James Gunn’s Superman Film Makes A Controversial Change (However It is Not The First Time)

This text comprises main spoilers for “Superman.”

Superheroes have existed as a style unto themselves for practically a century, so naturally, they’ve undergone storytelling permutations. There is a huge distinction between the open-hearted sincerity of the Golden Age of comics and the postmodern deconstructionist likes of “Watchmen,” the “Darkish Knight” trilogy, and “Man of Metal.” For the primary few many years, the character of Superman was a reliably stalwart bellwether of Good. If he occurred to waver from that path briefly, it was often some type of Kryptonite that was in charge, and never any character flaw. In Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman,” not solely was Kal-El (performed by Christopher Reeve) portrayed as a real blue man who by no means lies in a post-Watergate and Vietnam America, however his dad and mom Jor-El (Marlon Brando) and Lara (Suzannah York) are depicted as pseudo-religious figures, the literal final individuals on their whole planet to each converse the reality and be wholly selfless. It makes for an simply comprehensible rationalization for why Kal-El seems the best way he does (to not point out his being raised by one other set of equally good-hearted dad and mom in Smallville, Kansas), permitting the movie to get on with the enterprise of introducing different components, equivalent to making Superman appear like he is really flying.

James Gunn’s “Superman” does not have the burden that Donner’s movie did. With practically 50 years of superhero cinema behind it, “Superman” 2025 is in a uncommon spot to cherry-pick from many years of each cinematic and comedian e-book lore in its model of the character, and decide it does. The film throws collectively oodles of bits and items of previous “Superman” ventures, from John Williams’ theme from the ’78 movie to the rom-com vibe of TV’s “Lois & Clark.” But Gunn makes a sequence of latest, daring decisions within the film, probably the most controversial of which is that Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara (Angela Sarafyan) are revealed to have lower than idealistic causes for sending Kal-El (David Corenswet) to Earth. It is a stunning revelation, although not for the plot twist itself, as a model of it has appeared in prior Superman media. It is all in how Gunn makes use of the twist and commits to it that makes its look in “Superman” so controversial and compelling.

Superman’s Kryptonian delivery dad and mom are usually depicted as benevolent figures, however that modified due to author John Byrne’s 1986 comedian e-book miniseries “The Man of Metal,” revamping Superman’s origin to contain a extra eerily alien and coldly distant Jor-El and Lara. That sequence ended with Superman selecting to embrace his human upbringing over his Kryptonian heritage, leaving him carrying the data of the extinct Kryptonian race. In Mark Waid’s 2003 restricted sequence “Superman: Birthright,” Superman will get to share a quick second along with his delivery dad and mom earlier than Krypton explodes. Whereas Superman’s normal lack of know-how of his previous helps him favor Earth over Krypton, the query of embracing his heritage is handled metaphorically by the sequence’ tackle Lex. He is revealed to have come from Smallville, Kansas, together with Clark, however he refuses to acknowledge it, selecting as an alternative to try to idiot humanity into believing that Krypton is an evil alien conquering race, a plot which Superman foils, in fact.

The revelation about Superman’s dad and mom in Gunn’s movie primarily combines components of Byrne and Waid, together with the Donner film and a plotline from TV’s “Smallville” sequence. Within the latter, a teenage Clark (Tom Welling) should take care of decoding the persona and intentions of Jor-El, as a result of the person was solely capable of switch his brainwaves to an AI that was despatched with Kal-El to Earth. At one level, it was thought by Clark and different characters that Jor-El had despatched his baby to Earth to overcome it, solely to find that it was extra the needs of this AI model of Jor-El fairly than these of the long-dead man himself.

This idea is referenced in Gunn’s movie by the plot level of Superman having a brief video message saved within the Fortress of Solitude as his solely connection to Jor-El and Lara. Throughout his upbringing on Earth, Kal-El/Clark used the video as a totem, soothed by the notion that his delivery dad and mom saved his life out of affection, as seen within the clip. Later, Lex and his posse invade the Fortress, and The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) finds a approach to unlock the remainder of the message. Lex releases the message to the media, whereby Jor-El and Lara state within the footage that they despatched Kal to overcome Earth because the Final Son of Krypton, Superman assumes it is Luthor’s trick, one thing the viewers assumes, too. However the message is legit, forcing Superman to face some laborious truths about his parentage in addition to what sort of man — not to mention metahuman — he needs to be.

Kal-El’s delivery dad and mom having contemptible intentions for Earth appears deconstructionist and even controversially out of character on paper, however Gunn just isn’t merely trying to shock or stir issues up. As a substitute, the twist acts as an ideal encapsulation of the movie’s themes of being your personal particular person and selecting to do the suitable factor, even when it is unpopular. Gunn’s tackle Kal-El is a continuation of themes from all through his profession, however notably these seen in his “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy. In these movies, a number of characters who make up the titular staff of area heroes have extreme points with their households. The notion of characters with advanced, mercurial morality has turned up in Gunn’s movies earlier than as properly, not simply with Nebula (Karen Gillan) in “Guardians,” but in addition with the titular Peacemaker (John Cena), and, sure, even “Superman.”

Gunn is willfully taking part in with style tropes and subsequent viewers expectations, however the movie does not boil down the battle inside Superman to Good dad and mom vs. Evil dad and mom. As a substitute, your entire film revolves round Kal-El/Clark/Superman’s evolving concepts about who he’s, who he needs to be, and what he needs to contribute to the world. His Earth dad and mom, Pa and Ma Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell), aren’t depicted as saints; they’re simply sincere, salt-of-the-Earth varieties whose recommendation for Clark is to not comply with of their footsteps, however to take the instruments they’ve given him as dad and mom and forge his personal path. This concept is simply as radical (or “punk rock,” because the movie would have it) for Superman because the Kryptonian message is. Most variations of Superman see him actively trying to honor the needs of his dad and mom, often each units of them. This model of Superman is all about giving the character the liberty of selection, one thing much more American at its core than any preconceived “values.”

This helps make this Superman a multi-dimensional character with out having to resort to something as histrionic as his snapping the neck of a foe. Individuals who have an excellent relationship with their households can take delight in Clark’s love of his Kansas dad and mom, whereas those that discover power of their discovered households or just themselves can relate to how Kal-El goes his personal manner, unburdened by his problematic previous. If the 1978 movie was mentioning the worth of integrity in a nation that had misplaced it, and 2013’s “Man of Metal” questioned authority and accountability, then 2025’s “Superman” is for our present isolationist age.

We do not have to mindlessly obey the needs of our elders; now we have the liberty to assume for ourselves, and the selection to assist others is accessible to all of us.