Why do some people prefer antiheroes to superheroes?

“I may be great but I am not a hero.”

In Deadpool's own words, he's “just a bad guy who gets paid” to mess with “the worst”.

The character of Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool and Wolverine – the third installment of the Marvel series released this week – is not the only antihero that has won over fans in recent years.

They are usually mysterious characters who are neither a superhero nor a villain.

Take Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch), who will do whatever it takes to build a family, including holding an entire captive community in the 2021 WandaVision show.

And later this year, the villain-turned-antihero film Venom will return to the big screen for the third time, as a journalist who tries to protect the innocent at all costs.

Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson, gains immortality after joining an experimental program to cure his cancer, but things go wrong and he ends up dying, leading him to seek revenge to kill his betrayers.

But what about these characters of murder and mayhem that connect with other people more than they do superheroes?

According to 26-year-old comic fan Chelsea-Lee Nolan from Kent, they're just “more people”.

“No one is completely good or bad, so the idea of ​​an antihero is really good,” he said.

It is in these gray areas that Ms Nolan is able to see her “elements”.

“I'm not overly perfect and I don't intend to be,” she adds. “The idea of ​​an infallible hero is irrelevant.”

For writer and artist Reece Connolly, 30, who lives in London, antiheroes seem all too real.

“They go to moral rights, but they make mistakes, regrets, bad habits and bad habits,” explained Mr Connolly.

In the comic book Deadpool (2008), Issue 45, a group of trafficked women call him a “good man” after rescuing them, but a soldier quickly dismisses it, saying: “Well… well, yeah – maybe sometimes parts of me.” they are beautiful, but there are, like other parts of me, umm…”

His unwillingness to be called “good” is to recognize his faults.

The “Merc with a Mouth”, as Deadpool calls himself, is loud, murderous and crazy – everything he is not a hero.

Other antiheroes have similar characteristics. Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, is a villain but has gradually become a man who tries to do what is right, albeit with a sly evil twist.

The “dark side” that antiheroes embrace plays a big role in their appeal, according to Dara Greenwood, of Vassar College in New York, who has spent time studying such characters.

“[They] “It gave us an opportunity to think about the 'dark side' of human behavior in a way that is safe from attack or shame,” said the associate professor of psychology.

That may partially support affective conditioning theory – which suggests that entertainment is enjoyed more when the audience's favorite character succeeds and the disliked character fails.

A defining part of Deadpool is his sense of humor. He is known for his ability to “drop mad science one-liners”, as he calls them, wisecracks and innuendos – often at inopportune times.

Prof Greenwood says that if it is accompanied by humour, violence can be seen as playful rather than toxic, which is “debilitating” with its brutality.

Many heroes see their powers as a call to do good – the likes of Spider-Man continue as fan favorites, showing resilience in the face of suffering and continuing to save, not harm, people.

But Deadpool knows he's a fictional character who exists to entertain others, and he's always breaking the fourth wall to talk to readers and viewers. A 2019 study shows that this connection gives us the same feelings of closeness and intimacy that we would experience in a personal relationship.

Ms Nolan says it makes her feel “involved”, while Mr Connolly likens it to “a conversation, or a secret or a joke we get into”.

To him, antiheroes like Deadpool are “heroes with all the interesting bits left over”

He says: “The chaos, the weirdness, the mistakes.