Following on from the Avengers Assemble and previous Iron Man films, Iron Man 3 was released in 2013, joined by The Wolverine and recently Thor: The Dark World. Though superficially just CGI-filled outings, these films tells us a lot about the USA. America is defined by Hollywood, especially certain genres that relate to US culture, superhero films being the latest to do this. Since X-Men’s release at the turn of the century this type of film has grown in popularity to become the mainstay of action movies, having taken the role once occupied by Westerns as defining what the USA is all about. More than mere entertainment they affirm America’s status as global superpower and leader of the ‘free world’. They are meaning-laden modern myths.
Traditionally, myths were sacred stories that had gods and supernatural characters interacting with humans. Many recounted a past, real or false, setting forth a worldview and outlining the codes of society within that. Obvious European examples came from ancient Greece and Scandinavia: where the Zeus fought the monster Typhon, and Odin searched for knowledge while dealing with the deception of Loki. They were gods who warred, had families and were jealous.
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