The Significance of Superheroes in Today's Society

By Brandon Treacy

Growing up as a child my favourite movie was Spider-Man 2 seeing a man in a red suit swinging around saving the day fighting the bad guys must have been a pretty cool sight for 5 year old me to behold, I had everything to do with the movie the toys, the games anything you can think of I had it. As I've grew up throughout the years this movie this movie has still remained my favourite for a while I've questioned myself why this movie? What's so important about this one?

I've watched plenty of movies since Spider-Man 2. The Godfather, No Country For Old Men the list goes on and on. But for some reason Spider-Man 2 still remains top of the list. Part of me thinks it's nostalgia but another part of me has had to grow up and experience life to relate and appreciate the movie even more. While 5 Year old me appreciated the action and the swinging from building to building. 20 Year old me understands and resonates with the human side of the character of Spider-Man and the overall message of the movie we can't escape who we are someone will always need us and there are so many messages in this movie that skipped over my head that only now actually make sense.

I think the main message that I got from this movie now however is people need superheroes. While some people might not see Superhero films as actual cinema we can not ignore their importance. In a culture today where young kids are running out of reliable role models superheroes are a crucial asset in today's society.

By no means am I saying 5 year old kid should go round believing they can beat up people but instead superheroes teach kids respect, gratitude and that it's ok if you fall down even superheroes do it's about helping people out of the kindness of their heart and not expecting anything in return. These messages will stay with kids for the rest of their lives and that's why they are so important. As the famous Actress Rosemary Harris said as Aunt May In Spider-Man 2 "Everybody Needs A Hero"