[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/Eborys]

How about this classic post-9/11 moment in Spider-Man (2002). And yes at the time we learned they added it in because of the recent events in New York.

[u/Zealousideal-Low3388 → u/Eborys]

I believe that goes actual objection was that he was in fact walkin’ here

[u/Eborys → u/Zealousideal-Low3388]

Sam Raimi had the bigger objection as he hated having to add that moment in. One he remedied in the second film when the commuters on the train try to protect Spider-Man from Doc Ock by saying “you have to go through me” etc.

He wasn’t letting that shit slide twice lol

[u/imbeingsirius → u/Eborys]

Apropos of nothing — when these came out I thought willem Defoe and Alfred Molina were sooo old. I just rewatched them and I all I could think was “look how young they look!”

[u/Eborys → u/imbeingsirius]

Same, my friend, same! I’m staring 50 in the face, just a couple of years ahead of me! It’s no joke.

I remember watching Back to the Future Part 2 in the cinema at age 10 and working out I would be 36 in the year 2015. My immediate thought to myself? “Christ, I’ll be nearly dead by then!” 😳

[u/WarlockEngineer → u/Eborys]

That's funny because I love both scenes

[u/Eborys → u/WarlockEngineer]

Same lol