Heroes remain a predominant part of human history ever since writings were found on cave walls. The stories or epics depict heroes, gods, and demi-gods who strive to serve those less fortunate or unable to protect themselves.
The hero’s journey is used to teach valuable lessons to children and adults. From wanting to help your fellow man to going out of your way to be a good person in general. But what happens when these heroes don’t reflect the world around us? Or can’t people imagine themselves in the place of their hero?
Hollywood always has the problem of not portraying these heroes as they are written. Some of the core parts of these characters change due to what society considers beautiful or acceptable. But recently changes are being made in all the right places to accurately represent the characters that made fans fall in love with them in the first place.
One of the latest Marvel movies is “Eternals” has a cast full of people from different regions of the world. The cast represented the world we live in and has the first same-gender couple to share screen time. Although “Eternals” is not appreciated by everyone, mainly because of the plot and story, fans loved the movie because many of the characters resembled them.
Marvel entered the realm of TV series for the second time, but now streaming solely on Disney+. The latest television adaptation of the comics has been the character Moon Knight.
The character of “Moon Knight” receives his power from the ancient Egyptian god Khonsu. Khonsu’s purpose in Egyptian myths is the god of the moon and protector of all who travel through the night. In the comics, Khonsu needs someone to be his “avatar” or “host” so he can protect those who travel at night and punish the wicked.
Marc Spector was chosen to be the Khonsu avatar due to his experience in military work and hired, basically the guy is a mercenary. While the character is a superhero, he also suffers from a serious mental illness that sets him apart from all other superheroes. Spector suffers from DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Which means that he developed different personalities or alters when he was a child in response to prolonged trauma.
Now the series’ director, Mohamed Diab, and star, Oscar Isaac, claimed many times that the series was not a completely accurate portrayal of DID. This is because, at the center of the show, it is about a superhero and talking Egyptian deities.
But this representation of DID is better than how it was represented in the past. Many spoke about how movies negatively portray people with mental health issues. This can range from depression to schizophrenia and more often than not these people represent the bad guys, not the hero. The movie “Spilt” starring James McAvoy was a good movie, but many people had problems with the way DID was portrayed.
Although the Moon Knight series is not a completely accurate depiction of DID, the series does highlight how a person with serious mental illness will not always be the villain. In this case, the hero.
Representation in film and television is essential to the building blocks of who we are. Stories shape us from a young age and if we don’t see ourselves reflected in these characters, it’s as if something is missing.
Marvel has addressed mental health in previous movies. The third installment of Iron Man, the audience sees Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., dealing with the trauma leading up to the events of the first Avengers film. Stark overcomes his PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) to defeat the latest villain and save the day.
At the conclusion of the Infinity War saga, the mighty Norse god Thor struggles with severe depression. He goes on a personal journey to understand the real reasons behind his depression.
But both cases deal with trauma that occurred in adulthood. The difference between trauma experienced in childhood and not in adulthood. During this stage of development, children still understand and develop their own personalities. So when some children experience prolonged trauma, they may create another personality or alter to help them cope with what they are experiencing.
In the case of Marc Spector, his trauma stems from the death of his younger brother and the mistreatment he received from his mother after the fact. This differs from some of the comics, but it still strikes a chord with fans.
For someone to develop DID is extremely rare. Fewer than 200,000 cases are counted each year in the United States. Many people are misdiagnosed as schizophrenia or other mental health problems because of the voices they hear. But instead of the voices being auditory hallucinations with schizophrenia, when someone lives with DID they hear the thoughts of their other alters or personalities.
Hearing the voice of another personality or alter occurs in the Moon Knight series with Spector’s first alter, Steven Grant. In the first episode, Grant believes that he suffers from a sleep disorder in which he falls asleep but wakes up somewhere else. But what Grant doesn’t know is that Spector actually takes control of his body and goes about his business as a servant of Khonsu, as the Moon Knight of Khonsu.
Although this description will never be completely accurate of TID, more importantly, the series makes the audience aware of this condition. Raising awareness can help those who may be experiencing this and get the help they need. But the battle over proper representation in film also continues.
Representation of real people suffering from real problems is something the world needs more of. So instead of seeing people who suffer from mental health issues as weak or violent, viewers get a chance to see someone like them as a hero.
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