The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis (Rowman & Littlefield)
Originally appearing as a comic book in the 1960s, X-Men has been a cultural touchpoint for decades. Since the release of the first film in 2000, the series has enjoyed an even greater transnational presence. With each successive film, the franchise has secured its place within global popular culture, becoming one of the most profitable and complex superhero series to date. While much of the research that has been published on the X-Men focuses on the comics, the movies constitute their own cultural text and deserve special attention.
In The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis, Claudia Bucciferro (ed.) has brought together contributions from a diverse group of scholars. Drawing from work in communication, cultural studies, and media studies, the chapters situate the franchise within contemporary contexts, discussing how it represents issues of power, difference, and marginalization. The authors ask questions such as: What do "mutants" really represent? What role do women and people of color play in the narratives? Why does it matter that Professor X is disabled? Why is Mystique often shown naked? What facilitated Wolverine's rise to prominence? And how do topics regarding identity, trauma, utopia, bioethics, and transhumanism figure in the stories?
Exploring issues relevant for a multicultural world and connecting thematic elements from the films to political debates and social struggles, the book seeks to make a thoughtful contribution to the scholarship of popular culture.
Table of Contents
Introduction - Claudia Bucciferro
I. Utopian and immersive experiences
1 Superherotopia: American Utopianism and the Mutant Superhero - Matt Yockey
2 The Immersive Marketing Campaign for X-Men: Days of Future Past - Nicolņ Gallio
II. Agency and authority
3 Superhuman Authority: Fascism and Bioethics in the X-Men Films - Evan Hayles Gledhill
4 Magneto's Dilemma: The Technological Limitations of Mutant Transhumanism - Ron Von Burg and D. Stokes Piercy
5 PTXD: Gendered Narratives of Combat, Trauma, and the Civil-Military Divide - Christina M. Knopf and Christine M. Doran
III. Women and power
6 Containing the X-Women: De-Powering and De-Queering Female Characters - Carolyn Cocca
7 Shapeshifting Identity: Mystique's Embodied Agency - Jason Zingsheim
8 The "Stolen" Superpowers of Marvel's Rogue - Julie Davis and Robert Westerfelhaus
9 The Curious Case of "Dr." Jean Grey, Mystique, and Mariko - Barbara Cook Overton, Athena Du Pré, Loretta L. Pecchioni, and John H. Overton
IV. Masculinity and race
10 Wolverine in Transition: Shifting Portrayals of Masculinity and Identity - Nathan Miczo
11 Techno-Orientalist Villains and White Masculinity in the Wolverine Movies - David Oh
12 Reframing Disabled Masculinity: Xavier as Marvel's Super-Crip - Jessica Benham
13 Mutating Minorities: White Racial Framing and Group Positioning - Jason Smith
V. Passing and otherness
14 Passing while Homo Superior - Kat Overland
15 Mutancy, Otherness, and Empathy in the X-Men - Claudia Bucciferro
Epilogue - Jason Zingsheim and Claudia Bucciferro
For more details, please contact Dr. Claudia Bucciferro at bucciferro@gonzaga.edu or see the publisher's website athttps://rowman.com/ISBN/
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