Last week, I was listening to a podcast that argued that unlike heroes of times past that represented a moral ideal, fictional heroes today tend to be morally-grey antiheroes.

I've heard this idea several times within Christian circles.

The thing is...it's not really true? If you look at many of the most popular stories today, they tend, by-and-large, to be about flawed but noble characters striving to be heroic.

Most MCU heroes believe in virtue! As do most Star Wars protagonists. They even changed Boba Fett to make him more heroic for his show.

Something I've been thinking about since watching #WakandaForever is how much of the film, whether intentionally or not, mirrors one of the greatest war epics ever written: Homer's Iliad. Both stories feature a clash of two rival civilizations. And, more importantly, while featuring a large cast of main characters, both stories focus on a protagonist who has to grapple with the loss of everything they hold dear in life.

One of my pet peeves lately has been the number of critics speaking dismissively of a work just because it engages in too much "fan service."

1/ You see the charge lobbed against #NoWayHome. "It's just a fan service film!" Similarly against the worldbuilding of #TheBookofBobaFett. And, of course, against the whole story of #Endgame as well. The movies have big fan-pleasing moments; therefore, there must be a problem. 2/

Comparing this shot from the new #EpisodeIX trailer with this one from Episode 8 says a lot about Abrams' & Johnson's different approaches to symbolism--and why I prefer Abrams' use over Johnson's, even though Johnson's is arguably deeper. (THREAD) Just look at that scene of Rey, Poe, and Finn overlooking the shattered Death Star there. Bask in it for a moment and feel the ominousness seeping through the setting. A /ton/ of emotions are being conveyed through that 3-second shot. 2/