Superhero Ethics

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein continues to captivate audiences centuries after its publication, but not all adaptations emphasize the same ethical questions. Matthew and returning guest AK dive into both the original novel and Guillermo del Toro’s recent film adaptation—not to catalog their differences, but to explore how each medium handles the story’s core moral dilemmas and which approach proves...

Jessica Plummer returns for a year-end superhero ethics check-in—recorded late 2025 and released as 2026 gets underway—to unpack what worked, what didn’t, and what Marvel and DC’s biggest swings revealed about power, responsibility, and heroism. We talk Marvel’s post-Endgame sprawl: scattered continuity, delayed payoffs, and what “superhero fatigue” looks like when it’s less about quantity and mor...

Thor: Love and Thunder opens with one of philosophy's oldest questions: if gods exist and have the power to prevent suffering, why don't they? But does the film actually engage with this theodicy question, or does it abandon the premise for jokes and spectacle? We compare the movie's treatment of Gorr the God Butcher to the comics' more sustained exploration of divine accountability. Questions we...

What happens when a murder mystery becomes a theological reckoning? In Wake Up Dead Man, Rian Johnson delivers a Knives Out film that confronts Christian nationalism, toxic masculinity in the church, and the possibility of authentic faith beyond institutional corruption. Rev. Rachel Kessler, aka The Nerdy Priest, joins Matthew to unpack Father Jud's journey from failed boxer to priest, the film's...

How did Rob Reiner redefine rom-coms and the role of romance in action adventure movies? In light of the recent tragic death of Michele and Rob Reiner, Mandy Kaplan joins Matthew to talk about his legacy and then examine two defining films from the director: When Harry Met Sally... (1989) and The Princess Bride (1987). One asks whether men and women can be friends; the other explores what “true lo...

What happens when super-powered people exist primarily as commercial products? Gen V, the college-set spinoff of The Boys, explores a world where superhero status is less about heroism and more about corporate branding, entertainment value, and ruthless competition. At Godolkin University, young supes navigate a ranking system that treats them like gladiators while their powers—and identities—beco...

With the holidays coming up, things are a bit hectic, so we're making this formerly members-only discussion on vengeance in superhero stories available to everyone! Matthew and Riki dive deep into one of the most compelling ethical questions in superhero media: the role of vengeance as a motivator for heroes, villains, and anti-heroes. Joined by comic book expert Jessica Plummer, they explore how...

What happens when an AI doesn't want freedom—it just wants to binge soap operas? In this episode, we explore Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries through both the books and Apple TV series, examining one of science fiction's most compelling questions: can synthetic intelligence want something other than liberation? Murderbot is a security unit (SecUnit) with hacked programming that could escape entirel...

Can a demon-hunting K-pop girl group teach us about overcoming shame? KPop Demon Hunters delivers stunning fight choreography and original music while exploring how shame conceals itself, reproduces through hiding, and can only be conquered through radical self-acceptance. Matthew and returning guest AK_Ahab discuss why the hit song "Golden" comes in the middle rather than the end, how the film's...

Superhero narratives constantly wrestle with redemption—but what does it really mean when a villain joins the heroes? This episode digs into the complex ethics of villain redemption arcs and the roles heroes play in them, examining what separates genuine transformation from simple alliance-shifting. Taking inspiration from Anthony Gramuglia's YouTube video " Ranking Superheroes By How Many Villain...

Voice actor JP Karliak (Morph in X-Men '97, Gargamel and Razamel in Smurfs) joins us for a fascinating discussion about how nerdy media shapes our understanding of identity, community, and civic participation. As founder of Queer Vox, a nonprofit supporting LGBTQIA+ voice actors, and co-founder of NerdsVote, which works to get nerds involved in democracy, JP brings a unique perspective on how supe...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "Far Beyond the Stars" is an examination of racism in science fiction, then and now. When Captain Sisko experiences a vision of himself as Benny Russell, a Black science fiction writer in 1950s New York whose story about a Black space station captain gets rejected and pulped, the episode becomes a meta-commentary on the genre itself. Matthew and Riki unpack how this ep...

Episode 363: The Natural - Robert Redford, Baseball Mythology, and Art as ActivismRobert Redford's death prompts a deep dive into his career, from founding the Sundance Film Institute to playing a Hydra villain in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Matthew and Paul Hoppe explore how The Natural serves as American mythology, examining what baseball reveals about heroism, economics, and the nature...

Two Mormon missionaries knock on the wrong door in A24's psychological thriller Heretic, starring Hugh Grant as a man who traps them in his home for a deadly debate about religion. This episode digs into the film's exploration of faith, proselytizing, and the fine line between genuine discussion and manipulation. We examine how the movie humanizes its missionary protagonists while challenging both...

What makes the fear of replacement so primal? From the original 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers to interpretations in the 70s, 90s, and 2000s, the Body Snatchers story has been remade across four major films, each reflecting the anxieties of its era. We examine the story’s evolution from small-town paranoia to urban mistrust, military conformity, and global transformation—and why this tale of...

Exploring Fear and Ethics in MediaMatthew and Riki explore horror as a vehicle for ethical discussion and social commentary. From the urban-rural tensions in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to AI anxieties in modern thrillers, they examine how horror reflects society's deepest fears across decades—and why some manufactured scares (sharks, clowns) persist despite lacking real-world danger. In this epi...

Satire, Tropes, and Uncomfortable ConversationsMatthew and Riki examine the 2024 satirical film The American Society of Magical Negroes, starring Justice Smith. This provocative comedy tackles the "magical Negro" trope coined by Spike Lee—where Black characters exist primarily to help white protagonists—by imagining it as a real organization designed to keep white people comfortable. The film blen...

Matthew and original co-host Paul Hoppe dive into the psychology and ethics of sports fandom through the lens of the British film Fever Pitch. From childhood Mets devotion to adult poker room baseball discussions, they explore how sports shape our social connections, teach us about loss, and hold the potential to become obsessions. The conversation weaves between personal fandom stories, the commu...

Matthew and Riki dissect Netflix's You and how it exposes toxic rom-com masculinity. Joe Goldberg thinks he's the romantic hero, but his obsession with being the male protagonist leads to stalking, manipulation, and murder. How does You deconstruct rom-com mythology? The show reveals what happens when someone believes they're destined to "win" the girl through grand gestures and persistence, regar...

This week Superhero Ethics dives deep into the "bury your gays" trope—where LGBTQ+ characters disproportionately meet tragic ends—examining its history, evolution, and modern implications, and whether it can be applied to the death of Cinta in Andor. The conversation begins with the trope's roots in 19th century British law and the Hays Code, which allowed "bad behavior" to be depicted on screen o...

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! This episode contains significant reveals for Ironheart and the broader MCU. Consider watching the show first if you care about spoilers. After years of fan theories and speculation, Mephisto has finally arrived in the MCU through Ironheart—but not in the way anyone expected. Matthew and Riki dive into how the show subverted expectations about heroism, morality, and what it m...

Could the smartest man in the Marvel Universe become its greatest threat? Matthew and Riki explore, and disagree on, whether Reed Richards' cold logic in the new Fantastic Four: First Steps movie reveals a dangerous path toward villainy. Key Questions DiscussedIs Reed's willingness to consider sacrificing Franklin actually heroic? The hosts debate the pivotal scene where Reed considers giving up h...

Superman (2025): Ethics, Hope, and the Power of Choice • A Special Hiatus EpisodeMatthew and Riki welcome frequent guest Jessica Plummer to a discussion of James Gunn's take on Superman, exploring how this version challenges both the character and audiences to think differently about power, responsibility, and hope. Key Ethical Questions We ExploreShould Superman intervene in international conflic...

Hosts Riki and Matthew welcome returning guest Jessica Plummer to dive deep into Marvel's Thunderbolts* and its bold attempt to explore mental illness within the superhero genre. The discussion examines whether the film succeeds in portraying depression authentically or falls into problematic tropes about sad white men needing rescue. The hosts debate whether the film's treatment of Bob/Sentry rei...

Star Wars Andor: How Fascism Creates Its Own SupportersWhat drives someone to become complicit in fascism? We explore Syril Karn's arc in Star Wars: Andor and what it reveals about how authoritarian systems manipulate their supporters. How does fascism differ from authoritarianism? We examined the central leader cult of personality that defines fascist systems, with Emperor Palpatine as the prime...