Priscilla Hobbs is Senior Associate Dean at Southern New Hampshire University, USA. Rebekah Lovejoy is an independent scholar and licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in LGBTQ+, women’s issues, and neurodivergent affirming care in the United States. She is also a writer, educator, and artist.

This ground-breaking work traces the evolution of heroic storytelling from folklore and fairytales to blockbuster contemporary franchises, highlighting where Campbell’s model falters in capturing the spirit of twenty-first-century narratives. Through an insightful exploration of ensemble protagonists, gender-expansive characters, and the pursuit of balance over conquest, the book introduces a new framework for understanding the heroes shaping our contemporary cultural landscape.From the reclamation of witches to the rise of communities as protagonists, this study reveals how popular culture is rewriting the mythic script, and what this means for our shared future. Both a deconstruction of old paradigms and a vision for new ones, this is an updated guide for readers, creators, and scholars seeking to understand the collective heroes who are transforming the stories we tell.

• Authors’ NoteIntroduction: The Multiverse and Collective Heroes1. Deconstruction2. Collective3. Gender Expansive4. BalanceConclusionAppendix: Select Media Researched for this ProjectBibliographyAbout the AuthorsIndex

Priscilla Hobbs is Senior Associate Dean at Southern New Hampshire University, USA. Rebekah Lovejoy is an independent scholar and licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in LGBTQ+, women’s issues, and neurodivergent affirming care in the United States. She is also a writer, educator, and artist.

This ground-breaking work traces the evolution of heroic storytelling from folklore and fairytales to blockbuster contemporary franchises, highlighting where Campbell’s model falters in capturing the spirit of twenty-first-century narratives. Through an insightful exploration of ensemble protagonists, gender-expansive characters, and the pursuit of balance over conquest, the book introduces a new framework for understanding the heroes shaping our contemporary cultural landscape.From the reclamation of witches to the rise of communities as protagonists, this study reveals how popular culture is rewriting the mythic script, and what this means for our shared future. Both a deconstruction of old paradigms and a vision for new ones, this is an updated guide for readers, creators, and scholars seeking to understand the collective heroes who are transforming the stories we tell.

• Authors’ NoteIntroduction: The Multiverse and Collective Heroes1. Deconstruction2. Collective3. Gender Expansive4. BalanceConclusionAppendix: Select Media Researched for this ProjectBibliographyAbout the AuthorsIndex

Priscilla Hobbs is Senior Associate Dean at Southern New Hampshire University, USA. Rebekah Lovejoy is an independent scholar and licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in LGBTQ+, women’s issues, and neurodivergent affirming care in the United States. She is also a writer, educator, and artist.

This ground-breaking work traces the evolution of heroic storytelling from folklore and fairytales to blockbuster contemporary franchises, highlighting where Campbell’s model falters in capturing the spirit of twenty-first-century narratives. Through an insightful exploration of ensemble protagonists, gender-expansive characters, and the pursuit of balance over conquest, the book introduces a new framework for understanding the heroes shaping our contemporary cultural landscape.From the reclamation of witches to the rise of communities as protagonists, this study reveals how popular culture is rewriting the mythic script, and what this means for our shared future. Both a deconstruction of old paradigms and a vision for new ones, this is an updated guide for readers, creators, and scholars seeking to understand the collective heroes who are transforming the stories we tell.

• Authors’ NoteIntroduction: The Multiverse and Collective Heroes1. Deconstruction2. Collective3. Gender Expansive4. BalanceConclusionAppendix: Select Media Researched for this ProjectBibliographyAbout the AuthorsIndex