Are movies like Cruella, Maleficent, and Joker, which place the villain Center stage , trying to create well-rounded characters, or are they merely justifying their actions? Can these narratives resonate with real-life experiences? And what can this say about society as a whole?
As others have mentioned, it would be helpful to explore the similarities between the villains, and it might be even more interesting to focus on Cruella, Maleficent, and Harley Quinn, especially since they are three female characters. This could provide a unique perspective on how women are portrayed as villains and what makes these characters sympathetic or morally ambiguous. Rather than simply justifying their actions, we could examine how these films reflect real-life experiences and societal views on female villainy, power, and redemption. This focus could deepen the social critique and make the article even more relevant. – Beatrix Kondo3 months ago
I personally love villain origin stories. Yet as has been mentioned, this rendering of the topic is a bit broad. Try focusing on one or two villains, and different versions of their origin stories. Perhaps you could compare and contrast a villain whose origin story (ies) comes off well in your opinion, vs. one who tends to come off as, simply justifying bad behavior, either because of bad writing or because the villain themself doesn't have enough "flesh" on their story to begin with, to justify delving into their origins. Or, you might not even focus on the villains themselves, but the authors behind their origin stories. Example: Disney sometimes does a villain origin story well, and sometimes they fail spectacularly. Smaller film companies, or authors only known for books, on the other hand, have pulled off great origin stories. – Stephanie M.1 month ago