Do you think the spate of superhero and other comics-based movies (including the Avengers, natch) is related to the rise of authoritarian wannabe regimes all over the world (including here, maybe)? Is it simply arising from the same causes, or possibly a contributor to an aura of legitimacy and acceptance of strongman simple solutions?

This is my final answer….

yes.

I think you’ve addressed an issue that’s bugged me for years - that was the chief conflict in Ultron. Superhero stories are on some level fascistic. I still love them, but you’ll notice that as much as I love the elevated self, I hate the idea of the few being rightfully better than/in control of the many. that’s why buffy shares her power at the end of the show. to lay down the western mythos and create stories celebrating community.

But I still want to make westerns. And superhero movies. The tension between those conflicting views will, I hope, keep my work from becoming a polemic.

Always leave ‘em wanting less! Thanks everybody! Bruce/Natasha 4EVER!!!!

-joss