The Diegetic Purpose of Humor in Superhero Media

Abstract

Superheroes draw fans in with their fantastic powers, but also their humanizing personalities. Humor is one such trait often used to endear viewers of superhero media to the title characters. However, why do these characters maintain their witty personas and cheerful nature as they fight against evil? This question may seem to have a few simple answers, but there is a lack of research explaining the in-depth psychological reasoning for humor in the context of a superhero’s reality. This study investigates the multiple roles humor can play in a hero’s development as a human being. By studying the psychology of humor and then connecting it to dozens of examples of wit from superhero media, the intricacy of humor becomes clear. A wise-cracking hero is not just a way to make a fan chuckle. Their different forms of wit shape their growth, relationships, resilience, performance in adversity, and much more. These revelations in the diegetic context of superhero media are then applied to an original animation that is created to highlight the power of humor. Together, the research and applicative examples can serve as a guide on how to perceive funny fictional characters more thoroughly and apply the rationale from the study to improve the writing of humorous characters during the creation of new stories