If you distill the superhero genre, what remains is an eternal struggle between good and evil.
For most comic book fans, these roles are extremely black and white: the heroes are the good guys and the villains, the bad guys. But as Marvel’s cinematic universe grows and evolves, those definitions get a little bit confused. Now we have to think about what makes us consider actions to be “good” and “bad”. (How to hold an entire New Jersey city hostage to escape the trauma.)
In the academic area, this field of study is called ethics. It is just one facet of the many philosophical concepts that the MCU has exhibited in the past, but it has never been explored in this way.
WandaVision not only did he create a world without a true villain, but he openly discussed the metaphysics of identity using the complex mental experiment of Theseus’ ship. Although the philosophy has long been hidden beneath the surface of the MCU, this show brought it to the surface and used it in an incredibly surprising way that could reshape the future of Marvel studios.
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The Avengers and Ethics
All Avengers are “good”. They are superheroes, this is your business. But the reason for the interpersonal conflicts between these many characters is because each of them has different priorities and definitions of what makes a “good” action. In the book Avengers and Philosophy, philosophy professor Mark D. White describes Tony Starkthe behavior of in the comics so classically utilitarian.
Utilitarianism is the pragmatic definition of “good” in which everything that does most good for most people is the best moral choice, regardless of the initial cost. This is shown in Tony Stark’s final sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, where the only way to reverse the Blip and save the world is to sacrifice your own life. It is not the best option for your happiness, but for the world in general. In the biggest tram problem in the universe, Tony steps on the tracks.
Diametrically opposite Stark in Civil war It is Steve Rogers, who takes his Captain America title incredibly seriously. White describes his morals as deontology, which is the practice of prioritizing duty above all, regardless of the consequences. Basically, deontology is doing what is “right”, while utilitarianism is doing what is “good”.
That is in all of Captain America’s dialogue, even before he became Captain America. Skeletal Steve Rogers says, “There are men who are giving their lives, I have no right to do less than they do.” Most of Captain America’s philosophical catchphrases include the word “right”. Classical ethics.
Then there is the strange case of Thor Odinson. Thor does not live up to a formal code of ethics like patriotism or duty, nor is he as pragmatic as utilitarians. He lives alone Virtue ethics. Apparently, growing up as an Asgardian gives you a deep sense of self-confidence. And while this can lead to impulsive behavior (like perhaps post-blip weight gain), it does show how strong the awareness is needed to live outside a formal ethical system.
All three are valid forms of ethics that work extremely well for superheroes, but are totally different. Therefore, although it may seem that philosophy has just been introduced to the MCU in WandaVision, has always been present. In fact, it’s probably the reason why we had Captain America Civil War. It is these clashes of principles that create conflict that are later fought in battle. But there is another way that philosophy can be used at Marvel – the way we saw it used at WandaVision.
Identity metaphysics in the MCU
Identity is a big problem for superheroes. “Take off that armor and what are you?” Cap asks Tony, questioning his identity outside of his own creations. There is the question of secret identities, such as what Peter Parker tries to hide his powers from his colleagues. But for Vision in WandaVision, the question is not “Who am I without my powers”, but “Who am I, anyway?”
Vision explains the paradox for White Vision through the Ship of Theseus, asking if any of them are really Vision, if both were replicated in ways that deprive them of their personality – if they had it at all.
Dating from Ancient Greece in Plato’s time, the problem of the Ship of Theseus supposes that there was an old ship kept in the port as a museum piece. As their plates rot, they are replaced with new ones. After many years, all the plates are replaced. Is that ship still the Theseus ship? What if all the rotten boards were miraculously removed from their rot and reassembled? Would this ship also be Theseus’ ship?
In this mental experiment, Vision is the replaced ship. Although no part of him is the “original” Vision, he is the one who replaced it in both Wanda’s eyes and ours. The White Vision is the ship reassembled, since it was miraculously repaired and brought “back”, but a key part is still missing. There is no really correct answer. What makes a ship a ship? What makes a person a person?
Philosophically, the term “person” is difficult to define in the MCU. After all, Thor is not technically human, but he is actually a person. If alien humanoids can be called a person, why not Synthetooid humanoids? And if the Vision is considered a person even created through Wanda, then certainly the White Vision is also.
In fact, the scene with Vision and White Vision is philosophically interesting in many ways. At the WandaVision Episode 8, Vision explains how he has always been alone. Now, he finally gets to be with someone who understands the sheer loneliness of being a synthaseoid. So, of course, he will try to find a non-confrontational way of dealing with him – this is the first time he has managed to speak to someone who understands.
The Future of Philosophy at the MCU
Hopefully, WandaVision it is just the first step in a more blatant philosophical conversation at the MCU. In fact, there may be another identity problem in just a few weeks in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: With Steve Rogers out of service, what defines a “Captain America?” Is it just the shield? The costume? The inherent sense of duty? This is something that Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes will have to face together.
But although it can cause tension between the two, WandaVision showed that evoking philosophical differences is not always just a tool for creating conflict. Through talking and exploring these big questions, the characters can really relate and come to terms with each other. It may mean less punches, but Marvel has enough of that for everyone. De-escalation and smart mediation can be your own superpower.
And with Wanda on her own study retreat for now, we don’t know whether she will face the consequences for her strangulation over the entire city of Westview or whether she will be forgiven because of the sheer amount of trauma and sadness she was under at the time. How do you prosecute the only user of chaos magic in the world? Perhaps this is not something that can be classified as good or bad in the eyes of the law, but in Wanda’s own personal guilt.
So Marvel fans, grab your Locke and Descartes, because not only is the MCU going to get more and more philosophical, it’s been philosophical under our noses all the time.
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