Superman has many impressive traits. He’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and, apparently, impervious to culture wars. The Man of Steel is back in the zeitgeist thanks to James Gunn’s new film, Superman, the latest effort by Warner Bros to reboot DC Studios.
Ahead of the film’s release, which stars David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Gunn gave an interview with The Times, in which he described Superman, America’s favourite superhero, as an “immigrant” who models “kindness.”
Despite predictions from conservative US commentators, the new Superman flick by James Gunn is flying at the box office.Credit: Warner Bros.
Naturally, the comments rankled right-leaning media figures who rushed to declare that Superman had gone super woke.
Kellyanne Conway, a former Trump staffer turned Fox News personality, said on her program that “we don’t go to the movie theatre to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology on to us.” Meanwhile, Conway’s colleague Jesse Watters suggested that Superman “fights for truth, justice, and your preferred pronouns.”
Never one to miss a beat, President Trump took to social (faster than a speeding bullet) to add his contribution, posting a photo depicting himself as Superman, alongside the ALL CAPS caption: THE SYMBOL OF HOPE. TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY. SUPERMAN TRUMP.
According to conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro, Superman’s rebrand was certain to be kryptonite for the long-running franchise.
In a video titled “Superman is Going WOKE - You Know What That Means,” Shapiro explained that the film was going to tank because “Hollywood actors and filmmakers were no longer willing to clearly align themselves with American values.”
But not even a manufactured culture war can keep Superman down. Rather than going woke and going broke, the film banked $330 million at the global box office over its opening weekend, the fifth consecutive number one film for Warner Bros.
In addition to dominating the global box office, Superman earned $185 million in America, mainly due to positive reviews (the film boasts Rotten Tomatoes scores of 82 per cent from critics and 94 per cent from the audience).
The first standalone Superman movie since Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in 2013, the reboot doesn’t address present-day politics, but also doesn’t shy away from encouraging real-world parallels. Hoult’s Lex Luthor is a power-obsessed yet insecure tech executive who trolls Superman on the internet (sound familiar, Mr Musk?)
David Corenswet as Superman with Nicholas Hoult as his nemesis, Lex Luthor.Credit: Warner Bros.
Meanwhile, Superman becomes involved in a geopolitical conflict between two fictional nations: Boravia, whose leader has a vaguely Eastern European accent, and its neighbouring nation, Jarhanpur. When Boravia invades Jarhanpur, it’s Superman to the rescue.
Critics were quick to identify similarities with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though Gunn has said he didn’t have any specific real-life turmoil in mind during production. Instead, the director has looked to downplay any controversy around his film.
During Superman’s Los Angeles premiere last week, Gunn addressed the backlash to his comments, telling Variety: “I’m not here to judge people, I think this is a movie about kindness, and I think that’s something everyone can relate to.”
What’s that in the sky? Is it a bird? A plane? No, it’s a well-timed misdirection from a savvy director who knows how to handle himself.
Find more of the author’s work here. Email him at thomas.mitchell@smh.com.au or follow him on Instagram at @thomasalexandermitchell and on Twitter @_thmitchell.