LISTEN TO THE PLUGGED IN SHOW, EPISODE 284
Ever since the release of Iron Man way back in 2008, a Marvel movie has always heralded the beginning of the summer blockbuster season. But this year’s Marvel entry is a little different.
Thunderbolts* brings together a lot of characters who’ve spent time as villains. John Walker was a failed Captain America who tangled with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in, well, Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Ava Starr, a.k.a. Ghost, was a baddie in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Yelena Bulova spent a good chunk of Black Widow crossing her big sis. Even Bucky Barnes—arguably the most heroic of the bunch—nearly killed his best friend in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
“We’re losers!” Yelena says in Thunderbolts*. But these folks could be better described as antiheroes, a catch-all descriptor for deeply flawed characters who sometimes do good things.
And that begs the question of our Plugged In team. What is a hero, anyway? Is it about the power you wield? The great deeds you do? Is there another definition of heroism that movies don’t always portray, or even understand?
Bob Hoose, Emily Tsiao and Adam Holz join me for an enlightening, sometimes provocative conversation on what makes a hero. And spoiler warning: I basically switch my own definition during the course of our conversation.
And then we turn our attention to another sort of antihero: The artificial intelligence agent. Sure, they can do a lot for us, from talking with our customers to buying groceries. But might they have a dark side themselves? Adam, Emily and Bob will give us their own thoughts.
And then, as always, we’d like to hear yours. What is a hero? And who is yours? Tell us on social media (Instagram, Facebook and YouTube). Leave us a voice message at The Plugged In Show homepage, or write to us at team@theshow.com. You can even talk to us in the comments section below if you want. We’re pretty flexible.
And then join us again next week, when we dive into The Handmaid’s Tale, the new Hunger Gamesbook and the prickly problems with dystopian dramas.
The post Episode 284: Thunderbolts and What Makes a Hero. Plus, the Rise of AI Agents. appeared first on Plugged In.
