Sorcery, Superheroes, and…Sad Songs?

Let me preface this by saying that I am the BIGGEST Harry Potter and Marvel Cinematic Universe nerd. I read the Harry Potter book series for the first time in elementary school and my most recent re-read was a few months ago during quarantine. I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen the movies because that happens just WAY too often (my mom can attest her annoyance to this because of the amount of times I’ve offered a Harry Potter movie when we were looking for something to watch). Additionally, the movie series is one of the few that is just as good as the books are and that respects the story of the novels which is something that is very vital to my opinion of them. Like any self-respecting Harry Potter fan, I was majorly disappointed when an owl didn’t show up with my Hogwarts acceptance letter on my eleventh birthday, and it has been extremely difficult for me to accept that I’m a mere muggle.

I became a nerd of the MCU later in my life, and I specifically say I’m a nerd of the MCU and not just of Marvel because I never read the comics. Although the lack of literacy is where my love for Marvel movies differs from my love of Harry Potter, my dream to be a Marvel superhero is just as strong as my dream to have gone to Hogwarts.

So, then, why is it that every time I hear the introduction song to either a Harry Potter or Marvel movie –movies that I LOVE and have conveniently combined into their own playlist– that I get this deep sense of sadness and longing in my gut? I’ve always wanted to either be a witch or a superhero, but these are fictional worlds and qualities that don’t exist so I need to just accept that. However, it’s the fact that I haven’t accepted this that is so important because both of these goals are actually tangible. How could they be unattainable if Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr. and the other actors in these films are living my dreams in real life?

Maybe it’s that childish part of me that is just trying to turn dress-up into an adult activity, but this is another appeal that Musical Theatre and the world of entertainment has for me. Through the singular profession of Actor I can be anything or anyone I want: a janitor, a mother, an accountant, a doctor, an astronaut, a nurse, a princess, a wizard, a superhero. I don’t have to be limited to one profession or even to one reality, because when you’re telling a story as an actor, you get to be the story.

Work Cited

Goldstein, Sydney. “Theme Songs That Make Me Sad Archive.” Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3YjAJz5uWxlOufp2xBbIxv?si=Luj0XapKSLOSYJZ06Y_oxw&nd=1.