Superman, arguably the most iconic comic book hero in American history, if not the world, had its latest cinematic iteration released over the weekend. The newest movie, Superman, has enjoyed box office success, reportedly earning over $217 million worldwide when it debuted last weekend.
It’s also done quite well with critics and reviews, with the movie review website, Rotten Tomatoes, “Popcornmeter” audience score of 93% and a critic score of 83%. Despite the early accolades, the movie was not without controversy, primarily due to the film’s writer and director, James Gunn.
When speaking about the movie in an interview with the British newspaper the Times, Gunn emphasized that Superman, or at least Gunn’s version of Superman, was an immigrant and linked his immigration status to “the story of America.” The comments came amid nationwide illegal immigration enforcement implemented by the Trump administration.
“I mean, Superman is the story of America,” Gunn said. “An immigrant who 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 opinion was not shared by many people, including Superman himself — actor Dean Cain, who portrayed the superhero in the 1990s television series, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
I first asked him about Gunn’s comments and whether the “immigrant” angle was part of Superman lore, specifically, during his time as the Man of Steel.
“When I was fortunate enough to play the big blue boyscout, things were not as politicized or polarized as they are today,” Cain told me. “We touched on the ‘illegal immigrant’ subject a little in the show, but it seemed so ridiculous at the time that I would never have thought it would become such a hot-button topic like it is today.”
It’s probably a safe assumption that most viewers who watched the show then also did not.
I asked him if Superman was being weaponized to fit a left-wing cultural agenda. He agreed that he was, but not necessarily in Gunn’s movie.
“I haven’t yet seen the film, but from what I hear, it’s not completely woke, and the comments made by director James Gunn about immigrants are the only real political statements made,” Cain said. “The audience hasn’t described it as political.”
However, he thought Superman was being used to advance political beliefs and ideologies.
“I think folks are trying to politicize Superman, because of the times in which we are living,” Cain told me. “And that’s unfortunate.”
Cain also brought up an intelligent point about a trick that liberals, Democrats, and others on the Left use when talking about immigrants.
“People seem to conflate ‘immigrant’ with ‘illegal immigrant’ or the more commonly used term ‘undocumented immigrant’ with legal immigrant,” Cain emphasized. Yes, the United States is a country built by immigrants — but not by ‘illegal immigrants.’”
“The United States is by far the most immigrant-friendly country in the world — we accept more legal immigrants each year than the next four countries combined,” he added.
Furthermore, he also said politicians “muddy the water” when they “keep using the word ‘immigrant’ to describe folks who are in this country illegally.”
“The immigration narrative has been blown up by politicians who have an agenda, and I don’t believe it’s good for the United States,” Cain said.
And, pertaining to immigrants, illegal immigrants, and the U.S. immigration system, the former Superman actor also mentioned that the nation’s current immigration system needs to be changed.
“We have a lawful system for legal immigration put into law by Congress, and Congress needs to amend our current system, because everyone knows it is broken,” Cain said. “The system makes it too difficult and time-consuming to become a legal American.”
There was also some controversy over the famous motto synonymous with Superman since World War II. “Truth, justice, and the American way” was noticeably absent from Gunn’s version of Superman (and the last two movie franchises starring Henry Cavill and Brandon Routh in the titular role). In October 2021, the slogan was “updated” to “truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.” However, ever the true Superman, Cain believes the motto should have never changed.
“I believe that Superman was supposed to represent the best of American values, and I love the phrase, ‘truth, justice, and the American way,’” Cain said. “It has been changed, some would say updated, but I don’t believe that it should be changed. I honestly believe in truth, justice, and the American way for several reasons.”
“I travel the world all the time, and I see how much most folks appreciate the freedoms we enjoy as American citizens, and the rights we have as Americans, guaranteed in our Constitution,” Cain said. “The Constitution doesn’t exist to put limits on citizens, but rather it exists to constrain the power of government, and protect individual rights, rights that are endowed to us by our creator, not rights bestowed to us by our government.”
And, as for immigration in this country, whether from a country on Earth or the planet Krypton, all those seeking to enter the U.S. should do so legally and also assimilate into the country’s culture. This was something Cain wholeheartedly believed, mentioning it during our conversation.
“Our system should heavily vet immigrants who truly want to be here in America, who appreciate our freedoms, and who want to assimilate into American culture, rather than change it,” Cain said.
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“That’s what I love about Superman,” he added. “He was a true refugee, a child who left a dying planet, and was adopted by a loving midwestern couple who raised their young son with small-town American values. That’s why he is the most moral being in the world.”
“I truly believe in the phrase, ‘truth, justice, and the American way,’” Cain said.