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Ryan Maxim

Abstract/Description

Comic book characters and superheroes have served as Hollywood’s biggest cash cow for the last two decades, dominating box office records, over-saturating the release schedules of major movie studios, and influencing the cultural consciousness in a way that is historically unprecedented. The most notable and financially successful example of this trend can be seen in the form of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a franchise that has grossed an estimated $29.8 billion in box office revenue since its inception in 2008. Due to their immense popularity and global reach, superhero characters serve as role models for young boys and adult men alike. However, many cinematic adaptations of comic book related properties seem to prominently feature the objectification and glorification of unrealistic male body types while negatively stigmatizing unconventional or higher weight individuals. As a result, exposure to superhero programming has been positively associated with the internalization of masculinity norms, male appearance ideals, and a drive for muscularity that may result in harmful behaviors, such as eating disorders, anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse, or body/muscle dysmorphia. Using a coded-content analysis approach, the current study has selected a variety of masculinity and appearance related themes from past content analyses to evaluate how masculinities and male body types are portrayed in Disney produced MCU films.

Note on the Author

Ryan J. Maxim is a 2024 BSU graduate who received a Bachelor of Science in Health Science with a Pre-Physical Therapy Concentration and graduated with Departmental Honors. Mentored by Dr. Matthew Patey (Department of Health and Kinesiology), Ryan conducted this research with the intention of drawing attention to the harmful and misleading practices used by filmmakers to depict unrealistic portrayals of masculine bodies in modern popular culture. By bringing awareness to this issue, Ryan hopes for his research to counteract the various negative effects often associated with the internalization of these norms. Ryan will be attending Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts to acquire his Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Rights Statement

Articles published in The Undergraduate Review are the property of the individual contributors and may not be reprinted, reformatted, repurposed or duplicated, without the contributor’s consent.

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