• Argues that the film portrays the Joker as someone who’s approach to self-interest is often in service of his critiques of Gotham as a sociocultural normative structure (SCNS).

• Relies on this construal of the Joker as a context to compare and contrast various psychological theories on the development of moral understanding.

Drawing on previous Luke Cage scholarship (2023 and 2024) and various media sources, the paper focuses on how two themes characteristic of his superhero mission, mutual trust and shared obligations, suggest a path forward in the midst of American civil disagreements.

Drawing on theorized fundamental human freedoms, Social Cognitive Domain Theory, and Christian philosophy, the chapter highlights how beliefs about the nature of reality animate Grant Morrison’s New X-Men.

Explores the theme of choice in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series, particularly regarding the choices characters make against the backdrop of time travel and alternate realities. Draws on sociological and psychological explanations of key events in seasons four and five to elucidate the important role assumptions about the world and our place in it play in the moral decisions the characters make.