It feels like a lot of creatives have trouble understanding Superman’s character. Instead of focusing on his best qualities, they opt to push him to the edge and see how long it takes him to break. It happens in the pages of DC Comics in storylines like Superman: Red Son, in video games like Injustice: Gods Among Us, and even in movies like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Some writers just can’t help but feel like Superman needs to be evil to be interesting. James Gunn views the hero in a different light, choosing to take him back to his roots for his first appearance in the DC Universe.
The marketing for Superman is focusing on the Man of Steel’s drive to help people. Not everyone agrees with his methods, but he doesn’t care what they think as long as he’s doing what he thinks is right. Superman is a hero for everyone, not just the wealthy and powerful, and a major change to the character’s iconic catchphrase drives that point home.
Ever since his creation in the 1930s, Superman has stood for two things: “truth” and “justice.” It’s hard to argue with those being his main concerns, especially since he’s a role model for kids. Sometimes, a third core value even finds its way into his stories, with the most popular being “the American Way.” Superman started pushing that agenda during World War II, hoping to fire up the country during a dark period in its history.
In the subsequent decades, Superman would drop “the American Way” from his vernacular, choosing to replace it with things like “a Better Tomorrow” and “Peace for All Mankind.” However, Gunn is putting his own spin on Superman’s catchphrase, making the third most important thing for his iteration of the character “the human way.”
A Superman tie-in statue, which was posted on Reddit by an Eagle-eyed fan, reveals the new slogan on its box. “Superman must reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage with his upbringing as reporter Clark Kent,” it reads. “As the embodiment of truth, justice, and the human way he finds himself in a world that views these as old-fashioned.”
The description really says it all, as the Man of Steel finds himself trying to protect a world that’s more than happy to tear itself apart. Not everyone is onboard with that plan, though, and Gunn’s movie is sure to explore how those people view Superman and his actions.
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Superman’s New Catchphrase Fits the Story James Gunn Is Trying to Tell
The reason “the human way” is so important to Gunn’s version of Superman becomes clear in the second trailer for the 2025 movie. Clark Kent agrees to allow Lois Lane to interview him as his heroic alter ego, and it’s going well until the veteran reporter starts to ask questions about Boravia. Clark explains that he traveled there to stop a war, but Lois wonders if he stuck his nose where it didn’t belong. That idea doesn’t fly with Superman because, if he thinks people are in trouble, he’s going to help, no matter what.
Of course, that attitude will put him on a collision course with villains like Lex Luthor, who often orchestrate events around the world to benefit themselves. However, it’s going to take a lot for Lex and the other Superman doubters to get under the hero’s skin, as the marketing has yet to show him feel uneasy about his beliefs.
Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
How do you feel about Superman’s new catchphrase in James Gunn’s movie? In what other ways will the film change the character? Let us know in the comments below!
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