Affiliation:
1. Faculty of Communication. Istanbul University, Turkey
2. Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, Turkey
Abstract
The superhero presentation, reflected in myths for centuries and common in comic books since the 19th century, eventually found its place in cinema. In superhero films, mythical realms, times, and spaces are shaped by the reality that superheroes represent to audiences. With its multi-layered, realistic, and romantic narrative structure, Spider-Man allows it to reach different audiences. The study aims for a content and discourse analysis of the narratives and dwells on the superhero figure that has become one of the most remarkable cultural phenomena of the last several years. The narrative also portrays the actions and decisions based on the main concepts, such as guilt, justice, governance, and citizenship, and puts them into a filmic story. Concentrating on these aspects, the study questions whether the viewers' orientation toward superhero movies and Spider-Man sequels can be considered a search for “a basic need of humanity”.