Whatever happened to the Hope of Tomorrow?
Superheroes and supervillains as signs of hope in a modernity of hoplessness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/pl.v47i1.172037Keywords:
superheroes, supervillains, reflexive modernity, hopelessness, constituent powerAbstract
This article explores how superheroes and supervillains can generate and sustain hope within the conditions of a challenged reflexive modernity. The study is based on a critical qualitative analysis of the 2025 blockbuster films Superman (James Gunn) and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Matt Shakman), while also drawing on a broader landscape of superhero culture, including films and comic books. It argues that hope is an inherently ambiguous phenomenon that cannot be located solely in superheroic acts or the restoration of social order. Rather, hope can also be identified in the emergence and actions of supervillains, whose interventions problematize existing social and cultural arrangements. The analysis is informed by Ulrich Beck’s theory of reflexive modernity and Slavoj Žižek's work on ethics, morality, and political agency, particularly his concept of “constituent power.” In an era increasingly marked by experiences of hopelessness and what Žižek characterizes as "End Times," supervillains expose structural contradictions and create opportunities for imagining alternative futures. The article’s contribution lies in demonstrating how both superheroes and supervillains may function as figures of hope. While superheroes embody hope through the act of saving the world, supervillains generate hope through the critical recognition of social problems and the possibility of transformative change that their challenges make visible.
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