1. No longer gods, but real people
The perfect hero, the invincible superman à la Superman, belongs to another era. Although these characters have defined generations, today their archetype struggles to resonate with an audience accustomed to more nuanced storytelling. The figure of the invincible superman, free from doubts and fears, risks appearing flat and unrealistic. The modern audience, in fact, no longer seeks an unreachable ideal, but characters they can identify with, with whom they can share anxieties and uncertainties.
This is why imperfection has become the new superpower. Insecurities, flaws, a "normal" physical appearance are no longer obstacles, but the engines that drive the hero to evolve. The contemporary hero is not born ready; they are formed, learning to manage their own fragilities and, by overcoming them, become a symbol of strength. It's a journey made of falls and rebirths, not a destination.

2. Coming-of-age stories: the journey toward heroism
The examples are striking. In Gotham, the young Bruce Wayne is not yet the Dark Knight, but a tormented, at times clumsy and immature, boy. He has to learn to channel his pain and anger, and he does so by clashing with a criminal reality that is not mythical, but brutal and dirty. His initial inexperience is fundamental to showing us his growth, the process that will transform him into the hero we know. We are not presented with the final result, but the journey, with all its falls, frustrations, and small triumphs.
Similarly, in The Rings of Power, we see younger, less secure versions of characters who appeared in the original saga already complete and powerful, like Galadriel or Elrond. Their hero's journey has just begun: Galadriel is impulsive and obsessed with revenge, Elrond is a talented but insecure diplomat who tries to make his way in a world that seems to give him little credit. Their initial imperfections are what makes their story fascinating, a coming-of-age tale that shows us how they forged their destiny, step by step, until they became the legendary figures we know. In these narratives, heroism is not a given, but a conquest.

3. A mirror of our culture
This trend is not just a narrative choice, but reflects a broader cultural sentiment. Our society is increasingly critical of the unrealistic standards of beauty and success imposed by the media and social networks. We are learning to embrace authenticity and reject the facade of a perfect life. Cinema, in this sense, becomes a mirror, showing us that true strength does not lie in being impeccable, but in accepting one's fragilities and using them to grow. The "unattractive" and "clumsy" hero teaches us an essential lesson: you don't have to be perfect to make a difference, but you need the courage to try, even when you fall. These characters comfort us, telling us that there is no need to be born with a glorious destiny to be special.
However, it is fair to ask whether this search for realism is not becoming a narrative prison. Are we not perhaps exaggerating with this obsessive search to calibrate every character so they cannot be criticized, walking on eggshells to find a figure that meets all possible requirements? At times, one gets the feeling that fragility has become an obligation, that the hero can no longer simply be strong and self-confident, for fear of being perceived as an outdated archetype or, worse, an inaccessible and therefore "wrong" model.
This alleged political correctness and desire to be egalitarian, however, often hide an evident paradox: while the psychology of the characters becomes more human, the violence on screen becomes increasingly extreme. If combat scenes were once stylized or only implied the consequences, today's films and series spare nothing, reaching truly violent gore and splatter, explicitly showing the brutality of the clashes. The vulnerable hero, who is presented to us as one of us, finds himself living in a world where wounds and blood are shown without filters, creating a striking contrast between his psychological fragility and the brutality of the world in which he operates.

The new paradigm
Contemporary cinema has not simply "ruined" the classic hero. On the contrary, it has made them more authentic, complex, and ultimately more heroic precisely because they are more human. It shows us that a hero's journey is made of doubts, uncertainties, and at times, failures, just like real life. Their imperfection is their greatest resource, because it makes them capable of connecting with us on a deeper level, inspiring us to overcome our difficulties not with superhuman strength, but with tenacity and personal growth.
And you, what type of hero do you prefer? The impeccable and flawless one, or the one who gets his hands dirty (and not just that) to become one?

Bibliography

Guido Donati Gotham and the mistake that could cost you a limb. Scienzaonline
Guido Donati Gotham e l'errore che può costarti un arto. Scienzaonline.

 *Board Member, SRSN (Roman Society of Natural Science)
Past Editor-in-Chief Italian Journal of Dermosurgery