In my last VIP article, I wrote about James Gunn's sudden ousting from the DCU and his replacement by Jeremy Latcham, a man with an impressive resume that, frankly, few can beat. Long story short, he's partly responsible for the MCU's explosive popularity and its memorable heyday films.
What's got the internet at war over him is the fact that he's a professed Christian whose entire approach to moviemaking begins with heart and humor, leaving spectacle last on the list of importance. As I said in my previous article, I'm actually excited about the future of superhero movies for the first time because there's a studio head who actually gets what makes superhero movies so fun and fascinating.
I think what many people don't seem to realize, or many don't want to admit, is that superhero movies are a specific kind of storytelling that frankly only works when there is a specific underpinning to them, or a foundational idea that the entirety of the universe works within, and that foundation is actually Christian morality.
Start with Superman. He's a demigod hero who works because he chooses to serve and sacrifice himself, not just for people who are far weaker and less capable than he is in almost every regard, but so those people can live freely in a moral ideal that establishes a thriving civilization. His "truth, justice, and the American way" slogan was, in effect, an affirmation of Christian values without explicitly naming Christ as the guiding figure for this sense of morality.
Captain America's moral convictions make him far more interesting than characters with way more fascinating powers and abilities than him. His beliefs alone make him a compelling character, even without a shield or serums that increase his strength unnaturally. I think one of the greatest moments in the MCU is when Thanos is surprised at his willpower and how it affected the gauntlet, noting that his willpower to save and protect was on par with, or even greater than, Thanos's will to destroy. That willpower is based on Cap's belief, which he expressed as being based on Christianity in previous movies. He confirmed himself to be a believer, and even took umbrage at the idea that there were other characters calling themselves gods.
Spider-Man is probably the best example because he's a character that has so much to lose and, indeed, loses so much, but he continues to operate under the moral conviction that his powers give him responsibility to do the right thing. His moral obligation is his guiding star, and even when he falters or goes too far, it's that moral idea that brings him back to being himself. I like the character of Peter Parker because he's not depicted as perfect or nearly as morally righteous as Steve Rogers. He's everyone. He struggles with grief and rage, but he consistently tries to keep his incredible power in check so that he can be of service to those who need it. That check often comes in the form of moral reckonings and realizations.
Service, sacrifice, hope, and many other Christian values form the basis for lasting superhero stories. They can, actually, form the basis of many great stories, but for superheroes with godlike powers and wielding them against the forces of darkness, whatever form that might take — these principles are very, very important.
Without them, you can get some decent stories that roam into the realm of cynicism or deconstruction. "Watchmen" is a great example of superhero stories without that underpinning, but I think I should note that its most popular character was a guy who held some very right-leaning opinions. The movie differs from the comic in different ways here, but in terms of the movie, everyone loves Rorschach.
Christianity has established a global sense of right and wrong. Even places that don't worship Christ as a majority are infected with this base sense of morality, as that base sense came from that singular source since creation. When you toss in beings of incredible power in epic situations, the story begins to wobble and eventually crash without that guiding star.
Hollywood tried to take the Christian moral underpinnings out of superhero movies for some time and replace them with more modern ideals. It didn't work. People got tired of them quickly.
However, what I think they got tired of wasn't superheroes. I think Spider-Man proves that. What I think they were tired of was vapid characters and insubstantial storylines that tried to replace Christian morality with something that ultimately proves hollow.
Again, I'm excited to see where DC is going to go with a Christian at the helm.
