An antihero is a central protagonist of a piece of fiction who does have the typical qualities of a hero. These qualities are things like bravery, humility, kindness etc. and instead have qualities like cowardice, selfishness and brutality. A classic cinema example would be Han Solo, or at least Han Solo at the beginning of Star Wars, certainly not a “bad guy” but after money, kills people without it troubling his conscience and pours scorn on the idealism of others. Luke Skywalker is a good example of a traditional hero – honest, noble and idealistic. An anti-hero will usually have a good aim but use methods that your typical hero would refuse to do, Deadpool was a recent example where the title character explicitly pushed away from the hero label, leaving a trail of bodies in pursuit of his aims.

Breaking Bad

In recent years antiheroes are becoming more and more common and their “anti” hero status becoming more and more extreme. Breaking Bad gave us one of the all-time great anti-heroes in Walter White, the seemingly pleasant and mild chemistry teacher who upon diagnosis of cancer decides he needs to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible to provide for his family once he has died. So he starts making crystal meth. Now the goal of providing for his family is laudable, and at first, he is not concerned with treating his cancer, but helping those he loved. Walter’s anti-hero behaviour certainly crosses into just plain villain territory, with much debate as to when that happens, as well as making and selling an illegal and dangerous drug Walter kills people, uses violence and intimidation, works with truly terrible people who do terrible things. Throughout the show, Walter repeatedly states that he is doing this for his family but in the final episodes, he confesses that ultimately it wasn’t about that, that it was for him, for his ego. This could mean he was never an anti-hero – always a villain.

Loki

Both in film and television Loki is a villain who has been gradually pushed into anti-hero status. In Thor, Loki conspires against his brother and father and is charming but clearly a villain. In Avengers his goal is simply to take over Earth, classic villain behaviour. But perhaps simply because of the character’s charm and Tom Hiddleston’s excellent performance fans really took to Loki and slowly but surely been pushed away from outright villainy. Looking at the tv show Loki the character clearly adopts more traditional heroic behaviours, in caring for others and not simply looking out for himself.

Why Do Audiences Like Anti-Heroes

The ideal of the movie hero, say various depictions of Robin Hood, is not something that really exists in reality. And often even movie heroes are boring. It’s telling that in the recent Marvel films, it was Iron Man, the sarcastic, hedonistic, cynical character who became the leader, over the far more traditional hero of Captain America. Even the best of people in reality and complicated and flawed and audiences want to see that in characters (at least some of the time). Two types of heroes from classic cinema are “cowboys” in Westerns and police officers who are often seen as daring, brave, loyal and decent people. But immediately people recognise that both of these archetypes are complicated, the days of assuming police officers and the organisation as inherently noble are long gone, and to say the world of cowboys is morally complicated is a vast understatement. Also, they can be more interesting and fun, Deadpool is fun, and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is fun.

Like so many things in culture, these things are trends and at some point, audiences will yearn for more typical heroes. One of the nadirs of anti-heroes was Dexter, not for the performance of the actors but for choosing someone so utterly reprehensible as the anti-hero, often worse than the “villains” he targeted. It’s hard to imagine getting any deeper into the barrel of a character not possessing the traditional attributes of a hero. Perhaps soon we will the trend change and heroes become more obviously heroic.

Also Read: The Evolution of Female-Led Superhero Films

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The post Beyond Good and Evil: The Allure of Anti-Heroes in Modern Cinema appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Some spoilers to follow, mainly for post-credit scenes and Loki

“Welcome to the circus”

The films of Phase 4 have been mostly focused on introducing new heroes. Black Widow, although following Natasha’s adventures in the lead up to Avengers: Infinity War, showcased Florence Pugh’s Yelena, as well as Red Guardian. Yelena is set up for a confrontation with Hawkeye in the post-credits scene. Reaction to the character is very positive, so she could be the lead in any potential sequel.

Elsewhere, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings showcased the martial arts master going up against the Mandarin. Arguably one of the best solo outings in the MCU, the film showcased new characters, as well as expanding and improving upon the Ten Rings. The controversial twist in Iron Man 3 is woven in as part of the villain’s story. Although largely standalone, cameos from Wong, Abomination and Bruce Banner helped fold Shang-Chi into the wider universe.

Eternals, while being divisive, expanded on the cosmic side of the MCU. A sequel seems likely to be set in space, as the characters search for more Eternals. Which opens up many possibilities for the future – Eros meeting Star-Lord and Adam Warlock perhaps? It also introduced Dane Whitman, who claimed the Ebony Blade to become the Black Knight. Blade, the half-human vampire hunter, also has a brief voice cameo.

A Visionary New Age of Television

Phase 4 is unique in that it now features TV shows. While there have been several other TV projects set in the MCU, the links have been vague at best. The Disney+ series though, are as big as the films. Delving into the aftermath of Avenger: Endgame, they have followed familiar characters who were supporting players in previous films. WandaVision is a mysterious, decade hopping sitcom, featuring the Scarlet Witch and the seemingly resurrected Vision. The globe-trotting The Falcon and The Winter Soldier explores the legacy of the now-retired Captain America. Hawkeye introduces Kate Bishop to the universe, while also giving the original archer his time in the spotlight.

While many of these have been mostly standalone, there are hints of an arc. In Loki, the god of mischief works with the Time Variance Authority to preserve the timeline. However, the finale introduced He Who Remains, who keeps the various timelines in check. With his death, things instantly start to change, with Loki returning to a very different TVA. The multiverses are starting to collapse. What If…? explores various multiverses, with changes to the existing MCU timeline having ripple effects, although it is unclear if this will tie in, as the show is animated.

The Multiverse of Madness

Phase 4 seems to be heading in a multiverse direction. With What If…? offering a simple but effective starter course in what exactly the multiverse is. Loki encountered “Variants” of himself, Loki’s from other universes during his series. These included Sylvie, Kid Loki, the classic Loki and an alligator. This sets up the possibility for multiple versions of the same character to exist. Spider-Man is set to encounter various villains (and maybe other Spider-Men) from the multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home. From the trailer, it looks like Doctor Strange is partly responsible for the multiverse trouble, which is likely going to be explored in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.

Scarlet Witch has been confirmed to have a substantial role in the sequel, which will likely follow the events of WandaVision. Strange seems to be emerging as a potential leader for the new Avengers team, whatever that ends up looking like. It’s possible that the sequel could end up being like Captain America: Civil War, having a large impact despite being a solo film. Or Strange could end the multiverse plotline, perhaps leading the world open to a greater threat…

While the MCU might not have headed straight into another 10-year arc after Endgame, it isn’t resting either. Phase 4 isn’t even halfway through yet, so it’s almost impossible to tell where it’s going. Returning favourites like Ant-Man, Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy will likely have their own stories to continue, as well as introduce new characters. Kang the Conqueror, a variant of He Who Remains is set to debut in Ant-Man: Quantummania. The Guardians are set to face Adam Warlock. As well as all-new heroes like Blade, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and the Fantastic Four making their debut in the MCU. Phase 4 is doing exactly what it should be.

Also Read: Has The Marvel Cinematic Universe Reached Its Peak?

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