Director James Gunn is standing firm on the messaging behind his “Superman” reboot. The film puts “human kindness” at its center — an idea that some critics have denounced as too political.
Fox News personalities and commentators have pushed back on the film’s messaging. In one segment, a Sky News Australia guest argued that Disney and other studios were making everything about “boring political pseudopoints.”
A symbol of America’s immigration story
The controversy erupted after Gunn’s interview with The Times of London on Sunday, July 6, in which he emphasized Superman’s immigrant origins. The character — born on Krypton and sent to Earth as an infant — is “the story of America,” Gunn said.
“An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country,” he explained. “But for me, it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”
The remarks came amid renewed political tension around immigration policy in the United States. Gunn’s framing of the film touched a nerve with those already critical of so-called “woke” narratives in pop culture.
On Fox News, Kellyanne Conway said, “We don’t go to the movie theater to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology onto us.”
Critics call it ‘superwoke’
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld also criticized the film, suggesting that Gunn had built “a moat of woke” around himself. A graphic on his show labeled the reboot as embracing “pro-immigrant themes” and referred to it as “superwoke.”
Gunn further says in his interview with The Times, “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.”
Despite the criticism, Gunn has made it clear that he doesn’t expect the film’s box office performance to define its success.
“Is there something riding on it? Yeah, but it’s not as big as people make it out to be,” he said in an interview with GQ. “They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes $700 million or something, and it’s just complete and utter nonsense. It doesn’t need to be as big of a situation as people are saying.”
He believes the story will resonate with different audiences in various ways.
Early reviews are mixed — but hopeful
As the release date nears, early reactions have been divided. Toronto Star movie critic Peter Howell said, “not the super start to the DC Universe everybody had been hoping for.” Others have praised the reboot for returning to Superman’s moral roots.
GQ magazine described it as “one of the most distinct superhero films in a long time, with a tone that feels honest and true to the spirit of Superman.”
Fandango’s Erik Davis called it “a terrific start for the new DC Studios.”
A message beyond the box office
The film’s themes may spark debate, but Gunn insists his goal isn’t to preach. Instead, he hopes to remind audiences of the core values that made “Superman” iconic.
The new “Superman” reboot hits theaters July 11.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Bast Bramhall
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://straightarrownews.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
