“Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.” That’s how Superman producer Peter Safran, co-chairman and CEO of DC Studios with the film’s writer-director James Gunn, described the reboot formerly titled Superman: Legacy when announcing the new DC Universe in 2023. In the time since, Gunn’s Superman has adopted a mantra more befitting the film’s themes: this Man of Steel is “the embodiment of truth, justice, and the human way.”
“I mean, Superman is the story of America,” Gunn told the UK’s The Times. “An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”
Asked how his Superman film might fare in an era of political turmoil, and whether he’s considered how the film will play in blue states and red states, Gunn said, “Yes, it plays differently. But it’s about human kindness and obviously there will be jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness. But screw them.”
Gunn, who began writing Superman in 2022, also addressed how his film arrives at a time of division in the country. “This Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people’s goodness,” Gunn said. “I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.”
He continued, “And I include myself in this. It is ad infinitum, millions of people having tantrums online. How are we supposed to get anywhere as a culture? We don’t know what’s real, and that is a really difficult place for the human brain to be. If I could press a button to make the internet disappear I’d consider it. And, no, I don’t make films to change the world, but if a few people could be just a bit nicer after this it would make me happy.”
As shown in the film’s trailers, one plot point sees Superman (David Corenswet) involve himself in foreign matters by intervening in a war between the fictional countries Boravia and Jarhanpur. His mission? Save people from dying, no matter what country they’re from. Gunn points out that Superman is “a hero for the world,” not just America.
“When I wrote this the Middle Eastern conflict wasn’t happening. So I tried to do little things to move it away from that, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the Middle East,” Gunn said of comparisons to real-life conflicts. “It’s an invasion by a much more powerful country run by a despot into a country that’s problematic in terms of its political history, but has totally no defense against the other country. It really is fictional.”
Superman’s intervention leads to a 10-minute discussion between Clark Kent and Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) about geopolitics and Superman’s place in the world. “It is definitely the most unusual thing that we put in the movie,” Gunn noted. “Yes, it’s about politics. But on another level it’s about morality. Do you never kill no matter what — which is what Superman believes — or do you have some balance, as Lois believes? It’s really about their relationship and the way different opinions on basic moral beliefs can tear two people apart.”
Some of that debate has spilled over into online spaces. When the interviewer pointed out that Superman would be a controversial figure if he were to exist in real life, Gunn pointed out how his friendly, Big Blue Boyscout has already come under attack online.
“It’s happening with the movie,” Gunn said. “We posted footage of David with a bunch of kids who were extras on set. Kids love Superman — it’s like when they see Santa. And David is high-fiving them, it was so beautiful, such a cute video. And then I saw people saying, ‘Oh, great, we’ve got a Superman who’s a pussy.’ Are you kidding me? That’s something you’re going to attack? That little kids like this guy and he’s kind?”
DC Studios’ Superman — starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, with Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, María Gabriela de Faría as the Engineer, Wendell Pierce as The Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, Neva Howell as Ma Kent, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Pa Kent, Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, and Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr. — opens only in theaters July 11.
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