“No, I Am the Man”: Hierarchical Male Homosociality in The Avengers (2012)

Abstract

The manuscript is an analysis of homosociality among the male Avengers in the first film depicting the unification of the superhero team. It argues that The Avengers replicates and valorizes hierarchical homosociality as the preferred method of communication and unifying force among the male Avengers, thereby maintaining hegemonic masculinity and the gender hegemony in the superhero franchise. This article’s focus on homosociality takes on a different approach to analyzing gender in superhero films as it takes an in-depth look at same-sex interactions in a group setting, as opposed to the individual gender identities of the characters.