Why Action Stories Aren’t Designed for Social Change
- Action Stories Are Built for Spectacle, Not Systemic Change
To understand why action heavy stories rarely engage in meaningful discussions about systemic issues, we first need to define what the action genre is meant to do. According to Google, the action genre is “a type of film, TV, or literature that features fast paced action, explosions, and exciting stunts. Action stories are often high octane thrillers that prioritize physical action over character development.”
This definition alone makes it clear why these stories often sideline deeper political and social themes. Their primary goal isn’t to deconstruct the system, but rather entertain through adrenaline fueled spectacle.
This is also why action heavy stories rarely engage meaningfully with social issues. Any moral or ideological debate exists to heighten tension in a story, not to drive real world commentary.
Take a common criticism of superhero films. “They only made Killmonger a murderer because otherwise, he’d be completely in the right.” And yeah, that’s the point. Villains in action stories almost always have extreme, destructive goals because the genre demands it. A well intentioned revolutionary for the most part doesn’t set up high stakes battles, but a villain willing to burn the world down does.
Everything in an action movie is crafted to justify large scale conflict. This means antagonists for the most part need to commit extreme acts of violence.
- A Villain’s Backstory Exists to Enhance Conflict, Not Critique the System
It’s easy to assume that because a villain’s backstory involves real world injustices, the story itself is making a statement about those issues. But in reality, these struggles are just narrative tools to make villains more compelling, not to drive real critique.
Look at Spider-Man’s rogues gallery.
Doc Ock and Vulture are victims of corporate greed, men whose brilliance was exploited by corrupt businessmen like Norman Osborn. But does Spider-Man actually explore systemic corruption in any meaningful way? No. Because that’s not the story’s purpose. The focus isn’t “How do we fix economic injustice?” but rather “How does Peter Parker deal with villains he sympathizes with?”
The same applies to Naruto. Many of its antagonists are shaped by war, corruption, and the exploitation of child soldiers. But instead of addressing these issues in a meaningful way, the story introduces exaggerated, unrealistic “solutions” like putting the entire world under an illusion or building a doomsday weapon to force peace. Again These ideas aren’t meant to solve real problems, they exist to justify intense confrontations.
- Social Issues Are a Backdrop, Not a Call to Action
At their core, action stories use real world struggles as a backdrop for emotional weight and tension, not as a means to challenge the status quo. Themes of corruption, injustice, and war are present, but they exist to create personal stakes for the protagonist and justify conflict…. that’s kinda it.
That’s not to say action stories can’t engage with social commentary. Some do. But if you expect a genre built on fistfights, explosions, and spectacle to offer deep systemic critiques or real world solutions, you’re probably looking in the wrong place.