New Books Network Julian Schmid, "Marvel, DC and US Security: The Superhero Genre and Foreign Policy in the Twenty-first Century" (Edinburgh UP, 2025)
Dec 12, 2025
Dr. Julian Schmid, an academic specializing in the intersection of popular culture and security studies, discusses his groundbreaking work on superheroes and U.S. security. He reveals how the superhero genre has evolved since 9/11, reflecting societal fears around security and surveillance. Schmid examines the impact of comics and films on U.S. identity, from post-Cold War crises to modern political narratives. He also highlights the portrayal of flawed superheroes in contemporary media, indicating a shift in cultural responses to global crises, including climate change.
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9/11 Sparked His Research Interest
- Julian Schmid recounts how witnessing 9/11 on television sparked his interest in the superhero surge after 2001.
- He connects that media moment to the reinvigoration of comics and cinema as reflections of security politics.
Culture Seeds Violence Before Battles
- Schmid argues violence and war often begin in cultural discourse long before physical conflict erupts.
- Popular culture helps construct threats and normalizes violent responses, shaping policy support.
Superheroes Mirror Founding Myths
- Schmid traces a continuous American myth: the foregrounded individual who secures the community.
- Superhero origin myths echo founding-era individualism and valorize violent individual acts for the national good.
