Den nya superhjälten? : En multimodal kritisk diskursanalys av genusrepresentationen i filmerna Black Panther och Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Sammanfattning: Representation in the media has become a debated topic over the last decade, with many people advocating for more diversity in movies and on TV. After ten years of entirely white male superheroes, Marvel released Black Panther in 2018, featuring an almost all-black cast. Four years later, in 2022, they released Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with Marvel's first ever black female superhero in the lead.  This thesis examines the construction of gender in the two movies, whilst applying a lens of intersectionality. The purpose of the study is to analyze how the films relate to stereotypes and norms surrounding masculinity and femininity. The research question posed was: How is gender represented in Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, from an intersectional perspective, through the negotiating of stereotypes and gender norms? The theoretical framework consists of Hirdmans gender-contract, Hall's representation theory, intersectionality as well as social semiotics and discourse-theory. The research question was answered using multimodal critical discourse analysis. The model “Hero's Journey” was used to identify key-scenes in the movies which were then analyzed based on the theoretical framework.  The study finds that the movies overall do a good job of negotiating stereotypes, with many examples of norm-breaking behavior from both female and male characters, despite the latter being somewhat more in line with the stereotypes identified. Seeing as representation is a powerful tool in shaping societal discourse, this speaks for the movies abilities to create a more inclusive perception regarding the topic of gender.