Over the summer holidays, a superhero moved into my home.
Some days, The Incredible Hulk was in my kitchen, other days it was Spiderman in the lounge, and on several occasions Puss in Boots made an appearance on the back deck (some may argue that Puss in Boots is not a superhero, but in our house, we have decided that he is).
This superhero didn’t just move in, he also ventured out of the house to places like the beach where he strutted up Hastings Street as Hulk; Spiderman roamed the aisles of our local grocery store; Puss in Boots ‘sailed’ the Brisbane River on a City Cat with his cape billowing out behind him.
This superhero is my four-year-old son.
As I watch my son don his superhero cape or his Hulk mask or his ‘Spidey’ web shooters, I see him exploring the different identities and roles of the various heroes that he has come to grow, love and respect. Through this imaginary play, he’s developing a sense of self and discovering his own strengths and abilities. He’s also developing his sense of right and wrong, superhero and villain, and, ultimately, good and bad.
My son hasn’t been exposed to any of the new Marvel superhero films that some of our older boys enjoy, but we do read the age-appropriate books that detail the superheroes’ journeys, and surprisingly, The Incredible Hulk is his favourite.
When this became evident, I was concerned because all I knew about the Hulk was that he was an angry, green monster who liked to smash things. It turns out that there is more to the Hulk than what I first realised. Bruce Banner is a scientist and his transformation into The Incredible Hulk is the result of a science experiment going wrong. Hulk is a character who has enormous potential.
Hulk is not just a character in a comic book; he’s also a symbol of resilience and empathy – qualities that we hope to instil in all of our boys. By embracing the Hulk and other superheroes in their play, our younger boys are learning valuable lessons about identity, social expression and empowerment that will shape them into confident, compassionate, and resilient individuals.
While our older boys may not dress up in costumes anymore, they still engage with these superheroes through film, comics, graphic novels and other media. These stories provide them with heroes to admire, lessons to learn and a sense of connection to something greater than themselves. Whether they’re watching the latest Marvel blockbuster or discussing comic books with their friends, the boys are tapping into that same sense of wonder and inspiration that superhero play offers younger boys.
Catherine Cuddihy
Dean of Academics