What makes a protagonist cool? When it comes to heroic narratives, there tends to be a binary; either our star character is tight-lipped and detached, or they are forthright and obvious. This dichotomy is probably best exemplified as the difference between DC's Batman and Superman. Regardless of all the evidence to the contrary, our shared default notions of the two heroes come down to this: Batman is brooding, a man of few words, while Superman often smiles and is generally more chatty.
Captain America, often seen as a patriotic figure, has also challenged corrupt government agencies, illustrating that superheroes cannot easily be classified on a political spectrum.
The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Thunderbolts*, is boldly and emphatically about dealing with depression, focusing on ways individuals self-medicate to cope with despair.
