James Gunn isn’t afraid to let Superman do what he’s made for: being a good Samaritan. Clark Kent has compassion that we haven’t seen in mainstream superhero media for decades, and his kindness is exactly what we needed this year. Don’t let conservatives fool you into thinking Gunn has made a film that changes Clark Kent fundamentally. Superman’s empathy is his greatest strength, even though recent conservative reaction says otherwise.
One of the main conflicts in the movie centers around two fictional states. Boravia, the invading state, and it’s neighbor Jarhanpur. James Gunn denies that the fictional conflict ties with the Middle East (notably refraining from naming the countries in conflict), telling The Times of London, “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.”
Early on, we learn that Superman had previously halted Bovaria’s attempts to invade Jarhanpur. In an argument with Lois Lane, Clark’s colleague and girlfriend, we learn the emotional thesis of both the character and the film in one simple line. Lois argues that Clark was acting rashly by stopping the invasion. Clark replies, bubbling with emotion, “People were going to die!”
The idea that human life is more valuable than border lines is controversial, but Superman cares more about life than bureaucracy. His compassion is one of the attributes that make him so progressive. As a character, Clark Kent has always treated every human life as precious. That means protecting anyone, no matter what — a belief directly contradictory to contemporary conservative ideology.
Immigration in the United States has been a heated topic since its founding, and in recent years the Trump administration has made it increasingly clear that they believe there is no longer a place for immigrants in America. While terrorism fills our streets in the form of ICE raids and thousands protest to keep the people on U.S. soil safe, conservatives are still worried about how our beloved American superheroes are presented in our media — but, actually, you should care too.
While Gunn may have written the script before the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict, there is no doubt that the perception of the movie has been influenced by current events. The conflict, which involves an obviously wealthier, white nation invading a poor state filled with brown people, has interpretable parallels to Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine and general colonial Western involvement in other countries.
Despite his earlier comments on the Middle East, James Gunn wants you to know that Superman is political — in an interview with The Times of London, Gunn says it plain and simple, “I mean, Superman is the story of America. 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.”
Gunn’s comment blew up the internet. A Fox News broadcast about the new movie called the film “Superwoke” with “pro-immigrant themes.” But the thing is, they’re not wrong.
James Gunn has managed to put out the most progressive superhero blockbuster of the decade. “Superman” has passed both “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” in the box office by millions. It is currently the highest-grossing comic-book movie of the year, out-performing Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” “Thunderbolts” and “Captain America: Brave New World,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The movie is pro-immigrant, and it deals with its themes boldly for a major blockbuster. When Lex Luthor calls Kent an alien to his face, Clark’s reply is “I’m as human as anyone.” This line embodies Clark Kent’s inherently progressive mission, and his personality makes him controversial in today’s political climate. Superman should make conservatives angry — if he didn’t, I’d be concerned that Clark’s values had been compromised to make him more palatable.
Superman is often deeply misunderstood because of his masculinity – he has big muscles, participates in flashy fights, and channels high emotion through violence. Conservatives latch onto these attributes and declare Clark as a right-wing symbol. But a character like Superman, who was created by two first-generation immigrant men, was deeply inspired by the history of Jewish oppression.
Gunn’s Superman has apparently been labeled “a pussy”, but the oppressive masculinity of American right-wing conservatives is fundamentally different from what makes Superman’s emotional core. Kent is compassionate, kind and communicative. He has not been emasculated; his symbolism as a character has been misunderstood by the right.
Clark Kent fights alien threats and big bad supervillains, but the movie does not let us forget who exactly he is fighting for. The film takes a uniquely long look at the people experiencing traumatic events, as though Gunn wants to remind us that Superman is fighting for us. He does not patrol the skies as a super-cop, like Green Lantern, or rule from a tower, like Lex Luthor, but HE flies above Metropolis so that he can protect the people of his city when they need it.
Clark isn’t an alien who can’t grasp the human world. What makes him special isn’t his laser eyes or his super strength — it’s his faith in humanity. He understands, he loves and he loses. Clark Kent is only a man — the very first time we see him is after his first defeat. In fact, he needs his superdog, Krypto, to rescue him. Immediately upon his recovery, Clark is preoccupied with the people of Metropolis. We should look to Clark as a role model who makes us think, “I can be Superman, I am him, if I only care enough to try.”
I hope that Superman keeps being controversial — at least until the U.S. achieves a higher moral bar for its government. Even more than that, I hope Superman reminds us of our power as people. There is so much wrong with the world around us, and so many people who need our help. In a world of apathy and hatred, Superman gave me something tangible for a moment. If you took anything away from Superman, remember the words of Lois Lane and keep them close to you, “You think everyone and everything is beautiful.”
One movie can’t fix the world, but I’d argue “Superman” did exactly what it was supposed to this summer. Kal-el gave a lot of people a little bit of hope.
