Critical Race and Intersectional Feminist Critique of Transhumanism in Superhero Movie

Abstract

Transhumanism, race, gender, and cultural identity in early 21st century popular culture movies: Black Panther; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; and Wonder Woman is the focus of this essay. Transhumanism refers to a super-powered human, able to transcend conventional human capabilities and accomplish physical, psychic, intellectual, and emotional feats of strength and perseverance such as extra sensory perception and the ability to fly. Three authors examine how their positionality impacted their experiences of the movies’ narratives, characterizations, and significance. Each author considers their own enculturated, racialized, and gendered backgrounds to contemplate the personal impact of the films as empowering and inspirational.