#533 Captain America: Evolving with the nation’s mood

Kirby-Captain-America

Over the decades, Captain America has changed his name, changed his costume, changed his mission, and been temporarily replaced by others. These changes, and other story developments, have often reflected changes in the national mood, such as post-Watergate malaise or the struggle to understand why 9/11 happened and how the U.S. should respond to it.

In this episode, Emmet O’Cuana talks with Neal Curtis, of the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Neal recently presented the paper “Captain America: Patriotism, Nationalism, Fascism” and is the author of the book “Sovereignty and Superheroes“. He talks here about how Cap has reflected changes in America, from World War II to the age of Trump.