Super Human Anxiety Flips the Script on Superpowers and Mental Health at Comic-Con

Updated 07/24/2025: Correction on date.

Author: Newsroom

What if anxiety wasn’t your weakness, but your power?

That’s the central question behind Super Human Anxiety, a fresh and heartfelt short film making waves at San Diego Comic-Con 2025. Directed by Emmy-nominated and DGA-winning filmmaker Ashley Maria, the nine-minute proof-of-concept blends genre-savvy storytelling with a mission to normalize mental health struggles—especially among teens.

Produced by the female-led Ashley Maria Productions, the film follows Whitney, a teenage girl whose overwhelming emotions trigger unexpected superhuman strength. When she gets trapped in an elevator, her powers (and anxiety) break free. What follows isn’t just a superhero origin story—it’s a metaphor for the emotional journeys many young people face every day.

“Superhero stories should evolve and reflect the complexities of the human experience,” said Maria. “Mental health is an integral part of that.”

Super Human Anxiety is more than a film—it’s also a movement. In partnership with the national nonprofit Give an Hour, the team has launched the Own Your Origin Story campaign, inviting fans to share how they’ve faced their own mental health battles. Visitors to Comic-Con can stop by Booth MZ-13 at the Children’s Film Festival area to collect limited-edition movie superhero cards and learn more about the campaign.

The collaboration aims to open up conversations around youth mental health—something the data shows is urgently needed:

  • 42% of teens experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness
  • 22% have seriously considered suicide
  • Only 51% of youth with a mental health condition receive treatment each year

Through Whitney’s story, Super Human Anxiety offers hope with a side of humor, reminding audiences that the bravest heroes are often those who face themselves.

Watch the trailer and learn more at ashley-maria.com/super-human-anxiety, or stop by Booth MZ-13 during SDCC to get involved in the Own Your Origin Story campaign. Share your truth. Be your own hero.

Scroll to Top