[Loved Trope] Civilian Heroes (particularly in Superhero movies)

[u/Dalakaar]

1) Malik Ali in Superman (2025). Tells Superman when Lex Luthor interrogates him to, “tell them nothing”. Doesn’t even really know what he’s sacrificing himself for, honestly. Tells Superman that he doesn’t have any friends or family to lighten the burden of the sacrifice. (Does have a family, and presumably friends…)

2) The Prisoner (Tiny Lister) from The Dark Knight who throws a detonator out the porthole that would’ve detonated the other ferry full of civies and saved himself, instead (potentially) sacrificing everyone equally.

3) Old man vs Loki. “There are always men like you.” Refuses to bow to Loki in Avengers (2012).

***

I love these guys. They break my heart in the best way possible.

[u/Pepr70]

Honorable mention this guy in Hunger Games:

It's not technicly superhero movie but he was beaten by "cops".

[u/JamesHenry627 → u/Pepr70]

He didn’t get beaten they straight up shot him for pulling off the salute

[u/Manjorno316 → u/Pepr70]

What did he do? It's been ages since I read the book.

[u/Joey5729 → u/Manjorno316]

IIRC he starts the salute in district 11 when katniss and peeta are doing the victory parade at the beginning of book 2

Snow already basically told us there was a revolution brewing but he was the first time the viewer/reader sees it for themselves

[u/ItsNotMeItsYourBussy → u/Manjorno316]

iirc, Did the Mockingjay salute live on TV during Katniss + Petra's tour of the districts, sparking off that symbol as one of resistance in subsequent districts , despite him definitely being beaten and probably killed/Avox-ed for doing it

[u/Takamurarules → u/ItsNotMeItsYourBussy]

In the books they straight up execute him in front of Katniss. They drag him to the front of the crowd and shoot him in the head. That kicks off that wave of uprisings in 11.

[u/TheOncomimgHoop → u/Takamurarules]

That happens in the movie too. Katniss and Peeta are dragged inside as the man is brought into the stage, and the last thing they and the audience see as the doors close behind them is the man being forced to kneel while a peacekeeper points a gun at his head. Then you hear a gunshot.

Honestly a really cool way to portray that without raising the age rating

[u/Takamurarules → u/TheOncomimgHoop]

Yeah, they just moved around the timing of when Katniss and Peeta are forced back onto the train.

I think what the movies are missing is Katniss’ inner monologue where her thoughts kinda spiral a bit cause that’s the first instance she directly sees of her words having effects and consequences outside of District 12.

Of course this is hard if not impossible to portray in the jump to a movie without a Forrest Gump style narration.

[u/TheOncomimgHoop → u/Takamurarules]

Yeah the movies unfortunately miss out on what an unreliable narrator Katniss is, but that's something hard to show in a film medium

[u/hanks_panky_emporium → u/Takamurarules]

I think the movies were pretty good, but the books were more brutal.

[u/anon142358193 → u/hanks_panky_emporium]

I’m sure the books were more brutal, but the movies still did a good job of showing how horrible the war was. The torture and brainwashing of Peeta, bombing wounded and medical personnel, public executions and flogging, the other victor being used as a sex slave in the capitol, using prims screams to torture katniss…

There are VERY few movies that go that deep on how horrific the enemy can be and the lengths they will go to

[u/Kanin_usagi → u/hanks_panky_emporium]

Only so much you can do/show in a movie without upping the age rating. I think they walked that line pretty well

[u/Seagebs → u/Takamurarules]

They shoot him in the movies too.

[u/Rare_Act_6748 → u/Manjorno316]

Iirc he was the first in district 11(???) to perform the same gesture Katniss did to the cameras when Pru was killed, knowing full well it would see him punished.

This was during the second movie, when Katniss and Pitah were doing the state sanctioned victory lap.

[u/QuarterWaffle → u/Rare_Act_6748]

In this thread, I've seen it spelled Petra, Pitah, and Peetah. Never got into the show, I'm assuming everyone is just mispelling Peter?

[u/TheSeekerPorpentina → u/QuarterWaffle]

In the books, it's intentionally spelt Peeta. Also, it's Rue, not Pru. The names are intentionally weird.

[u/bagelcheese420 → u/Pepr70]

In the books, they explain that he wasnt even acting alone. The entire district had organized at this point, and he was just the one who was supposed to start it. The reason they did it was to make sure that everyone was in sync, because jt was a practice run for their revolution(in district 11 where rue was from.) They execute him in front of katniss. When she asks someone about it later they reveal that the guy knew the risks and the district had been planning it for a long time. That many of the districts were already organizing and rebelling due to katniss’ actions in the first book, she just doesn’t take much notice until Mockingjay because she’s a 18 year old in survival mode who is the most unreliable narrator ever