Why Marvel Comics Shipped Away COVID-19 Stories?
Senior Marvel Editor Tom Brevoort opened a frank Q&A session where he explained why Covid-19 was never included into the official Marvel comic continuity throughout the epidemic. While numerous artistic sources, such the horror film *Host*, mirrored actual events during the COVID-19 epidemic, Marvel's Superheroes carried on their adventures as though the virus never existed.
Introducing COVID-19 into the Marvel Universe would have been a logistical nightmare, Brevoort said. The long-term character of the epidemic made a beneficial outcome challenging. A single narrative tackling COVID-19 would have to handle its repercussions across the whole Marvel line, resulting in many tales involving people sheltering in place and desolate streets. This would drastically change the tone and tempo of the stories as well as possibly cause readers to feel imprisoned in a gloomy and dreary reality—one they were already living in.
COVID-19's impact on Marvel Characters
Brevoort also underlined how including COVID-19 would have fundamentally changed character motives. He noted that viewers would not want Spider-Man to hesitate to face the Scorpion as he feared contracting COVID-19 and contaminating the Daily Bugle. Although this would be in-character for Spider-Man, it would throw off the usual action and thrills that Marvel readers count on.
Many more Marvel heroes fit the same reasoning. Many heroes use masks, but they would still be vulnerable to contracting the infection and maybe passing it on to others. The continuous fear of infection would cause the stories to be tense and unpredictable, therefore distorting focus from the central narrative arcs and character development.
Pandemic Marvel Comics Reader Sensitivities
Acknowledging reader sensitivity helped to explain why COVID-19 stories were avoided during the epidemic. Brevoort underlined that a dramatized account of the virus was the last thing people wanted to read about at a period when they were really witnessing its awful reality.
Marvel Comics gave consumers a much-needed break from the concerns and uncertainty of the epidemic by deciding to center escapist stories and classic superhero adventures. This choice gave readers a venue for pleasure and hope, therefore preserving the playful and adventurous character of the Marvel Universe.
Marvel Comics Escape During epidemic
Marvel Comics let fans escape the terrible reality of the epidemic and lose themselves in the universe of their favorite Superheroes by discounting actual events. At a period of turmoil and uncertainty, this escapism gave a much-needed emotional release and feeling of normalcy.
Years later after the severity of the epidemic had passed, COVID-19 finally crept into the Marvel Universe; it was done in a more creative and subtle manner, avoiding a direct mirror of the real-world events. This strategy let Marvel Comics handle the epidemic without causing readers' past trauma or concern.
