YouTuber josh_from_xbloxlive (excellent name) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq-HDpqQeSw

has his thoughts on why fantasy is being poorly portrayed on the small screen right now.

Man Carrying Thing has a similar video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftP2ihi8-oo

There have been numerous discussions since Disney's 2015 buyout of Star Wars in 2012 (and the slew of poorly received films and movie adaptations since).

The only real good vs. evil banger was endgame, and even that had a sympathetic villain (it was just executed better than all the rest).

- Ever since Game of Thrones (and, I suspect, a number of real-world sociopolitical events), there has been a marked decline in good vs evil stories. Morally grey and 'subverts expectations!' have become so ubiquitous that 'cozy fantasy' is gaining speed in 2024 https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/blogs/the-cognitive-realm/cozy-fantasy-guide-best-books

- I want to summarize a few of the ideas from 'What the Hell is Happening to Fantasy' before trying to understand WHY these modern stories aren't connecting with audiences.

- Rings of Power made the orcs have a tragic backstory because they can't fathom that these are not REAL creatures, but an idea made manifest.

- The Jedi can't be good now. That's probably because nobody feels comfortable writing stories about good organizations anymore. Every large organization is some capitalistic, every-man-for-himself viper pit.

- Game of Thrones was a cultural touchstone because its very structure as a deconstruction of fantasy tropes came during a misanthropic time for the culture when faith in political institutions and ideas of morality were at an all time low

SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? IS SOCIETY HUNGRY FOR THIS STORY, OR NOT?

Society needs a modern myth. The question is these stories seem fewer and fewer. Are audiences really craving them less? What is going on here

Your desire for archetypal heroes and villains, yet with nuanced motivations, reflects a growing sentiment among readers and viewers who miss the clarity of older storytelling while still wanting complexity in character development. It’s possible to strike a balance between classical mythic structures and the more morally ambiguous narratives that dominate modern media.

Paul Jenkins talk about where we might be headed:

Scott T Allison on Captain America:

https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-031-17125-3_111-1

https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/687af384-80ce-4153-8336-a5a9fe4e7913/content