In this sketch, a ‘60 Minutes’-esque reporter is doing an exclusive interview with Solaris - a godlike superhero who just so happens to be Deaf. However, the reporter has trouble understanding that Solaris actually has any powers, thinking that being Deaf is his superpower.

We've all met someone like the reporter. They might mean well, but using euphemisms to describe someone’s disability isn’t polite; it’s infantilizing and shows how uncomfortable they are around disabled people. Deaf people aren't there just for an opportunity to show how virtuous and inclusive you are to everyone. They're there because.. well they're just there! Like anybody else. With so little Deaf representation in comedy, this project creates space for Deaf stories to exist on their own terms. It centers Deaf identity not as a limitation or metaphor, but as a source of community-generated humor. ​​Your support helps bring this superhero world to life!

This sketch will kickstart The Squeaky Wheel’s sketch comedy department. We're so excited to partner with the very first all-disabled satire publication to bring its video department to life, but we can't do it without you.

Photo by Ash O'Keefe

What do we need? Well production's fully complete. We filmed the sketch, but now we need to make it... super. With a great superhero sketch comes great responsibility to hire a super-talented and not-so-cheap editor/SFX artist. See what I did there? *wink wink* I need to go to bed. We also need the funds so people can actually see the sketch. This film will be distributed on The Squeaky Wheel’s various platforms, and could premiere at the Lincoln Center's SqueakyFest if we get the funds in time.

If you donate even just $10... thank you. If you made it down to the bottom of this page... thank YOU! If you can't donate but do spread the word... YOU'RE SUPER. Be sure to follow our Seed&Spark page if you want exclusive behind-the-scenes content of our very silly set. Also follow The Squeaky Wheel's Instagram and TikTok for more silly hahas from disabled creators!

Photo by Ash O'Keefe

Writer's Statement

I’m sick of people framing Disability as a superpower. 

Satire felt like the most honest way to explore this narrative: taking a familiar, well-meaning misunderstanding of Disability as a superpower and pushing it until it collapses under its own logic. The premise of a Deaf superhero emerged as an absurd and goofy way to expose how someone’s actual talents are overlooked when their Disability/Deafness becomes the only thing people see. 

I also wanted to see my friend Sam in a superhero costume!

I care deeply about building comedic spaces where disabled artists tell their own stories. DEAF SUPERHERO epitomizes that – it brings together my talented Deaf and disabled friends to make people laugh and challenge reductive narratives. 

Even as visibility has increased, Deaf stories are still often limited, simplified, or disingenuous. More than 50% of Deaf audiences say they rarely see their identities reflected in entertainment. And when they do, it's often in a stereotyped way. DEAF SUPERHERO, in contrast, acknowledges the audism that comes with being Deaf, but doesn’t reduce our protagonist to his deafness. And it does all this while making you laugh!

— Cameron Stevens

Writer, Deaf Superhero

Director's Statement

I was drawn to “Deaf Superhero” because it doesn’t ask to be liked. It doesn’t soften deafness, explain it, or package it as something inspirational. It’s sharp, uncomfortable, and funny in a way that feels honest to me.

What hooked me is that Mark isn’t framed as “powerful for a deaf person.” He’s just powerful. And the tension comes from watching how badly the world misreads that. The humor lands because it’s exposing something real; how often deaf and disabled people are either underestimated or over-celebrated instead of simply seen.

As a director, I’m interested in holding that line. Letting the characters be direct, unapologetic, and sometimes abrasive without smoothing them out for the audience. The film doesn’t guide you toward the “right” feeling, it trusts you to sit with it.

— Jules Dameron


Director, Deaf Superhero

Please consider supporting our campaign by pledging a contribution, following our campaign on Seed&Spark, or sharing our campaign with someone you know who might resonate with our film. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for taking the time to learn about this silly story!