John Romita Do you have a superhero couple that you idolized growing up? Bravery, courage, sacrifice, and selflessness have been central to superhero storylines. But we cannot deny that some of our superheroes have had the most whirlwind romances that have allowed us to view their vulnerability.
When I think about superhero couples, the first ones to come to mind are the iconic Superman and Lois Lane, and Spiderman and Mary-Jane Watson. These couples have swept us off our feet, and their relationships have been pivotal to the plots of their comics and movies. With unbelievable feats and strength, there isn’t exactly much we can relate to with our superheroes. we can marvel (no pun intended) at Spiderman swinging between skyscrapers, we can only relate to his feelings for Mary-Jane. However, it’s not hard to notice the diminished focus of romance from recent superhero installments. Spiderman Homecoming, Aquaman, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel all have storylines built away from conventional romantic presence.
Some writers have speculated that when love interests are absent, many different sub-plots and ideas have room to breathe. Strong, platonic, and beautiful friendships develop on-screen while love is left behind. In many new superhero movies, like the Avengers films, several superheroes come together in a story where action and suspense are central; romantic interests just don’t fit in. When we go to theatre to watch superhero movies now, we aren’t exactly going in for the romance. So, perhaps romance has slowly lost its relevance in the striving against-evil narratives of our superheroes.
Some viewers argue that romance can be left in as a background theme, knowing that their superhero is committed to someone but not have that relationship be a central part of the story. However, I can’t seem to shake just how many times we’ve experienced heroism because of love interests. In Superman (1978), when Lois Lane dies, Superman reverses time by spinning around the Earth at a fantastic speed, saving not just Lois Lane, but everyone else on Earth. Even superheroes have weaknesses, and oftentimes love is one of them; however, as Superman (1978) shows, those weakness and human flaws can be sources of strength.
And isn’t that part of what keeps us glued to our chairs? To see how they work through a complex, intricate relationship, along with saving the world? Isn’t humanly love and affection what keeps these otherworldly beings grounded? Perhaps we need not dismiss romantic interests in superhero movies, but allow them to work alongside platonic relationships in order to heighten narrative tension and relatability.
At the end of the day when our superheroes aren’t saving the universe from intergalactic villains, they should be allowed to experience love too.
