After November 8th, everything changed. The course on which many people presumed the United States of America would proceed was suddenly and irrevocably altered. Whatever your politics beliefs, the election of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America has had a ripple effect across our culture–pop culture included. With immigration coming to the forefront of the sociopolitical zeitgeist, stories focusing on people coming to America in search of a better life have gained a new context. That is especially true for Bryan Fuller and Michael Green’s forthcoming American Gods TV series.
The show, based on the eponymous novel by Neil Gaiman, tells the story of gods and mythological figures living among us, a grand culture clash between the old generation and the new generation. It is a story of belief, deeply held convictions, and an evolving set of cultural values that holds a mirror up to American society, reflecting and refracting it through the lens of mythology. With such deeply relevant subject matter, I couldn’t help but wonder if American Gods had taken on a new context or importance since Fuller and Green began working on it three years ago. While at Nerdist’s Backyard Bash at SXSW, Fuller and the American Gods cast joined me on stage, and Fuller spoke at length about what is truly at the heart of this story and why it is now more vital and germane to the world in than ever.
American Gods premieres on Starz on April 30, 2017.
Image: Starz
Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Follow him on Twitter (@Osteoferocious).
