Have you ever walked out of a Marvel or DC movie thinking, “Well, they saved the world—but is that really enough?” Where are their families? Who shaped them into the people they became? Are superheroes truly superhuman, or do their stories reflect more of our own realities than we might think?
Amid the explosions and special effects of Hollywood blockbusters, we rarely pause to consider what their creators were trying to say—what deeper truths might lie beneath the costumes and capes.
Take Wonder Woman. She’s known globally as a symbol of strength and justice, but few realize she was born from a very specific cultural moment. Created during a time when women were beginning to assume new roles in society - first in the 1940s, and especially in the 1970s.
Diana's story is rooted in a broader historical narrative. Even her name—drawn from a pagan goddess later reinterpreted during the Christian Middle Ages—speaks to a legacy of reinvention and resilience.
Or consider Storm, one of the X-Men’s most powerful leaders. While she is often portrayed on screen as a fearless hero, her original comic-book storyline includes surviving childhood trauma and sexual abuse - a complex and humanizing backstory that rarely makes it into film adaptations.
By exploring these deeper layers, we at the Institute of Anthropology at the Pontifical Gregorian University found inspiration for a new initiative: a video podcast that looks at safeguarding through a different lens.
Because building safe spaces—whether in schools, churches, organizations, or homes—isn’t just the mission of institutions. It’s a shared responsibility.
HeroCast is our response to that call.
This podcast brings together survivors, safeguarding professionals, and advocates from around the world—people whose lived experiences, resilience, and dedication make them the real-life heroes we don’t often hear about.
At its core, HeroCast is about shining a light on these unsung champions. The name itself reflects our commitment to honoring those who work - often behind the scenes - to help others and rebuild trust where it has been broken.
Through intimate conversations and honest reflections, each episode explores stories of courage, endurance, and the transformative power of safeguarding. It’s not just about listening—it’s about awakening a sense of responsibility in each of us.
HeroCast is more than a podcast. It’s a platform for change, a community in the making, and a tribute to those who are quietly making the world safer—one person, one relationship, one story at a time.