The purpose of science fiction is allegorical; it is contemporary mythology propagated to evoke cultural scrutiny while simultaneously driving societal evolution, materially, epistemologically, and even morally. With the exponentially increasing consumption of science fiction cinema, mythological production becomes a collaborative endeavor, an indirect dialogue between producer and spectator, whereby the national imaginary is continually restated, and social mores are continually revalued.
The twilight of Hollywood’s Golden Age saw the proliferation of a particular subgenre of science fiction: the alien invasion narrative. Films like The War of the Worlds (1953, remade in 2005) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956, remade as The Invasion in 2007) invoked post-war paranoia of both foreign invaders and fifth-column conspirators. At the same time, they offered audiences the opportunity to safely confront their fears, while simultaneously promoting a sense of national unity.
The first installation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to be released in 2019, Captain Marvel likewise features an invading alien race, albeit with a relatively unique plot twist. Through sustained interaction with the supposedly-hostile alien invaders, the titular character comes to sympathize with them, opting instead to reject the jingoistic imperialism of her superiors. As such, the film offers not only a divergence from the original comic book representations of the characters, but also a divergence from the cinematic tropes of its “alien invasion” predecessors. When read against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s own jingoistic dismantling of Obama-era immigration policy, Captain Marvel thus presents a timely update on the alien invasion narrative, offering instead a new direction for national mythology, one involving a mutually-beneficial reconciliation of the “us and them” dialectic.
About the presenterAndrew Wahnsiedler
Wahnsiedler is a graduate student at George Mason University, where he is working towards his PhD in Cultural Studies. His research areas include subjectivity, semiotics and sociolinguistics, and mass and popular culture with a special emphasis on film and music. His dissertation will focus on the interpellative aspects of popular music.