilly J. Goren 19. Gender, Politics, and Why Does Anyone Look Up to Thanos?, Dan Cassino 20. "I Need to Know if Wakanda Is an Ally or an Enemy" Black-Brown Conflict and Coalition in Wakanda Forever , Lauren Araiza 21. Still Lost in the Multiverse: LGBTQ+ Representation in Phase Four, Patricia C. Rodda Afterword. From Super Suits to Lawsuits: the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Real-World Legal Battles, Carlee Goldberg References About the Authors Index Publisher Marketing : A new volume of essays exploring the on-screen politics and real-world implications of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's expansion into the multiverse. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) moved on from the Thanos storyline, it became more political than ever--both on screen and off. Following up on their first volume about the politics of the MCU, editors Nicholas Carnes and Lilly J. Goren are back with a new volume of essays exploring the political worlds within and outside of the MCU, authored by leading experts on politics, philosophy, and popular culture. This second volume tackles the sprawling narratives in the MCU's Phase 4, the movies, TV shows, and related content released in 2021 and 2022. During Phase 4, Marvel Studios released films at an unprecedented pace: seven in just two years, including titles like Black Widow , Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings , The Eternals , Spider-Man: No Way Home , and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . Phase 4 also marked the start of the MCU's move into streaming television, with shows like WandaVision , The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , Loki , Hawkeye , She-Hulk , and Moon Knight . With a fifty-hour combined runtime, Phase 4 included more new MCU content than Phases 1 through 3 (2008 through 2020) combined. The chapters in this volume are organized in three parts that each explore a different aspect of the politics of Phase 4. In Part One, the authors examine "on-screen politics," looking at the political messages (some subtle, some more explicit) in stories about Thor, the Eternals, She-Hulk, Spider-Man, Loki, and Captain America. Part Two explores the "off-screen" politics of the MCU's fans, examining topics like political participation, partisanship, and whether MCU fans are more cynical about real-world politics. In Part Three, we face the perennial issues around representation--especially gender, race, and sexuality--that have long dominated popular and academic commentary on superhero fiction. Like The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Volume 1: The Infinity Saga , this is another indispensable guide to understanding how the MCU--a fundamental aspect of American pop culture--has a profound and complex relationship with American political life. Contributor Bio: Carnes, Nicholas Nicholas Carnes is professor of public policy at Duke University. Contributor Bio: Goren, Lilly J Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University.

Format: Paperback | Pages: 384 | Publication Date: 2025-08-26