Mythology has served various purposes over the course of human history. This is referring specifically to modern superhero culture which may be derived from mythology but isn't comparable to it.
"Not comparable" is the favorite phrase of the snob. Roger Ebert thinks that video games are "not comparable" to movies. Scorsese thinks the movies he make that mine negative stereotypes of Italian-Americans are "not comparable" to superhero movies. (Funny how you find so many Italian-Americans working construction jobs but not so many making films...)
There was a "making of" feature in the 1960s Marvel Comics where Stan Lee was talking on the phone and said "How can he say it was a cheesy story? I ripped it off from the best classic I could find!"
Similarly it's just as fair to say that Shakespeare was like Joss Whedon than the converse.
Maybe we've just replaced gods with fictional stories? I think the two can still be talked about (HBO is making American Gods about mythology as written and updated by Neil Gaiman)
The first two seasons of Pretty Cure looked like religious education to me.
The first season was about Shinto and the second about Confucianism. The series systematically worked through about how you would feel about your place, your town, nature, the people around you, history, work, community, etc.
There was a "making of" feature in the 1960s Marvel Comics where Stan Lee was talking on the phone and said "How can he say it was a cheesy story? I ripped it off from the best classic I could find!"
Similarly it's just as fair to say that Shakespeare was like Joss Whedon than the converse.