I can interpret it as:
"A modern hero is essentially larger than life" meaning that, given the technology of today, and the advancements of society, we have many devices and electronics to record history as it happens. By saying that a Hero of today is larger than life, she can mean that, even if the hero dies he/she will live in our stories, our communities, in our lives. It's like the saying "A book that stood the test of time", meaning, even though the author (in this case the hero) has passed away his'her stories have not, and they continue to inspire our society.