Category: Movies

The Four Scenes in Army of Thieves affected by Social Anxiety Disorder

Sebastian is socially awkward as it is, but there are four scenes in this movie which are just a no-no for people who have SAD. The first one is not so obvious.

Army of Thieves

Netflix’s Army of Thieves “safe-cracker extraordinaire”, Sebastian, would have had these four scenes removed from the movie if he had Social Anxiety Disorder. Keep reading to find out what they are.

Imagine that you are a simple man who’s living a simple life working a very simple job: a bank teller. You have your normal coffee routine each morning, you make a sandwich each day for lunch, and you eat outside on the same bench in front of your job each noon hour. You go through the day on autopilot, go home to your small studio apartment, watch tv and hit the knap sac just in time for you to get enough rest to repeat everything the next day.

This daily routine is far from thrilling, but for Sebastian (aka Ludwig Dieter as he’s better known as in the sequel Army of the Dead), it was enough to get by each day. You see, Sebastian possesses a very specific set of skills (no not those skills Liam Neeson) which he crafted and perfected into a specialty. These skills made him into one of the world’s best safe crackers, which led to his recruitment into the Army of Thieves.  

Although completely naïve to the world of international bank heists, Sebastian was recruited and taught by the one woman who he really loved, Gwendolyn (played by Nathalie Emmanuel). After he met her for the first time, his feelings for her only grew more and more, until he finally worked up the courage to tell her how he felt. Ultimately however, the universe had different plans for them both as one escaped imprisonment and the other didn’t.  

Social Anxiety Disorder

Plaguing people with the fear of embarrassment and being judged, Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is one of those awful mental health disorders that is just a fly in the ointment; a monkey in the wrench; a pain in the a** (not literally). Those who have SAD will tell you that it can completely alter your behavior in life just so you can avoid situations where you might get embarrassed, even if there is little-to-no risk of embarrassment. Below are four scenes in Army of Thieves that would not have ever happened if Sebastian had Social Anxiety Disorder. 

But before you start “safe cracking”, click here for a quick look at what SAD really is.  

Super quick overview of SAD: 

  • Fear of being negatively judged by others in any social situation 
  • Fear of being embarrassed and/or humiliated  
  • Anxiety from developing the hallmark symptoms of SAD 
    • Bright red facial blushing
    • Profuse sweating (most prominently on the head and face)
    • Trembling hands
    • Heart beating out of your chest

Fortunately, having SAD won’t interfere with you cracking safe’s during a bank heist. 

The Four Scenes in Army of Thieves that wouldn’t have happened if Sebastian had SAD 

Scene 1: Sebastian makes Youtube videos which show his face 

Sebastian (Ludwig Deiter) just finished making a youtube video about Hans Wegner and the legacy of his safe’s. His videos have his face in them. After posting the video, Sebastian tests himself in cracking a combination lock before going to work. Army of Thieves, 2021.

This is a big no-no for someone with Social Anxiety Disorder. Remember that SAD makes you really worried about being judged and embarrassed in social situations. Now although Sebastian was making the videos alone in his home, the fear of being recognized online by people he may know is crippling enough for him to avoid showing his face. Some thoughts that would cross his mind are:

  • What if my colleagues, neighbors, or friends find out about my videos. They might think my videos are lame and will put me on blast in front of everyone next time I see them. That would be so embarrassing. 
  • What if people leave comments about me, and my friends read those comments. They could think less of me, and I may not have many friends after that. 
  • Could making these videos backfire and cause me embarrassment? 
  • What if people think I am ugly and they leave comments about that. This could influence others to evaluate my looks (being judged negatively) and more people will think I’m ugly. That’s so embarrassing. 
  • What if the topics of my videos are corny? People will think I’m corny. That is really embarrassing and can make me blush and sweat like never before. 

*The key point to remember is that if Sebastian had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would in no way, shape, or form post videos which reveal his face on youtube. This Army of Thieves scene would not have happened if Sebastian had Social Anxiety Disorder.

Scene 2: Speaking to Gwendoline in the coffee shop after he built her in his mind on such a high pedestal.  

Gwendoline recruiting Sebastian at the coffee shop.
Army of Thieves, 2021

In the scene prior, Sebastian just won an underground safe cracker challenge in front of a live spectators. It was there that he saw Gwendoline for the first time. He believed her to be a very beautiful woman who made him feel warm and comfortable, especially after she smiled at him. Fast forward to the next morning and she completely surprises Sebastian at the coffee shop. They sit down, chat, and Gwendoline eventually recruits him for the job. 

If Sebastian had SAD, this would have been a very difficult situation to overcome. He held her to such a high pedestal as he was so clearly attracted to her from the night before. She shows up and he agrees to have coffee with her at the table.  

During this coffee table conversation, Sebastian would be sweating profusely, and would have needed to go to the restroom a few times to wipe the sweat off his head and face. Alternatively, he would carry tissue paper with him and wipe the sweat off while at the table with her. Either way, this would be extremely embarrassing for him as he would notice Gwendoline’s eyes look to his forehead as the sweat begins to form and continues forming. Her taking notice of his sweat would lead to humiliation and would cause him to turn bright red like a tomato, which would cause him to sweat even more profusely. So ultimately, if Sebastian had SAD he would have just avoided that traumatic situation and would have walked away. He wouldn’t have agreed to conversate with her there. 

Scene 3: Speaking to Gwendoline throughout the night while in her room, and at times, sitting next to her on her bed. 

Sebastian speaking to Gwendoline throughout the evening and into the night. Sebastian is in her room and is sitting on her bed.
Army of Thieves, 2021

So we just mentioned that Sebastian has already built Gwendoline up in his mind as the single greatest thing on the planet, and one who he really wants to impress and be with. In the evening/nighttime, Sebastian knocks on her door, enters her room, and they share stories about each other throughout the night. Gwendolyn even invited him to sit on her bed while talking (in a non-romantic way).  

Although at this point, he is a little more comfortable with her than when he first met her at the coffee shop, this is would still be a monumentally stressful and anxiety-provoking occasion for Sebastian. If he had SAD, Sebastian would be thinking the whole time about her thoughts and how she perceives him. He would be thinking things like: 

  • “Whatever you do, don’t sweat or blush. She’ll think you’re weird and she might tell the rest of the team” 
  • “Make a plan right now. Okay if I think I’m going to blush or sweat, or even if I feel the rush of heat going to my face, I’m going to act like I forgot to make a phone call and walk out.” 
  • “I don’t want to get too close to her because that could backfire, and she will think poorly of me” 
  • “Keep your comments and stories neutral. Play it conservatively, otherwise she will judge me really badly” 

Sebastian’s mind would be on overdrive as his inner talks within himself would be focused on anxiety symptom and embarrassment prevention.  This Army of Thieves scene would not have happened if he had Social Anxiety Disorder.

Scene 4: Sebastian confesses his feelings to Gwendoline 

Sebastian confesses his feelings to Gwendoline shortly before she kisses him.
Army of Thieves, 2021

At the end of the movie, after cracking the last safe Sebastian and Gwendoline are in the car and just arrived at the lake where they have a boat waiting for them. He decides that this is a good time to tell her how he feels about her.

Lets be clear about this: no way in hell this would happen. Someone with SAD would not confess their feelings to their dream match. This just wouldn’t happen for one simple reason: the fear of extreme facial flushing (heavy blushing and sweating). If he starts sweating, turning red, and trembling in front of his dream girl, he would be absolutely humiliated. This would be intolerable for someone with SAD. Just the thought of confessing feelings of romance and love to someone who is your dream girl will cause severe anxiety. And add to that the fear of developing SAD symptoms, the chance of such a confession is very low. Sebastian would be better off being patient and hoping she tells him how she feels first.  

Army of the Dead scene that would not have happened because of Social Anxiety Disorder

Being the unintentional comedian in a group is never easy, but what Deiter does in Army of the Dead will draw some serious social anxiety.

Army of the Dead

Netflix’s Army of the Dead has a hilarious scene which would never happen if Deiter had Social Anxiety Disorder.

Zombie movies are quite the popular genre. Although they can be tricky to film and requires some really good costume/makeup, they are generally successful films to watch. Army of the Dead is a unique zombie movie because it groups zombies into the regular “bite whatever you see” type, but also the “we have a brain and a tiger zombie and are way more dangerous than you think” type. This made for a really cool storyline and a ton of action and suspense. We actually got to see the city of Las Vegas turned into a “kingdom” with established rule and structure developed by the “smart zombies.” There was a king zombie (probably the original who started everything), a queen zombie, and their followers. Beneath the followers were the regular “dumb” zombies. Batista and his group were in for a rude awakening when entering the zombie kingdom.  

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) could have had a significant impact on one of the scenes for our “Las Vengeance” team in Army of the Dead. Before we get into which scene specifically, click here to learn a quick thing or two about what SAD is and how annoying it can be. 

Exam crunch version… People with SAD are: 

  • Scared to be judged negatively by others
  • Terrified of being embarrassed or humiliated
  • Filled with anxiety over the fear of being judged and embarrassed
  • Are shy and do not like speaking in public; they don’t like being in the spotlight
  • May have some of the following symptoms:
    • Bright red facial blushing
    • Heavy, profuse sweating
    • Trembling hands
  • Zombies don’t have SAD. That’s the one advantage they have over us!

The Social Anxiety scene from Army of the Dead

Movie: Army of the Dead, 2021 

Deiter, standing in a room with skilled zombie killers, interrupts Mr. Tanaka’s speech to ask the basic question about how to kill zombies.
Army of the Dead, 2021

Scene: Batista and his team meet with Mr. Tanaka to review the plan 

Anxiety Provoking Event: Dieter asks obvious/silly questions in front of entire group, including people he wants to make a good impression on and people of authority.  

**If Dieter had Social Anxiety Disorder, this comical scene would not have happened, therefore robbing us from the already little comedy that this movie has. Additionally, the emphasis on killing zombies by head trauma only would not have been revealed. 

Background

Dieter is clueless when it comes to violence. He has never killed a zombie (or anyone for that matter). In fact, he was selected for this mission only because of his abilities to crack open the world’s most sophisticated safe. Otherwise, he would have been useless to Batista and the team. The prequel to this movie, Army of Thieves, has shown us that Dieter is a boring job, stay at home on Friday night, comfortable from the couch, less than exciting type of personality. He gets nervous before missions, he screams like a little girl, and chooses the worst times to tell a woman how he feels. Simply put, Dieter is oblivious to anything that is unrelated to safe cracking. 

The Embarrassing Social Anxiety Provoking Questions  

Funny scene where Deiter asks obvious questions in front of the entire team, including Vanderohe (middle) and Chambers (left) looking on.
Army of the Dead, 2021

While standing in a room full of experienced zombie killers and bad-ass assasins, Dieter asks two questions: 

  1. How do we kill zombies?
  2. Can we smash their heads with a rock?

The response to Dieter’s first question came from Batista, who is the leader of the group. Although it was an obvious question which provoked some laughs and smirks from others, he informed Dieter that the best way to kill a zombie is by shooting them in the head. He made it very clear that a shot to the head will do the trick.

Dieter, being uninformed about all this, follows up Batista’s response by asking the second question; if smashing a rock to the zombie’s head would also kill it. This question also provoked a few smirks and chuckles from his peers as the obvious answer was a resounding “yes.” 

The Presence of others 

The team listens to Mr. Tanaka’s plan before Deiter interrupts asking obvious questions (obvious in the eyes of the experienced zombie killers around him).
Army of the Dead, 2021

Asking “silly” questions is bad enough, but asking in front of others who you want to get along with and earn their respect makes it even worse. As I mentioned above, Dieter was in a room filled with experienced zombie killers, expert marksmen, and tactical masters. Really some of the bravest people he has ever met were in that room with him. One person he thought was really cool was Vanderohe (the guy with the chainsaw). He kept trying to befriend him the whole time they were in Vegas, eventually saving his life at the end (or so he thought). The range of characters associated under Batista’s leadership really seemed to make an impression on Dieter, and surely, he wanted to make a good impression on them. Asking those “silly” questions probably didn’t help very much.  

Just as Vanderohe describes Deiter to Batista as someone who isn’t “zombie-killing material”, Deiter introduces himself to Vanderohe explaining that he will “open what cannot be opened.”
Army of the Dead, 2021

Additionally, Mr. Tanaka and Batista are both people of authority, which makes it even worse when asking silly questions. People of authority have a way of making SAD sufferers (and everyone really) feel less comfortable, therefore there is a small chance that Dieter would have even asked those questions. 

If Deiter from Army of Thieves had Social Anxiety Disorder… 

If Dieter had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would have been too embarrassed to publicly ask Mr. Tanaka, Batista, and the rest of the team how to kill zombies. Too many eyes would be on him, too many people there would have judged him negatively, and he would have been really embarrassed (especially when he hears people smirking and chuckling at his questions). This embarrassment would lead to the blush face, profuse sweating, and trembling hands.

And since everyone would see his sweaty red face, someone would definitely call attention to it/comment on it, which would make him blush and sweat even more. It is a really uncomfortable situation to be in because so many people would be watching him. For that reason, Dieter would not have asked those silly/obvious questions in public and would have saved it for a private conversation for later. Thus, this funny scene would not have ever happened in Army of the Dead. 

Matrix Resurrections scene that provokes Social Anxiety Disorder in Neo

Although coffee shop meetings can be tricky for people with SAD, this one scene with Neo, Jude, and Trinity would make anyone with SAD uncomfortable.

Matrix Resurrections

Neo, star of Matrix Resurrections, would put his head down in shame and embarrassment during this Social Anxiety provoking scene. Check it out below.

Although it doesn’t really live up to expectations set forth by the original trilogy, Matrix Resurrections displays an interesting story line which dates its previous three films. With an interesting way to bring Neo and Trinity back into the mix of the things, which is to say back into the matrix, we find that this movie relies on its past events to keep its future relevant.  

As a video game designer, Thomas Anderson (Neo) built a highly successful game all about what happened to him in his “previous life”, which is basically the first three Matrix movies. Not realizing that this work of art is just more than mere imagination, Neo eventually realizes that he actually lived this life. Once freed and unplugged by Bugs and Morpheus (still not sure why they couldn’t bring back Lawrence Fishburne), Thomas Anderson becomes Neo again. The rest of the film is then dedicated to unplugging Trinity, who now seems to be “the one” possessing he power of flight. Didn’t see that one coming! 

Social Anxiety Disorder

There is one scene in Matrix Resurrections which stands out as a huge no-no for Neo if he had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Before we jump back into the computer-generated world of the matrix, click here if you need a refresher on what SAD is and just how bad it can be. 

Cliffnotes version: 

  • Really anxious of fearful of being judged while in a social setting
  • Super worried that you will embarrass or humiliate yourself in front of others
  • Severe anxiety that people will notice your most prominent symptoms
    • Bright red facial blushing
    • Profuse sweating
    • Trembling hands
  • Becoming very reserved or shy in front of people to decrease risk of embarrassment 

The Social Anxiety Scene from The Matrix Resurrections involving Neo 

Jude introduces Neo to Trinity at the coffee shop for the first time since his resurrection. Although Neo told him not to, this is the scene where Neo and Trinity shook hands and both felt a sense of familiarity. Trinity even asked Neo, “have we met?”
The Matrix Resurrections, 2021

Movie: The Matrix Resurrections, 2021

Scene: Thomas Anderson (Neo) at the coffee shop with his colleague/friend, Jude.  

Anxiety Provoking Event: Jude forcefully insists on approaching Neo’s crush Tiffany (Trinity) while she’s at the counter ordering her coffee. Neo soon follows to apologize to her and bring Jude back to the table 

**If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would have stayed seated at his table with his head down in shame and embarrassment, hoping that the whole situation would end without anyone seeing him. 

Jude continues to encourage Neo to talk to Trinity at the coffee shop, even after learning about her husband and kids.
The Matrix Resurrections, 2021

Background

Before we get into why that situation is so bad for someone with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), it’s important to understand Neo’s situation. Confused with who Tiffany is and why she is so familiar, Neo believes that there is something really special about her. It’s not just love, but nostalgia. And although he has never met her before (at least, not in his resurrected self in the Matrix), he is completely aware of her. He even coded a virtually identical character in his game based off their previous lives together. A life where they were freedom fighters together, loved each other, and lived and died alongside each other. The ironic twist is she feels something similar to him too. So not only is she just another pretty face, but Tiffany possesses “that special thing” that makes Neo so interested in her. Interested in her, not as Tiffiany, but as Trinity.  

After Jude’s introduction, Neo and Trinity shake hands for the first time. Both get a strong sense of familiarity with one another. Trinity asks Neo if they have met before.
The Matrix Resurrections, 2021

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder

So, let’s assume that the Matrix Resurrections star, Neo, has Social Anxiety Disorder. Why would it be so terrible for his friend Jude to try and introduce him to Trinity? Well think about it… this situation would be awkward for anyone, whether with SAD or not. It’s just an uncomfortable, embarrassing situation in general. Wouldn’t you agree?  

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would not be able to hide the discomfort or embarrassment like others would. His face would be bright red as the blood engorges his facial arteries as part of the fight-or-flight response of his nervous system. And with all that blood, he would become very hot and would start to drip sweat all over his face. Those two signs (Red Face) are such obvious and apparent indicators of humiliation, that any chance he had to get with Trinity would immediately go down the drain. A woman does not want to see a man who is embarrassed and shaken easily, so therefore, the man would not have a chance with her. 

Neo would rather…

So instead of Neo running up to Trinity and apologizing for Jude’s embarrassing behavior, he would instead stay at the table and put his head down, go to the bathroom for a long time, or walk out of the coffee shop. Neo would do anything possible to prevent Trinity (or anyone else there) from seeing him, because of how embarrassed he would be in front of her. The last thing a man with SAD would want is for the woman he likes to see him red and sweaty. 

Anticipation embarrassment is real

The real problem is not just how embarrassed Neo would be in front of Trinity, but instead, the moments leading up to seeing her would be catastrophic in this case. Remember: SAD is Social Anxiety Disorder, with the keyword being Anxiety. Neo would be so anxious and fearful of being embarrassed, that his mind would create the symptoms of embarrassment even if he were alone at the coffee table. So while his friend Jude is talking to Tiffany, Neo would be stuck at the table turning bright red and sweaty in anticipation of being humilated. This is a very difficult situation for someone with SAD to be in and that is why he would do anything possible to avoid seeing her that day.

The Effects of Social Anxiety Disorder on the final spell in Spiderman No Way Home

SAD amplifies the effects of Dr. Strange’s spell on Peter Parker, making it difficult to fill the void of losing MJ’s love and Ned’s friendship.

Spiderman’s Latest Go

In Spiderman No Way Home, we see an insanely powerful spell from Dr. Strange which would be severely amplified if Spidey had Social Anxiety Disorder.

There aren’t too many solo superhero movies that can generate the level of enthusiasm and emotion as Spidey films. The latest installment of Spiderman had some of the most eventful and surprising scenes ever seen in the MCU.

Dealing with the effects of having his identity revealed by Mysterio, Peter Parker went through a whirlwind of sequences. He experienced trauma, sadness, shock, and eventually loneliness in this rollercoaster ride of a movie. The surprise appearance of characters from past years reprised by the original actors made this film even more exciting. Then throw in some familiar fan favorites, like Dr. Strange and Wong, and even introduce a new hero, Daredevil, and the bar becomes that much higher. Perfectly designed and highly rated, Spiderman: No Way Home has entered the MCU as an instant classic. It’s right up there with Avengers Infinity War, Avengers End Game, and Captain America Civil War.

Background

In an attempt to stave off villains from other universe’s, we see an amazing sacrifice made by Peter Parker. One of the last scenes that occurred in this latest Spiderman thriller was when Parker asked Dr. Strange to perform a spell which would cause everyone in the world to forget that Peter Parker was Spiderman. In fact, the spell would cause everyone in the world to forget that Peter even existed. That’s like the most awful thing ever.

Dr. Strange recognizes that the multiverse is open, allowing villains from other universe’s to enter. He and Spiderman agree that the spell to make everyone forget Peter Parker is the only way to prevent multiverse villains from entering their world.
Spiderman: No Way Home, 2021

Although this was a super gutsy sacrifice that Parker would make, he would be left with no friends (goodbye Ned, Flash, and Happy), no girlfriend (so long MJ), and no family (no one left there anyway). Losing your entire social life in one fell swoop is an absolute devastation to anyone and everyone. As human beings, we are all social creatures by nature and we want to be seen, to be heard, and to be loved. Without his best friend and “guy in the chair”, Peter loses the closest thing he has to a brother. Removing the woman that he loves, MJ, from his life, Peter will feel a heartbreaking emptiness inside that cannot be easily filled. Not to mention, his classmates, his teachers, and the deli owner from Queens (Mr. Delmar) will all forget him. It’s going to be a tough go for Parker moving forward.

The effect of Social Anxiety Disorder with the final spell in Spiderman No Way Home

If Peter Parker had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), then his request to have everyone forget him could be considered bittersweet (to a degree at least). Someone with SAD does not feel comfortable being known and seen by everyone. Being famous leads to being watched and observed by everyone, everywhere you go. People taking photo’s and video’s of you while you’re just trying to go to class or walk down the street isn’t a pleasant feeling for someone with SAD. So to have everyone forget the identity of Spiderman as Peter Parker would be a great relief. It would have been a relief anyway because Peter’s life became quite hectic once his identity was revealed. But in the context of social anxiety, this was a huge help for him.

The 2 Downsides of the spell with Social Anxiety Disorder

Downside #1

The first major downside to Dr. Strange’s spell is that Peter loses his love, MJ. The final spell performed by Dr. Strange which caused everyone to forget Peter Parker exists causes an emptiness and void left behind by MJ as she was removed from his life. Losing someone special is always very difficult and heartbreaking. It creates a void inside your heart that needs to be filled. The heart craves love and when you lose it (like Parker lost MJ), you want to eventually replace it relieve the pain of emptiness inside.

Peter Parker isolating himself in a feeling of grief and loneliness after losing his aunt May. Aunt May was his only family.
Spiderman: No Way Home, 2021

Someone with SAD has an incredibly difficult time meeting someone new and, even more so, dating. If Peter Parker had SAD, he would have a very difficult time meeting another woman. SAD sufferers have trouble meeting new people, particularly in a romantic sense. The feeling of anxiety and fear of embarrassing oneself becomes too difficult to handle and they just end up avoiding the idea entirely. It would take a lot of time for Peter to fill the hole in his heart that was left behind by losing MJ. Not only because he wouldn’t be ready to move on from her for a long time, but also because Social Anxiety Disorder would prevent him from meeting/dating another woman. That is not an easy thing to live with.

Downside #2

The second downside to the spell performed by Dr. Strange is to have everyone forget that Peter Parker even existed. This would be pushing it, even for someone with Social Anxiety Disorder. Although people with SAD prefer to be seen less, they don’t want to be completely unnoticed by their friends and family. As I mentioned above, humans are social creatures and want to have closeness with some people. Parker loses that closeness, thus creating a bigger emptiness for him. And since SAD makes it very difficult to meet new people/new friends, Peter would be living with that emptiness for longer than he should. That is what makes SAD so awful for people. It takes away the basic human nature of being social and interacting with others.

Peter, MJ, and Ned inside the New York Sanctum speaking to Dr. Strange.
Spiderman: No Way Home, 2021

The point

In Spiderman No Way Home, Social Anxiety Disorder will just amplify the effects of Dr. Strange’s spell on Peter Parker. It makes it so much more difficult to fill the void of being loved which is craved so often by the heart. Additionally, since SAD makes it hard to meet and interact with new people, you end up feeling lonely for a much longer time than if you didn’t have SAD. Thankfully Peter Parker doesn’t have SAD, but if he did then he’d have to endure the difficulties of extended loneliness.

The Matrix scene which would not have happened if Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would never have “followed the white rabbit” and gone to the nightclub to meet Trinity for the first time.

Enter The Matrix

If Neo from The Matrix had Social Anxiety Disorder, a very interesting scene would not have ever happened.

The Matrix stands to be one of the most intriguing, philosophical, action-packed movies of all time. It has stood the test of time and continues to make waves with the new Matrix: Resurrection’s film. Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, is a combination of a superhero and prophet all in one (the prophet part becomes more obvious with in Matrix Revolutions). Joined by Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus, and Carrie-Ann Moss’s Trinity, the trio enter and exit the “real world” and matrix world to stop the machines from taking over. Along the way, we see incredible, cinema defining action sequences and stories that we’ve never seen prior to its release in 1999.  

Unplug from SAD

If you’re unplugged from the matrix (or society) and want to know about Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), click here for more details. 

The Social Anxiety Scene from The Matrix

Trinity approaches Neo and introduces herself at the nightclub. The Matrix, 1999

The Matrix (1999)

Scene: Trinity finds and introduces herself to Neo at the nightclub 

Anxiety Provoking Event: Large social gathering while being approached by an attractive woman 

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would never have “followed the white rabbit” and gone to the nightclub. He never would have met Trinity there, therefore we never would have witnessed this scene. 

background

Although it’s not the most critical scene in the movie, the nightclub scene sets the stage for what’s about to happen. Trinity approaches and introduces herself to a lonely and lost looking Neo. He learns that she is the one who sent him messages to his computer earlier in the movie, indicating that he belongs to the matrix and instructing him to “follow the white rabbit” (which he figured out is her way of saying go to the nightclub). If I’m going to be honest, I’m still not sure why Trinity didn’t just directly tell him to go to the nightclub. It would have been easier for him to understand, as opposed to throwing him off with the whole white rabbit nonsense. Anyway, the point is that she got her wish and Neo made his way to the nightclub. 

Trinity sends a text to Neo on his computer right before she messages him to “follow the white rabbit.” The Matrix, 1999

Important conversation

Trinity, being very careful with her words, tells Neo that she brought him there to warn him of the fact that he is being watched. Although she wouldn’t clarify who exactly is watching him, she emphasized on a key point that set the stage for the entirety of the movie. The question, “what is the matrix?” sets the becomes the theme of Neo’s story.  

She concludes this initial meeting with Neo by telling him that the answer to his question is out there, and it will find him if he lets it. A little later in the movie we see that he does indeed let the answer find him when he took the red pill.  

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder

If Neo had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would not have gone to the nightclub at all. The feeling of being around so many people, especially unfamiliar people, would have caused too many feelings of anxiety. The anticipation of possibly developing red face symptoms (blushing and sweating) would lead to the actual development of symptoms. He would be sweating profusely and turning bright red, blushing throughout the night. 

Then if an attractive woman were to approach him, like Trinity did, Neo would have sweat heavier and blushed redder. And to make matters worse, he would have started to develop trembling hands, a rapid heart rate, and muscle stiffness. Neo would have been very uncomfortable in front of her. Therefore, he would have spared himself the humiliation in front of Trinity and would not have even gone to the nightclub.   

That means, Trinity would have had to introduce herself to him at another time and place, being careful not to meet at an anxiety-provoking location like a nightclub.  

Eternals star most affected by Social Anxiety

If Eternals’ star Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) had Social Anxiety Disorder, that incredibly hilarious Bollywood dance scene would never have happened.

Kumail Nanjiani having social anxiety would rob us of the Bollywood dance scene in The Eternals. Eternals star Kumail Nanjani, Kingo, is so funny in The Eternals movie, that it’d be hard to imagine he has social anxiety. Especially, since his comical scenes are in a highly sociable environment. But if he did, there is no way in eternity that he would be as fun to watch.

Kingo, the funniest Eternal

Being a race of immortal beings, the Eternals are certainly a unique brand of hero introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Possessing superhuman powers is nothing new to the MCU but being alive for centuries and serving a celestial being is something we haven’t seen before. The Eternals are a unique story living from one ancient society to another protecting humans from their deviant counterparts. By avoiding any interference with human conflicts, these heroes are selective only to the purpose in which they were created; that is to serve the celestial, Arishem. 

Living limitlessly throughout time, you can imagine that things can get a bit boring. To prevent that from happening, each Eternal went their separate ways to live their lives. Sersi, for example, became an elementary school teacher in England, while the science wizard, Phastos, became a father to a little boy in America. Out of all the Eternals however, the one who would have been most impacted by Social Anxiety Disorder is the Bollywood star, Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani). Sersi would have been the second most affected because being a schoolteacher with SAD is really difficult. 

Eternally SAD…yikes!

**Although living as an Eternal would be super awesome, living as an Eternal with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) would be far from super awesome. It would be eternally awful to live with social anxiety.

Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo as a Movie Star in Bollywood

What does it take to be a movie star in Bollywood? Well, I don’t know because I’m not a movie star in Bollywood, or anywhere else for that matter. But I can imagine that it would be like the movie stars we see in Hollywood. Being on set with other actors, making red carpet appearances for movie premieres, and hanging out with talk show hosts in front of a nationally televised audience all seem to fit the bill of a movie star. 

Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) and his valet, Karun, arrive at the home of Gilgamesh and Thena. Marvel Studios’ The Eternals, 2021

When we first saw Kingo as a Bollywood star, he was filming a dance scene with other men and women surrounding him. There were dancers, movie producers, cast and crew, and of course his personal valet, Karun all watching the seen unfold. The cameras were on him, his steps, his facial reactions, and his body language. Everything he was doing was being watched.  

What if Kumail Nanjiani had Social Anxiety

If Kumail Nanjiani (Kingo) had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would not have been able to film a scene like that. The fear of being watched and negatively judged is too overwhelming. Kingo’s mind would have immediately jumped to the harsh criticism that people must be thinking about, leading to the dreaded Red Face symptoms of SAD. His face would have turned bright red in blush, sweat would be dripping off his face, his hands would tremble, and his heart rate would be off the charts. To make matters worse, people would have noticed and pointed out his red, sweaty face, making him blush and sweat even more. It’s really a tortuously uncomfortable feeling and therefore, Kingo would have avoided it altogether and just not filmed the dance scene.  

Kumail Nanjiani Bollywood dance scene in Eternals. This is social anxiety event.
Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) filming the Bollywood dance scene. A whole lot of eyes are on him watching his every dance move.
Marvel Studios’ The Eternals, 2021

The Inner Talks of Social Anxiety Disorder

It’s important to remember that people who suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder become extremely self-conscious. They are frequently thinking about ways to prevent themselves from embarrassing themselves. There are a lot of factors that contribute to putting together a successful dance routine. That means that there are a lot of ways to look stupid and embarrass yourself. Instead of thinking about nailing the dance perfectly, someone with SAD would be thinking about ways to avoid embarrassment.  

  • “don’t look stupid”  
  • “your smile is not that nice, so stop smiling” 
  • “the guy dancing next to me is better than me… I suck compared to him…I suck compared to everyone”  
  • “the pretty girl next to me doesn’t seem impressed by me…I’m such an f-up”  
Kumail Nanjiani Bollywood dance scene in Eternals. This is social anxiety event.
Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) dancing with lead female dancer played by Nikkita Chadha during the Bollywood scene. Now we see both male and female eyes on him. This increases the social anxiety he would be experiencing.
Marvel Studios’ The Eternals, 2021

Being hypercritical about yourself is a well-known effect of Social Anxiety Disorder and really messes with your confidence, especially when around attractive people. Kingo could not perform an entire dance scene with so many on-lookers watching his every move. Even if he could hide the negative self-talk that goes on in his mind, he cannot hide the SAD symptoms. He could not hide the red face. 

What if Wonder Woman had Social Anxiety

If Wonder Woman had Social Anxiety Disorder, then Steve Trevor would have lived. Ares (God of War) would never have known Diana was there.

The mind is the most powerful weapon in the world. So powerful, in fact, that it can even make the dominantly powerful Wonder Woman develop social anxiety. You’ll know if she has it if you see her blush and sweat for no real reason.

Princess of the Amazon’s

As the princess of Themyscira, Diana Prince (better known as Wonder Woman) is considered to be one of the most dominant heroes in all the DC Universe. In fact, she is so strong that her strength actually rivals that of Superman’s, falling only slightly short to that of the Man of Steel. Growing up on a magical island, Themyscira, Diana was raised with the most love and support you could ask for. Here she trained with her Amazonian sisters, honing her skills for the inevitable day she would go into combat.  

Magical Islands will keep you safe from SAD

As interesting a life that Diana has, what impact would social anxiety disorder (SAD) have on her story? Unless you live on a magical island like Themyscira, Social Anxiety can come for you. You should know something about it.

The Social Anxiety Scene that Wonder Woman would need to endure

Wonder Woman (2017) 

Scene: Diana enters a male dominant military room as the only female present, catching the eyes of all inside. She then re-enters the same room again to publicly translate a German scientist’s notebook before harshly and publicly criticizing a British General in front of other high-ranking military and political officials, including (unbeknownst to her) Ares, the God of War. 

Anxiety Provoking Event: Drawing attention to herself by being the only woman in the room, walking into a room with seated people, and by criticizing an authoritative figure in front of others causing all eyes to be on her

If Wonder Woman had social anxiety disorder (SAD), Steve Trevor would have lived 

Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) standing in a room filled with seated people. This is a social anxiety event
Diana (Wonder Woman), played by Gal Gadot enters the meeting room filled with politicians and military commanders. She is the only woman walking around in a room filled with seated authoritative figures.
Warner Bros. Wonder Woman, 2017.

What happened to Wonder Woman during this Social Anxiety scene

Walking into a room as the only woman there causing all eyes to be on her

With a room full of high-ranking British military commanders and politicians, Diana enters as the only woman there. She was immediately noticed by the man speaking at the podium, Sir Patrick. Unbeknownst to her, Sir Patrick is really Ares, the God of War, in disguise. Sir Patrick was noticeably distracted by Diana, which led to everyone else in the room turning and looking at her. While the room was distracted by the fact that a woman is now in the room, Sir Patrick was distracted because he knew that the woman was Diana of Themyscira. He knew that she is an Amazon warrior.  

Berating an authoritative figure in front of a room full of people

A few scenes later when Diana returned to the room with Steve, she recognized the languages in a notebook belonging to the German scientist, Dr. Maru. She decoded the languages in the book in front of the entire room and presented the information about a new type of hydrogen bomb being made by the Germans. In an effort to stop this bomb manufacturing, Steve Trevor requested to go to Germany on a mission. A British General quickly denied him and forbid Steve from going. This frustrated Diana as she unleashed a verbal assault on the General in front of the entire room. And again, all eyes were on her. 

Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) berates a military general. Social Anxiety can occur here.
Diana (Wonder Woman) played by Gal Gadot scolding the military general for cowering behind his desk while he sends his soldiers out to die. Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) unsuccessfully tries to hold her back.
Warner Bros. Wonder Woman, 2017

This scene leads to Diana’s victory and Steve’s demise

Before Diana and Steve exited the room, Sir Patrick publicly sided with the General and encouraged ending the war through an armistice. Later, however, he actually helped Steve and Diana go to Germany with the condition that he will run and monitor their mission  from his office. He even gave them the money they need to survive there. By keeping tabs on Diana, Sir Patrick (Ares) would be able to watch her every move and guide her to where he wants her to go. Eventually this would lead to the battle between Ares and Wonder Woman at the German airfield in which Wonder Woman defeats him. Steve Trevor, however, was not so lucky as he carried out a suicide mission by flying a plane full of bombs away from the population and blowing them all up midair. 

If Wonder Woman had Social Anxiety Disorder… Steve Trevor would have lived

SAD stops you from walking into a room full of seated people

If Wonder Woman had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), she would never have entered the room filled with all those people, especially knowing she would be the only woman there. SAD would overtake her with the fear of being judged by everyone else and being humiliated by their judgements. And even if she did somehow overcome the anxiety to walk into that room, she would not have ever scolded the British General.

Symptoms of Social Anxiety disorder all over Wonder Woman’s face

Berating a person, particularly an authoritative figure, in such a public manner would cause massive attention and judgement. Knowing that all eyes would be on her, Diana would develop the Red Face of SAD. She would blush bright red, sweat profusely, have a rapidly thumping heart rate, and would develop trembling hands and fingers. And just when you think it can’t get any worse, it can! If someone points out her red, sweaty face, this would worsen the symptoms and she would blush and sweat more. There is no situation more uncomfortable than that. Diana would rather not enter the room at all and spare this traumatic event from ever occurring.  

Steve Trevor would have lived

If Diana doesn’t enter the room, Ares would not have noticed her. Therefore, he wouldn’t have helped her and Steve get to Germany. He wouldn’t have been monitoring their progress throughout their mission leading to their fight at the airfield. So, if Diana is not busy fighting Ares she would have been available to dispose the bombs herself, rather than having Steve carry out a suicide mission to rid of the explosives. Remember, these hydrogen bombs would not have had any effect on Diana (as we saw earlier in the movie) and thus she would have had way more options of discarding them than a regular human would like Steve Trevor. There is a very high likelihood that Steve Trevor would have lived if Diana had SAD. 

The Avenger who would be most affected by Social Anxiety

The Avengers’ Tony Stark would be a completely different man if he had Social Anxiety Disorder. Shyness and passive behavior would be his new identity.

None of The Avengers have shown signs of social anxiety throughout the MCU, but if this one Avenger had it, it would completely wreak havoc on him. An Avenger with Social Anxiety seems like a very small problem considering all the battles they’ve fought. But, for this one Avenger, Social Anxiety would change his life.

Iron Man’s iron like social confidence

It takes a very specific set of skills to be an Avenger. Whether it’s leadership and shield throwing by Captain America, precision and archery from Hawkeye, or a really mean temper unleashed by The Hulk. Each one of them possesses elite skills for their jobs. Sure, as a team The Avengers combine skills and resources to be formidable opponents against any adversary (except an Infinity Gauntlet Thanos of course). But there’s more to them than just avenging and fighting bad guys all day long. Each one has a unique personality making them a very diverse group of individuals.  

Specifically, regarding being socially active, the only Avenger who far outweighs all others is Tony Stark (Iron Man). Think about Stark’s highly outgoing personality throughout all the MCU movies we’ve seen him in. He consistently engages with highly attractive women, authoritative figures, aliens, strangers, friends, and large crowds. Tony Stark is the epitome of being social, and as such, he would be the most affected Avenger by Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). 

The Helmet is Social Anxiety’s arch nemesis

**Click here if you are clueless as to what SAD is and why only a helmet, like Iron Man’s head gear, can hide your symptoms.**

So how would Social Anxiety affect Tony Stark?  

Iron Man (Tony Stark) played by Robert Downey Jr. being interviewed by attractive reporter. This is a social anxiety causing event.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) interviewed by attractive reporter, Christine Everhart, before taking her back to his Malibu home. Social Anxiety appears in front of attractive people, particularly when it’s an unexpected encounter.
Marvel Studios’ Iron Man, 2008

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) causes a person to feel an intense fear of being watched, judged, and embarrassed, in a variety of social situations. These situations lead to the awful Red Face of SAD. Heavy blushing, profuse sweating, rapid heart beat, trembling hands, lightheadedness, and other really uncomfortable symptoms will occur. The fear is so bad that it causes severe anxiety, which can consistently disrupt normal daily life. As we’ve seen throughout his appearances in the MCU, a normal day for Tony Stark includes: 

  • flirting with the attractive news reporters (Iron Man 1, 2008) 
  • partying with the flight attendants on his private plane (Iron Man 1, 2008) 
  • being center stage and in the limelight in front of thousands of people at the Stark Expo (Iron Man 2, 2010)
  • mouthing off on authoritative figures in Congress on national television (Iron Man 2, 2010)  
  • hosting his birthday party at his California mansion (Iron Man 2, 2010) 
  • speaking to a group of reporters outside the hospital while making his announcement message to The Mandarin (Iron Man 3, 2013) 
  • hosting a party with big-time people in attendance at Avengers Tower (Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015) 
  • attending a cultural event in India (Spiderman: Homecoming, 2017)  
Tony Stark attending an Indian event while speaking to Peter Parker via “wifi”
Spiderman: Homecoming, 2017

If Stark had SAD, he would not be able to do any of those things. Not even one! The symptoms of developing a red, blush face, profuse sweating, thumping fast heart rate, and trembling hands would stop him from even considering being social like that. These symptoms wouldn’t let him flirt, party, or sound off on anyone on Capitol Hill (especially on national tv). In fact, even if Stark planned on doing anyone one of those things, like partying at Avengers Tower for example, he would develop severe anxiety weeks before the party ever occurs. Anticipating a social event can be really devastating for someone with SAD, causing them to back out and not attend at all.  

Social Anxiety Disorder would change Tony Stark’s identity

The effect of SAD doesn’t just stop someone from being social, it takes away a part of their identity. Could you imagine if Tony Stark was shy? Could you really picture him choosing to stay home and watch tv rather than going to a party? What if he wasn’t so quick and witty to defend himself or criticize others, like we’ve seen him do so many times throughout his appearances in the MCU. Look at the first Avengers movie (2012) for example. Stark was quick to defend himself and criticize Steve Rogers, like in the following conversation:

Iron Man (Tony Stark) played by Robert Downey Jr. confronts Captain America (Steve Rogers) played by Chris Evans in The Avengers. This confrontation causes Social Anxiety.
Steve Rogers (Captain America) played by Chris Evans confronts Tony Stark (Iron Man) played by Robert Downey Jr. while the other Avengers are watching on. They trade disparaging words with each other, one trying to top the other.
Marvel Studios The Avengers, 2012

Scene: While in SHIELD’s Helicarrier, Steve Rogers ridiculed Stark in front of the other Avengers by saying the following:

Steve Rogers: “Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?”

Starks reply: “Genius. Billionaire. Playboy. Philanthropist.”

If Tony Stark had Social Anxiety Disorder, the conversation would likely have been:

Steve Rogers: “Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?”

Tony Stark: “Nothing.” Beads of sweat would form on Tony’s head, heat would rush to his face, and redness will flush his cheeks.

Stark would have replied with a one word conceding answer to avoid conflict in front of the others. He would not have wanted people to watch him defend himself and therefore would have avoided the spot light. Stark would have tried to end the conversation before developing the dreaded red face.

Someone with Social Anxiety Disorder does not want to prolong any conversation, especially one similar to that above. A conversation in which others are watching, is argumentative, or is with unfamiliar people (remember Stark and Rogers only met for the first time earlier in that movie), makes SAD sufferers very uncomfortable. If Tony Stark had SAD, his personality would be completely different because he wouldn’t be able to control the symptoms of the highly uncomfortable red (blush) face, sweating, trembling, and fast heart rate. SAD would change the socially active Tony Stark to an unrecognizable, passive and quiet character. 

What if Spiderman had Social Anxiety

If Spiderman had Social Anxiety Disorder, that daring rescue at the Washington Monument would never have happened.

Does wall-crawling and web slinging prevent social anxiety? I doubt it. Being so young, Spiderman can definitely get Social Anxiety.

Spidey Sense, aka, The Peter Tingle

Known to be a “friendly neighborhood” superhero, Spiderman has surely been around the block. He has fought Team Captain America in Germany, fought Mysterio and the Elementals in Europe, and has even been to space and fought Thanos on the planet Titan. As cool as all that sounds, we must remember that Peter Parker is only a high school teenager. His Aunt May even renamed his Spider Sense to Peter Tingle (talk about downgrading). Either way, this kid has the whole world in front of him.  

Considering Parker is so young, you may be wondering if he could develop social anxiety disorder (SAD) at his age. The answer is yes! SAD typically begins in adolescence as early as age 13 and can affect a person throughout his/her life. Below we examine two scenes from two different Spiderman movies from the MCU, and how SAD could potentially affect him and his actions. 

Masks are the best weapon against Social Anxiety Disorder

**Having a mask like Spiderman can hide signs and symptoms of SAD. Click here to find out what those signs are.**

1. The Social Anxiety Scene from Spiderman: Homecoming

Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and Ned at a party. This is a social anxiety event.
Peter and Ned at Liz’s house party. Being at a party can cause huge social anxiety symptoms.
Spiderman: Homecoming, 2017

Spiderman: Homecoming (2017) 

Scene: Liz’s house party, Washington Monument 

Anxiety Provoking Event: Large Social Gathering (Liz’s party) 

If Spiderman had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would never have had to save his classmates from the falling elevator inside the Washington Monument. That scene would never have happened. 

Background

While doing sit-ups with his friend Ned during gym class, Peter Parker gets invited to a house party hosted by his crush, Liz. He decides to go with the intention of impressing Liz by showing her that he is a friend of Spiderman. He was going to make an appearance as Spiderman, suggest that Peter is his friend, and then leave.  

key event

While suiting up on the roof of Liz’s home, Spiderman sees a blue explosion from a distance. He investigates and ends up fighting and chasing weapons dealers before being air lifted by the main antagonist, Vulture, and dropped in a lake. After being rescued from drowning by Iron Man, Spiderman is seen walking back to the party and finds a purple glowing Chitari energy core on the ground (it fell out of the van belonging to the weapons dealers he was chasing).

The weapons dealers tracked the core the next day back to Parker’s school, where it was being studied by Parker and Ned. Parker covertly shoots a tracker onto one of them and tracks them to Washington D.C. Coincidentally, Parker’s Academic Decathlon team was going to D.C. for a competition and Parker and Ned joined them. Ned held onto the purple energy core the whole time, thinking it was safe.  

Spiderman making a daring rescue on the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. Spiderman: Homecoming, 2017

Shortly after winning the Decathalon, Parker’s classmates went to the Washington Monument, where the Chitari energy core exploded causing major damage to the elevator. Spiderman made an incredibly daring rescue and saved everyone from certain death. 

How Sad would have changed spiderman’s behavior

If Spiderman had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would have never gone to Liz’s party. Parties are an extremely social event that would cause heavy feelings of anxiety from the fear of others judging you and the fear of being embarrassed. Parker would have a very difficult time speaking to Liz not only because he has a major crush on her, but also because others would see him speaking to her. That feeling of being watched and judged would overtake him as his face would turn bright red in blush, he would sweat profusely, and develop noticeably trembling hands. To make matters worse, when others notice him sweating and blushing so heavily, they would point out those symptoms creating more attention and worsening the anxiety. So instead of going through all this, Parker would simply spare this embarrassment and would just avoid going to the party. 

No rescue scene at the washington monument

If Parker doesn’t go to the party, he would never have fought/chased the weapons dealers and thus wouldn’t have found the explosive Chitari energy core. Ned wouldn’t be holding it in his backpack and there wouldn’t be any explosion at the Washington Monument. Spiderman’s amazing rescue of his classmates in D.C. would never have happened. That’s one less scene we would have enjoyed during the movie. 

2. The Social Anxiety scenes from Spiderman: Far From Home

Spiderman (Tom Holland) asking MJ out (Zendaya). This can cause social anxiety,
Peter and MJ outside of MJ’s hotel door. He is asking her if she would like to go out for a walk. She agrees and they go.
Spiderman: Far From Home, 2019

Spiderman: Far From Home (2019) 

Scenes: Peter knocks on MJ’s door at the hotel, Peter speaking to MJ outside hotel 

Anxiety Provoking Event: Asking his crush to go out for an evening walk with him 

If Peter had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would never have found out that Mysterio was the bad guy and thus Mysterio would have never revealed Spiderman’s identity to the world. 

background

While on their class trip in Europe, Peter had a plan to reveal his true to feelings to MJ. But due to the hijacking of his trip by Nick Fury, Mysterio, and the Elementals, Peter’s plan changed. So after essentially ditching MJ at the opera house in Prague to fight the Elementals, Parker returns to the hotel for the evening, knocks on MJ’s door, and asks her to take a walk with him. MJ agrees and they leave the hotel together. 

Spiderman (Tom Holland) and MJ (Zendaya) go for a walk together. This is a social anxiety type of event.
Peter and MJ take an evening walk outside their hotel shortly before discovering the illusion tech Mysterio created
Spiderman: Far From Home, 2019

key event

Not far from the hotel, Peter and MJ discover that the piece of metal she found from the fight Spiderman had against the Elemental earlier in the night is an advanced piece of illusion tech. This forces Peter to confirm MJ’s suspicions and reveal his identity as Spiderman. Mysterio (the bad guy in the movie) learns that Peter, MJ, and eventually Ned found out about his evil plan of destruction, thus causing him to target the three of them, and by extension their entire class, for termination. To prevent his secret from being revealed, Mysterio tried and almost succeeded in killing Peter and his entire class. 

How Sad would have changed spiderman’s behavior in Europe

If Spiderman had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he would never have knocked on MJ’s hotel door and asked her out. It is incredibly difficult for someone with SAD to start a conversation with their crush, let alone ask them out. It’s not just simply being nervous like many people might be thinking. With SAD, everything is amplified. So, the typical feeling of nervousness before asking your crush out is disproportionately greater in a person with SAD than a person without SAD. This causes a whole lot of thinking and overthinking. Every scenario would have played and replayed in Peter’s head, including: 

  • If she says no, what will I do?
  • What if she tells people that I asked her to go for a walk with me? What would everyone think of me?
  • Did she hesitate before saying yes  
  • Did she say yes because she didn’t want me to feel bad, or did she say yes because she actually wanted to go out and explore the city but just needed someone to go with her for safety reasons.  
  • Does she really like me?  
  • What if we are seen by other people from our class? What will they think of me? How would I explain that? 
  • What if I blush and she notices it? That would be so awkward

As you can see, someone with SAD overthinks every possible scenario because they are completely terrified of being embarrassed. Asking his crush to go out with him would run the risk of rejection, which is incredibly humiliating. So, to avoid this intense fear of embarrassment and humiliation, Peter would not have asked MJ out at all. Instead he would have waited and hoped that she would ask him out instead.  

Spiderman’s identity kept a secret

If Peter doesn’t ask out MJ, they may never have learned about the illusion tech Mysterio was using, and Peter and his classmates would never have been targeted for termination. In fact, Mysterio would have left Peter alone and there wouldn’t have been any fight between them. This means that Mysterio would never have revealed the true identify of Spiderman to the world. Consequently, the events of Spiderman: No Way Home would not have transpired.