Case study examines fan fiction's portrayal of masculine authority in Peter Parker and Tony Stark dynamics, suggesting new interpretations.
Recent Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan fiction featuring Peter Parker and Tony Stark remixes relationships with masculine authority figures barely present in the films and expands them into either platonic mentorship or sexual intimacy. Using a case study of ten fan fictions tagged "Peter Parker & Tony Stark" and ten fan fictions tagged "Peter Parker/Tony Stark" posted on Archive of Our Own (AO3), I incorporate close reading, distant reading, and metadata analysis to investigate how fans remix daddy issues depending on Peter and Tony's relationship. I conclude that platonic relationship fan fictions deviate from normative masculinity present in Western superhero media to provide a space for male characters to express their emotions and develop complex father-son dynamics. The romantic relationship fan fictions remix presentations of masculinity into sexual dominant and submissive power dynamics, conforming to performative masculine tropes present in Western superhero media. Examining two vastly different types of relationships between the same two characters in the same universe provides valuable insight into the specific ways fandoms remediate the source text to explore themes that are only briefly referenced in the source text.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
K. A. Prior (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: