James Gunn: Superman is an immigrant & the story of immigration in America

James Gunn is seemingly taking the lead in Superman’s promotion. A weird way to go, if you ask me – Superman stars David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult, three very attractive and charming actors. Certainly, they should do the heavy lifting on promotion? But no, Superman director James Gunn is everywhere! He’s a bird, he’s a plane, he’s a 58-year-old white man who already survived one Hollywood “cancellation.” Anyway, Gunn’s recent interview with the Times is making all kinds of headlines. Gunn didn’t even say anything groundbreaking – he’s simply pointing out that Superman, the character, was invented by first-generation Americans – the sons of Jewish immigrants – in 1933. And he’s pointing out that Superman is fundamentally an immigrant story. People are losing their minds. Some highlights from the Times:

Gunn is tired of all of the superhero backstories: “There are three things I don’t ever need to see again in a superhero movie. I don’t need to see pearls in a back alley when Batman’s parents are killed. I don’t need to see the radioactive spider biting Spider-Man. And I don’t need to see baby Kal coming from Krypton in a little baby rocket. We have watched a million movies with characters who don’t have their upbringing explained, like when we see Good Night, and Good Luck we don’t need to know the early life of Edward R Murrow to explain how he became a journalist. Who cares?”

The declining interest in superhero movies: “Well, it’s different to how it used to be. Up until Iron Man the only superheroes that made money were the big three: Batman, Superman and Spider-Man, plus X-Men. But then visual effects improved, so even though people thought Iron Man was a C-tier superhero, the film looked real. It changed everything and there were a few glory years when Marvel could put out anything and it would make $650 million. But those days are gone. Now it has to be something that really grabs an audience.”

Superman’s woke history: Superman was written by men from immigrant families and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees once released a book in Italy titled Superman Was a Refugee Too. Less than ten years ago DC Comics backed World Refugee Day: “The Man of Steel’s story is the ultimate example of a refugee who makes his new home better.” In the edition of Action Comics No 987, Superman saves a group of undocumented workers from a violent racist.

The refugee story: “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.” I ask if he has considered how differently the film might play in say, blue state New York — aka Metropolis — and Kansas, where Kent grew up? “Yes, it plays differently,” Gunn admits. “But 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.”

Superman’s goodness: “This Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people’s goodness. I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.”

[From The Times]

This is such a dumb “scandal” – oh, spoiler, Clark/Superman is a refugee/immigrant, but what about the current politics?!?! What’s even dumber is that Gunn is actually trying to de-emphasize the fundamental refugee backstory of Superman. He wants Superman to be seen as a broader story of basic decency and kindness. Which is also central to Superman’s story, only that will be “controversial” in the current climate of rage, hate and stupidity too.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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12 Responses to “James Gunn: Superman is an immigrant & the story of immigration in America”

  1. Tessa says:

    I remember discussions of superman fans saying he can’t be president because he was born on krypton. I like that this movie features superman s dog with super powers

  2. Indica says:

    I briefly saw a headline about people complaining this Superman was ‘woke’.
    It made me very depressed to realize what they meant is a ‘decent man helping people’ is now… a bad thing. New timeline, please and thank you.

  3. Jay says:

    This might be smart – I find Gunn kind of insufferable, but he certainly has his own fanboys who will come out to see this movie for him specifically. Nick Hault looking sexy in leather pants might work for me (and it does), but they want this movie to hit all the age groups.

  4. Brassy Rebel says:

    It is very depressing. We have actually reached the point in this hell hole of a country where a Superman movie which leans into the character’s immigrant/refugee roots and his kindness is considered controversial. I really can’t think of a better metaphor for our current predicament. But it is SO depressing.

    • Josephine says:

      The maggots woudln’t let Jesus in without proper documentation, want farmers to be able to own immigrants as slave-labor, and truly believe that there are two tiers or more of American CITIZENs. So yup, hard to believe that this is where we are at.

  5. Eurydice says:

    Any time a director says “this story is about…” they’re reimagining the backstory. There’ve been a zillion interpretations of Superman since 1938. He started out as a vigilante hero who beat up and even killed the bad guys and turned into a super-moral boy scout. It’s not about defining Superman, it’s about Gunn defining himself through Superman. But whatever, it’s a summer movie and the cast is very pretty. I might go see it.

  6. Lightpurple says:

    Not only is Superman an immigrant, he’s an undocumented alien.

    I must admit I am enjoying the MAGA meltdown over this.

  7. Nic919 says:

    Shuster was Canadian so let’s not erase the Cancon from the creation of Superman.

    That said, it shouldn’t be controversial to say that Superman is an immigrant. His entire story was trying to fit in with the people of smallville, then Metropolis and then the world.

    The way right wing idiots are poisoning the culture with their hate is very dangerous.

    • KC says:

      My SIL is BIG Bible thumper now turned evil. Her kids were younger when the Disney Tarzan came out, and her mini-me eldest daughter at 12 told me they wouldn’t go when I offered to take the kids because it was obviously a ploy to further evolution. I honestly didn’t know what to say. Wow, who knew Disney was so sneaky.

      I don’t know why I was so surprised. We went to one and only one service at their church and the theme was: Jews are the Chosen One: Why are they so ungrateful?
      🤢

  8. KC says:

    I think it’s a stretch, but I like it. I am skew moderate/Independent in politics, but my heart is definitely with abused immigrants getting treated so cruelly. The fact that this is actual triggering some people is pretty pathetic.
    I’ve heard really good things about it so far. Gunn knows his genre, it’s obviously more lighthearted than what poor Henry Cavill was stuck with, and yay for Krypto!

  9. AC says:

    I’ve seen the reviews of SM 2025, and so far the scores have been high, it’s like reliving Christopher Reeves SM(part 1 and 2). The statement that SM is an immigrant or illegal alien is nothing new – people didn’t make it a big deal back then. It’s just the MAGAs who’s having a meltdown now lmao.

  10. Calliope says:

    I always think it’s a disservice to the character when they don’t recognize the creator’s origin story. I’ve been worried they wouldn’t lean into the immigrant part of the story. Parents sending their kid off for a better life! It’s universal.

    And agree with everyone else – a new timeline for a lot of reasons but how appalling if Superman being kind and helpful and decent while also being a literal alien is considered problematic.

    Certain people don’t like that they’re what the creator’s family was escaping. You’d think being the villain in every piece of media would have clicked something but no. Dumbest, meanest timeline it is.

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