Jessica Plummer returns for a year-end superhero ethics roundtable—recorded at the end of 2025 and released as 2026 gets underway—to take stock of where the genre is right now and what it’s asking us to believe about power, responsibility, and heroism.
We start with Marvel in the post-Endgame era: how the shared-universe model can start to feel like homework, why dropped or delayed plot threads weaken momentum, and what “superhero fatigue” looks like when it’s less about quantity and more about sameness and payoff. We also dig into the tension between characters built for long-form serialized storytelling and the pressure of tentpole movies that always have to top the last spectacle. Along the way, we touch on Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and Fantastic Four, and why some projects feel solid on their own even when the bigger arc still feels unclear.
On the DC side, we talk about the early shape of James Gunn’s new era—especially Superman as a shift toward a sunnier, more optimistic take that still lives comfortably in a world full of other heroes. We also touch on fandom expectations, what people want Superman to be, and why “in-character” matters when a figure has been reinterpreted for nearly nine decades.
Finally, we look ahead to 2026: what we’re excited for (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and the Green Lantern series), what we’re cautious about as Marvel heads toward Doomsday, and how real-world business pressures—from theatrical strategy to studio uncertainty—shape what stories actually make it to the screen.
Mentioned / Resources
- Jessica’s work: Book Riot and JessicaPlummerWrites.com
- Sword Stone Table (edited by Swapna Krishna and Jenn Northington): Penguin Random House
