Tag: Red Face cinema

Three Social Anxiety Moments from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Ever think that a hulk could get Social Anxiety? What about She-Hulk. Yep, it’s true. Even a Hulk/She Hulk can fall to social anxiety

Ever think that a hulk could get Social Anxiety? What about She-Hulk. Yep, it’s true. Even a Hulk or She-Hulk can fall to social anxiety

She’s intelligent, she’s charming, and she is 7 feet tall with impenetrable green skin and the strength of the actual Hulk. Jen Walters is She Hulk. And she is the best dam attorney in California.

It takes a lot to balance out life of a busy attorney and super hero. For Jen, she went through what all hero’s go through: the struggle to find oneself.

I know – it’s kinda cliché, ain’t it? All hero’s go through the same thing and it can be a bit tedious after a while. But it is absolutely necessary to understand the character, and there is no better way to understand than seeing their struggles early on in their hero-hood.

Well you can watch She – Hulk: Attorney at Law on Disney +. But for now, check out the three social anxiety scenes from Jen Walters below. Before you do, make sure you know a thing or two about Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). It’ll make more sense before you continue.

Hulk Smash!

She-Hulk also Smash!

She-Hulk Social Anxiety Moment 1

She Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) closing argument, which can lead to social anxiety. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Episode 1)
Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk, played by Tatiana Maslany is about to stand up and give her closing argument inside a court room filled with people.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Episode 1)

Show: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Episode 1 – A Normal Amount of Rage

Scene: Jen Walters is giving her closing argument in court

Anxiety Provoking Event: Standing and speaking in a court room while everyone’s eyes (and ears) are on Jen.

Something to know about Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD): People who suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder typically develop major anxiety symptoms when walking into a room filled with seated people. All eyes are on you as the only person standing. It’s the same concept for Jen standing in a room filled with seated people while trying to convince a jury of her case.

Trial Lawyer equals social strength

Jennifer Walters, aka She Hulk, played by Tatiana Maslany is giving her closing argument at the end of Episode 1. Being observed by so many people inside courtroom is a social anxiety trigger.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Episode 1)

Yes it’s true. Being a trial lawyer is a big no-no for someone who suffers from Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Standing and speaking in front of a person of authority (like a judge) and a group of people who’ll decide the fate of your case is not easy for anyone. But SAD sufferers have it worse since anxiety symptoms would take control. I’m not just talking increased heart rate, but more about the awful Red Face of SAD.

For Jen Walters (aka She-Hulk), this is part of her normal job, which she clearly does well. But if she had SAD, She-Hulk would develop really bad social anxiety symptoms just from doing a simple closing argument. It would lead to bright red facial blushing, profuse sweating, and stiffened/rigid body posture. People would stare and make comments, which would only make the SAD symptoms worse. Jen would blush brighter and sweat even more.

She-Hulk Social Anxiety Moment 2

She Hulk (played by Tatiana Maslany) makes a dating profile which can trigger social anxiety.
She-Hulk, played by Tatiana Maslany, makes a dating profile. Her profile includes a photo of herself uploaded to the dating app. Social apps, like dating apps, can typically be triggers for people with Social Anxiety Disorder. This is especially true if a photo of yourself is uploaded to the app.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Episode 4)

Show: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Episode 4 – Is This Not Real Magic?

Scene: Jen Walters makes a dating profile.

Anxiety Provoking Event: Putting a photo of herself in a dating app.

Something to know about Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD): People who suffer from SAD would have a problem posting their photo online, particularly social sites, like dating apps. Making a LinkedIn profil with your photo is a struggle in of itself, so a dating app would be that much worse. It leaves the door open for judgement by other people, especially people who know you (like work colleagues). That’s not to say that SAD people wouldn’t ever put their photo on a dating app, but they would be really reserved about doing that.

Dating Apps make life easy

Jen Walters, aka She-Hulk, played by Tatiana Maslany has made a dating profile and included pictures of herself. This is a social anxiety triggers as thoughts about what others are thinking of you, your profile, your photo, and overall actions to make a profile go through the mind.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Episode 4)

Look, I get it. Jen wants to find someone, settle down, and build a long term relationship. She made that very clear throughout the course of the She-Hulk series (maybe a little too clear). So, living in the 21st century, Jen did exactly what so many other people in the world do. She went online, signed up with a dating app, posted her photo, and started dating.

But what if She-Hulk had some major social anxiety issues. After all, she is a big, green hulk. That kind of attention drawn to her everywhere she goes can be annoying to deal with. If she had social anxiety disorder, Jen would not have made the decision so easily to sign up with a dating app and post her photo. There are too many people out there who would judge her, which leads to even more anxiety.

And not to mention… what if people she knew found out? Like people from her job, family, or friends? What would they think of her? What would they say about her?

These are the questions that would go through Jens mind. Again, she could still decide to post her photo on a dating app, but their would have been a lot of back & forth debate in her mind about it.

She-Hulk Social Anxiety Moment 3

She Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) can get social anxiety while on stage giving speech to audience.
She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) standing front and center stage, standing out like a sore thumb, while giving a speech in front of a live audience. Her speech is different and sentimental from the previous speakers, which makes her stand out even more. This can lead to major social anxiety while on the stage.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Episode 8)

Show: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Episode 8 – Ribbit and Rip it

Scene: She-Hulk gives wins award for Female Lawyer of the Year and gives her speech on stage.

Anxiety Provoking Event: Standing as the largest, most dominating figure in the center of the stage, surrounded by all the other winners. Then giving a response that is completely different than previous responses and does not answer the question being asked. She-Hulk gives a sentimental response speech about thanking her parents when all others respond to the question about “what it’s like to be a female lawyer.”

Something to know about Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD): SAD people already have a brain chemistry that causes physical symptoms, like Red Face, muscle stiffness, trembling hands, etc. So what happens when you bring emotional reactions into the mix? Things in the brain chemistry get more complicated, which increases risk of developing symptoms. As a result, in the public eye, people with SAD don’t want to elicit emotional reactions, especially on an already nervous stage.

Winning an award is always a good thing, right?

It’s super awesome to win an award. All your hard work is being recognized and there is a huge sense of accomplishment. And in Jens case, it’s an award for Female Lawyer of the Year. Which is a big deal. It’s not just a participation trophy, like rec-league soccer (still proud of myself for that btw).

The problem for Jen if she were to have SAD is not that she would be on stage talking. No, that is more performance anxiety than social anxiety. The real problem is her comparison to all the other women on that stage as she stands in the middle. That makes for easy target and easy judgement against her by other people watching. This can cause huge social anxiety as her mind would be racing about what people are thinking and what they will say about her.

The other real problem is how she started her speech (she didn’t finish because she got cut off by intelligencia). After the first two lawyers gave a short, empowering response to the question being asked, She-Hulk decided to give a sentimental response. In other words, her speech stands out from the crowd, which opens up the door for more scrutiny and judgement against her. Not to mention, her response elicits emotion as she thanked her parents. Emotional brain chemistry adds chaos to the already chaotic brain chemistry of social anxiety symptoms. It just makes it worse.

Bullet Train Social Anxiety Scene

Bullet Trains may be found mainly in Japan, but Social Anxiety does not discriminate. Traveling at the speed of a bullet, does not protect from developing Red Face.

Absolutely nothing would change in this Social Anxiety scene from Brad Pitt’s Bullet Train (2022); Ladybug and Lemon did it right.

Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt as Ladybug, is a hilarious action film taking place on a train traveling though Japan. There are a few different characters on that train that are completely unlinked to begin the movie, but we then learn they are all connected somehow. Director David Leitch really put the puzzles pieces together throughout the film as the audience learns why (and how) each person is on that train. Throw in some comedy and fighting scenes and this movie’s train races towards success.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a huge train in the a**. Someone suffering from SAD will always be worried about being embarrassed or humiliated, which then alters their behavior. The fear of being embarrassed, or even worse, showing that embarrassment to others, is terrifying to an SAD sufferer. And unfortunately, when someone with Social Anxiety Disorder is embarrassed, it always automatically shows on their face and body. This would be the case with Brad Pitt’s character Ladybug as he fights Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) on the train. Let’s explore that scene below and see why it’s a Social Anxiety scene.

Social Anxiety is worse than a Slow Bullet Train

Imagine one morning you were rushing to work and were on your last strike for being late. You decide to take a bullet train because that would be quickest. You are completely reliant on that train to get you to your job on time. “A bullet train moves at like 250mph” you tell yourself. “No way I’ll be late now.” You board the train and it starts moving. You realize that it is not going very fast, but rather matches the speed of a car on a highway. As a result, you show up to work late and get in serious trouble by your boss.

As bad as it is to get in trouble with your boss, it’s even worse to have a social anxiety moment in front of him/her. What is a social anxiety moment? Well, in case you spent your life on a bullet train and truly don’t know, click here to check it out. Social Anxiety Disorder causes social anxiety moments/attacks and is the cause of the feared Red Face. So now, assuming you know a thing or two about SAD, let’s get on with the Social Anxiety scene in Bullet Train.

Social Anxiety scene in Bullet Train

Left to right: Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) speaking to Ladybug (Brad Pitt) shortly before a fight breaks out between the two of them in the “Quiet Car” section of the train.
Bullet Train, 2022

Movie: Bullet Train (2022)

Scene: Fight between Ladybug (Brad Pitt) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) in the “quiet” section of the train.

Social Anxiety Trigger: Being publicly called out on doing something wrong, like making noise and then being shushed multiple times by a passenger.

While trying to avoid Lemon’s partner, Tangerine, Ladybug (Brad Pitt) finds himself sitting across from Lemon ready to make a deal with him. He was willing to offer Lemon the briefcase in exchange for his exoneration and freedom to leave the train. Lemon refused the offer because he needed someone to blame for The Son’s death (he realized afterwards that Ladybug wasn’t the killer). So this refusal led to a pretty funny fight scene in the quiet cabin of the train.

Passenger in the “Quiet Car” section of the train hears Ladybug and Lemon fighting behind her. She turns her head to shush them.
Bullet Train, 2022

As Ladybug and Lemon were throwing hands and tumbling, they started to make quite a bit of noise. A passenger sitting a few rows up turned her head towards them and vigorously barked, “shhhhhhhh!” Both Ladybug and Lemon stopped fighting, looked at the woman, and smiled. They did not want to draw attention to themselves. As they continued to fight and make noise, they were shushed again by the woman a couple more times. Each time, Ladybug and Lemon abruptly stopped fighting and “played off” their fight to decrease the attention on them. They gave the impression that they were just horsing around.

Social Anxiety and Attention on the Bullet Train

Both Ladybug and Lemon needed to minimize the noise and attention so they wouldn’t get kicked off the train. Lemon needed to make it to Kyoto station (few stops down) while Brad Pitt wanted to hand him the briefcase, avoid the conductor, and hop off at the next stop. The conductor wanted Pitt off the train because he didn’t have a ticket. But what if Brad Pitt’s Ladybug had Social Anxiety Disorder? Or what if Brian Tyree Henry’s Lemon had SAD? What if they weren’t afraid of being kicked off the train, but rather were afraid of humiliation?

Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) smiling and waiving at the female passenger who just shushed him and Ladybug (Brad Pitt). They give the impression throughout this fight that they are just messing around and everything is okay. This is their way of minimizing attention to themselves.
Bullet Train, 2022

If Ladybug or Lemon had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), the fight scene would have… not changed one bit! Their behaviors matched exactly what an SAD sufferer would do. They fought as quietly as possible, even avoiding screaming in pain, as we saw when Lemon covered his mouth in anguish from his hand being smashed. And when being shushed by that lady, they smiled, apologized, and acted like nothing was happening. They acted appropriately to minimize attention on themselves. That is exactly what a Social Anxiety person would do.

Red Face of Social Anxiety on a Bullet Train

The reason why either Ladybug or Lemon would be afraid of disrupting other passengers and being publicly called out on it is because of SAD symptoms. If they are being publicly told to “shhhh!”, this draws attention to themselves. Other people would notice, stare, and start to judge them. Since SAD sufferer’s are socially uncomfortable with being observed and judged, Lemon and Ladybug would both develop the dreaded Red Face. They would blush bright red like a tomato and then start to sweat profusely all over the face and body. Then their muscles would stiffen, hands/fingers would tremble, and heart would beat out their chests. And if someone calls attention to their red, sweaty faces (which causes more people to look and stare), then they would blush and sweat even more. It’s super uncomfortable!

Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) covers his mouth in pain as Ladybug (Brad Pitt) just smashed shut the aggressively shut the laptop onto Lemon’s hand. He covers his mouth to avoid screaming and drawing attention to himself.
Bullet Train, 2022

So during that fight scene, they did exactly what an social anxiety sufferer would do. They tried their absolute best to minimize the amount of attention that is put on them. In the movie, they didn’t want to get kicked off the train. But if Ladybug or Lemon had Social Anxiety Disorder, they would be worried about being embarrassed or humiliation. Embarrassment causes Red Face and no one wants to deal with that. Better to just sit in their seats and get along.

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 Captain America had Social Anxiety?

If Captain America had Social Anxiety Disorder, his iconic disc-shaped shield may not have ever existed. 

The Greatest Soldier in History

It’s hard to imagine it, but what if Captain America actually had Social Anxiety Disorder?

Captain America is one of the most popular superheroes in the world. As the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Steve Rogers has become a global icon. Known for his righteous character, patriotic attire, and indestructible circular shield, his unique story is captivating. He was born in 1918, grew up as a slim and puny kid, and became the world’s first superhero after being inoculated with a super soldier serum. He was then frozen for nearly 70 years when he succeeded in saving the world back in 1945. Cap’s story sure is an interesting one as we’ve seen on the big screen for the past 10 years.  

If Captain America had social anxiety disorder (SAD), would that have affected him at all? Would SAD have altered the course of events that went on in his life? Below we will examine three scenes of Captain America taken from movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  

Know About SAD

**A vibranium shield would be great for protecting yourself during battle, but not from hiding signs/symptoms of SAD. Click here to see what those are.**

1. Social Anxiety scene from Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America double date. This provokes social anxiety
Steve Rogers on a double date with best friend Bucky Barnes at Stark Expo. His attention is clearly not on the date and his date seems to be even less interested in him.
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) 

Scene: Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes at the Stark Expo, “Don’t do anything stupid until I get back” conversation

Anxiety Provoking Event: Steve Rogers going on a double date at a large social event 

If Steve Rogers had Social Anxiety Disorder, he would never have received the super soldier serum, therefore would never have been Captain America.  

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While on a double (blind) date with his best friend Bucky at the Stark Expo, Steve Rogers was overheard discussing his immense desire to serve in the army and help his fellow Americans in the war against the Nazi’s. He mentioned to Bucky that “there are men laying down their lives” and he has “no right to do any less than them.” Dr. Erskine overheard this discussion and kept his eye on Steve.  

Steve Rogers talking to Bucky, while Dr. Erskine overhears the conversation in the background.
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011

After the now infamous conclusion to their conversation: 

Bucky: “Don’t do anything stupid until I get back” 

Steve: “How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” 

While at the army enlistment medical office, Steve was about to undergo the standard physical examination when suddenly the physician left, and Dr. Erskine entered the room. Steve and Dr. Erskine briefly spoke about Steve’s intentions if enlisted, and afterwards Erskine was quick to approve him for army service. This led to Steve’s inoculation of Dr. Erskine’s super soldier serum, which converted Steve Rogers into Captain America. 

Steve Rogers meets Dr. Erskine at the military recruitment clinic.
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011

Social Anxiety would alter Steve Rogers’ behavior

If Steve Rogers had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), he never would have gone on a double date with Bucky to the Stark Expo, particularly a blind date. SAD would have created an abnormally high level of anxiety from the immense fear of meeting a girl and going on a blind date. The fear of being embarrassed and humiliated would create physical symptoms, particularly profuse sweating, heavy facial blushing, rapid heart rate, and trembling hands. He may even feel nauseous and lightheaded.  

effect of being on a date with sad

Steve would then worry about how she would think of him. Her judgement of him would occupy his mind throughout the duration of their date. And if he experienced the physical symptoms of Red Face (heavy blushing and sweating), then the fear of her and others noticing would be devastating to him. People who notice others’ blushing and sweating typically call attention to it. This would severely worsen the symptoms as redness and moisture will significantly increase causing a very high degree of humiliation to the SAD sufferer. This would be considered a traumatic event. 

Steve Rogers would not have been selected to be captain America

So, to avoid this potentially traumatic event from occurring, Steve would not have even gone on that double date. This means that Dr. Erskine wouldn’t have heard his conversation with Bucky at the Expo, and therefore would never have chosen Steve to be inoculated and become Captain America. Eventually, there may have been someone else chosen, but that person’s name would not be Steve Rogers. 

2. Other Social Anxiety Scene from Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America speaking up at movies theater and drawing attention to himself. This is social anxiety triggering
Steve Rogers telling the loud movie-goer to keep quiet shortly before being taken outside and beaten up. Social Anxiety would prevent Rogers from speaking up in a packed theatre and drawing attention to himself.
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) 

Scene: The movie theater scene, the alley fight scene 

Anxiety Provoking Event: Arguing/shouting inside a movie theater 

If Captain America had Social Anxiety Disorder, the iconic disc-shaped shield of Captain America may not have ever existed. 

background

At the beginning of Captain America: The First Avenger, we see Steve Rogers in the movie theater watching Uncle Sam advertisements to join the army and fight in the war. In the background, we hear an obnoxious man continuously shouting to start the movie, even going as far as to say “who cares! Start the cartoon!”. This utter disrespect wasn’t to be taken lightly be Rogers as he told the man,  
“Hey, you want to shut up?!”  

Steve Rogers picks up trash can lid and uses it as a shield while getting beat up outside of the movie theater.
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011

Cutting to the very next scene, Rogers is in the alley way outside the movie theater getting the sh*t beat out of him. After having his face used as a punching bag, Steve picks up a silver disc-shaped trash can lid and briefly uses it as a shield. The man rips it out of his hands and barks, “you just don’t know when to give up, do you?” Rogers then replies with, the now infamous line which we’ve heard again in Avengers End Game, “I can do this all day.”  

At this moment, we learn two things:  

  1. Steve Rogers prefers a shield, specifically a disc-shaped one  
  1. He has heart like Rocky Balboa, as he just keeps getting back up for more.  

Although short-lived, the trash can lid which Rogers picked up and used as a shield is symbolic of the famous Captain America shield which he wields throughout his time in the MCU. He chose the design of the shield midway through the movie when he handed the spec sheet over to Howard Stark.  

SAD would again change Steve Rogers’ behavior

If Steve Rogers had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), would he have ever picked up that trash can lid? No, he wouldn’t have! In fact, the fight scene in the alley way would have never happened. Someone with Social Anxiety Disorder would never have shouted back in a movie theater, even if he were justified. The intense fear of drawing attention to yourself and being judged by others is too overwhelming. That means Rogers would not have had the knuckle sandwich served by the man and the idea of using a circular, disc-shaped shield would never have been foreshadowed. Rogers’ shield would likely have remained the large, clunky, traditional shape (found in the Seal of the United States), instead of the disc-shaped one he tried out in the alley way. Yea, good luck throwing that around. 

3. Social Anxiety Scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron

Captain America (Steve Rogers) attending a party in Avengers Age of Ultron. This is a social anxiety trigger.
Party at Avengers Tower in New York City. Avengers are celebrating after finally recovering Loki’s scepter (Mind Stone)
Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Scenes: The party at Avengers Tower scene where the Avengers took turns trying to lift Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer 

Anxiety Provoking Event: Attending a large social gathering with prominent figures in attendance  

If Captain America had Social Anxiety Disorder, he may not have learned that he is worthy of wielding Mjolnir, and thus would not have used it against Thanos in Avengers: End Game. 

background

After capturing Loki’s scepter early in the movie, Tony Stark held a party at Avengers tower in New York City. There were a lot of people there enjoying drinks, telling stories, and interacting with each other. At the end of the night, the only people remaining at the party were the Avengers and Dr. Helen Cho (world-renowned geneticist).

In a playful game to determine who is worthy of lifting Thor’s hammer (Mjolnir), each Avenger attempted and failed at lifting the mystical weapon. But something very interesting happened when Captain America tried to lift it: the hammer actually moved ever-so-slightly. At this point, Captain America knew that he is worthy of possessing the hammer, but no one else realized that. In a complete act of selflessness, he spared the proud and fragile ego of Thor and kept his worthiness quiet.  

Captain America (Steve Rogers) lifting Thor's Hammer in front of the Avengers. This is a social anxiety trigger
Steve Rogers attempts to lift Mjolnir (Thor’s hammer) while at the Avengers Tower party. Unlike all the other Avengers, Cap is actually able to barely and slightly move the hammer.
Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015

the fight against thanos

Fast forward a few years to Avengers: End Game, we see Captain America wield Mjolnir to save Thor’s life in the fight against Thanos. In fact, not only did he lift and wield Mjolnir, but he also possessed the power of thunder and lightning (Thor’s power). Cap kept his worthiness of lifting the hammer a secret and only unveiled it during the fight of his life (and Thor’s life). He used the hammer and lightning strikes in a desperate attempt to defeat Thanos, and although Thanos was still able to overcome Cap’s new power, it did hold him off long enough for the portals to open and bring Black Panther, Falcon, Spiderman, and all other heroes of the MCU to join the fight. This led to the defeat of the mad Titan and his army. 

captain america would never have known that he could lift Thor’s hammer

If Captain America had SAD, he wouldn’t have known that he was worthy of wielding Mjolnir and possessing Thor’s power. He never even would have made it to the party at Avengers Tower. People who have SAD tend to avoid large gatherings, like a party, especially if there are celebrity type figures there. And if they suck it up and go, they must endure the uncomfortable feeling of anxiety of being embarrassed the whole time. This causes them to isolate themselves frequently and leave the party early without notice.

With SAD, Captain America likely wouldn’t have attended the party. If he did, he would not have stayed long enough to play the “lift Mjolnir” game with the other Avengers. Unaware of his worthiness to wield Mjolnir, Cap would not have been able to save Thor or build any momentum against Thanos in Avengers: End Game. This could have altered the fight against the mad Titan in, possibly even leading to a different outcome.