For Movie Villains, Is a Bad Childhood to Blame?

For movie villains, is a bad childhood to blame?

Many villains in fiction have troubled childhoods, from Batman’s nemesis the Joker to Black Panther’s foe Erik Killmonger. Supposedly, such villains are driven to hurt people because they’ve been hurt in the past. But in DC and Marvel superhero movies, a rough childhood doesn’t always mean that characters become villains. “We know that when you have a hard childhood, there is a risk that you can have more challenges when you’re an adult,” says J…

Do Troubled Childhoods Create Film Villains?

Numerous villains from popular fiction haunt childhoods, ranging from Batman’s foe, the Joker, to Eric Killmonger, the adversary of Black Panther. These villains may cause harm due to past traumas. Nonetheless, within the narratives of DC and Marvel superhero films, childhood experiences don’t definitively lead someone to villainy. Not every character becomes a villain. Jennifer [...] The post Do Troubled Childhoods Create Film Villains? appeare…