It’s Obvious that Marvel & Disney No Longer Understand Heroism

Marvel, and more accurately, Disney no longer know how to write heroes. The recent Disney+ series Ironheart should have proved that beyond any reasonable doubt. Riri Williams, Marvel’s latest heroine, was not a “flawed but redeemable” character the way Tony Stark was in Iron Man. She was a conscious villain only masquerading as a hero, more concerned with helping herself and becoming “iconic.” What happened to the days when a hero embodied integrity, sacrifice, and courage? Nowadays they don’t even seem to know right from wrong.

I’ve heard the comparisons, how Tony Stark started as a selfish, arrogant man, just like Riri does, but Tony held a basic moral code. He believed that his weapons of war served a greater good, even if he was simply naïve. He was shielded by privilege and ignorance, not evil intent. His arc was a journey from immaturity to ethical responsibility. He demonstrated real heroism, eventually suiting up as Iron Man to save people from his Stark Industries weapons.

Riri Williams, on the other hand, knew full well she was breaking laws and harming people and it was all in service of feeding her ego. She even steals the super suit at the beginning of the series. Throughout the show, she lies, cheats, and hurts innocent people without remorse or attempts to change course, and even seemingly makes a literal deal with the devil at the end of the season. She was not a hero in any meaningful sense.

Marvel’s writers may think this is edgy or complex, but they’re confused. They have heralded in the total collapse of the ethical foundations that define what makes a hero. When characters knowingly act immorally yet remain “heroes,” the storytelling fails for the audience. Worse, if the narrative does not hold them accountable or allow redemption, it only glamorizes self-interest wrapped in a tech suit and dark magic pacts. Where is the courage to do what is right, even when it costs something? Where is the sacrifice for others instead of selfish gain?

Marvel once knew how to tell stories of heroism. They once understood that heroes grow by learning hard lessons. Is it too much to ask for your heroes to embody virtues instead of vices? To expect tales of those who face consequences for their choices and fight for more than just themselves? Now that Disney is in charge, the people they’ve hired to write these shows and films seem completely incapable of distinguishing a hero from a self-serving villain. That’s not just a gap in storytelling.

It’s a failure to understand what real heroism is all about.

Audiences do not want to see antiheroes without a soul or redemption, diluting the concept of heroism. Marvel and Disney had better relearn what the audience wants to celebrate: honor, integrity, courage, and sacrifice. Until then, they’ll keep alienating the very fans they are trying to serve.

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