What Is Superman's Portrayal Of Gender Stereotypes

During the fight that takes place in Small Ville Superman gets shot in the chest. This blast does not kill him, and he shows no sign of pain. This depiction of masculinity promotes the popular belief that superheroes are indestructible and instills in young children that even when experiencing agonizing pain heroes suck it up and keep fighting.

In Man of Steel Henry Cavill conforms to the gender stereotype that men are not supposed to express emotions or feel pain. When Superman is fighting Faora and one of her accomplices, Superman gets stomped on, thrown into buildings and his face is repeatedly smashed into concrete. His expression throughout all of this is stoic. This portrayal of masculinity promotes the male gender stereotype that men

are not supposed to feel pain, or at least express it, no matter how excruciating the pain is. In the fight scene that occurs in Superman’s hometown of Small Ville, there are multiple explosions and many buildings are destroyed. These actions reinforce the notion that violence is cool and the only way for a superhero film to capture an audience’s attention is with repetitive, unnecessary destruction.
Rhetorical Shaping of Gender in Man of Steel
One of the major highlights of Man of Steel was the change in Lois Lane’s character. In the comic convention, Lois Lane’s identity was usually seen in an assisting role to Superman’s character. In Man of Steel, Lois Lane was given equal footing to Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman. Lois Lane was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. She was a tough, independent, strong, and talented businesswoman. Although she was the female lead character, her characterization was not relegated to damsel in distress, but rather, a woman who eats bullets for breakfast. Thus, in Man of Steel, Lois was given an independent identity, which suited her well in a world dominated mostly by sexism and patriarchy which led to some movie fans claiming that Lois Lane’s character was a heroine everyone deserves.