In the idea of a postracial society, we seem to think that if we have enough “diversity” and positivity surrounding race, racial issues disappear. However, this keyword asserts that this is not the case. Race exists in our current society as an extension of power. Therefore, it is impossible to ignore race as it affects individuals and larger communities as a collective. Similarly, intersectionality examines the way race and other identities interact with each other within a largely patriarchal, heteronormative society. For example, in media we often see representations of identities that don’t involve intersections. More specifically, superhero movies focus largely on white men, with more recent developments involving men of color and white women. However, there still haven’t been any blockbuster films in recent years focused on women of color, or an LGBTQ+ individual. This is why it was so monumental for Moonlight (2016), a story focusing on the life of a gay Black man, to win best picture at the 2017 Academy Awards. Our ideas of race, gender, sexuality, etc. are so largely dictated by the media we consume, which is why it is essential to represent intersectional identities on screen.
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I agree with you completely in the way that the media we consume has such a large influence on the way we perceive societal norms. This is especially true with your example of superhero movies, as outdated hegemonic norms are perpetuated by having primarily white males as the representations of powerful heroes in society. Although progress has been made in films of heroism by incorporating women and heroes of different races, it will take much more to truly diversify heroes in a way that will shift culture. Because superheroes are examples of icons in media that children look up to, diversifying characters is essential in order to make social progress and challenge hegemonic norms.