Springer theory is a branch of geometric representation theory revolving around objects such as the nilpotent cone, flag variety, and Weyl group, and which received significant study in the 70's and 80's. We will give a brief review of Springer theory, while emphasizing parallels between the adjoint quotient map of Lie theory and the Hitchin fibration. We will then explain a "global" version of Springer theory in the context of the Hitchin fibration and global nilpotent cone, and discuss a recent construction of a resolution of singularities of the global nilpotent cone in the case of SL_2. Whatever time remains will be spent discussing conjectures on how to move forward from here.