Truth, justice, and the immigrant story. 鈥楽uperman鈥� is a tale for our times.
In the new Superman movie, the hero wears frumpy red trunks 鈥� with belt loops 鈥� over blue tights. Someone call the fashion police. Or Edna Mode. Then again, Superman has long been unfashionable in more ways than one.
To some, Superman is a fuddy-duddy in a cape. His alter ego, Clark Kent, is 鈥渕ild-mannered鈥� 鈥� a euphemism, perhaps, for boring. The character鈥檚 wholesomeness, morality, and invincibility lacks the edginess, complexity, and danger of other superheroes. He鈥檚 not cool like Batman. Great hair, though!
鈥淪uperman, in many ways, is Mr. Establishment,鈥� says Jorge Santos Jr., a scholar of comics and an associate professor at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the 鈥榓nti鈥� of what everybody who reads comics is.鈥�
Why We Wrote This
When a new 鈥淪uperman鈥� movie debuts this weekend, it will embrace America鈥檚 icons 鈥� and its cultural debates. The Man of Steel, it turns out, often offers a mirror on society in the U.S.
The new Superman movie (in theaters July 11) and the recent comic book series reframe how we view the Man of Steel. The Kryptonian hasn鈥檛 changed. What has shifted, according to director James Gunn, is the culture. The world has a lot of meanness in it. That鈥檚 especially true, of online discourse. Moreover, there鈥檚 been a rise in hostility toward immigrants once again. The film and comic each explore how an unauthorized 鈥渁lien,鈥� raised on a farm in Smallville, attempts to reconcile his heritage with his human assimilation. In this modern context, the caped icon is actually an edgy and rebellious superhero, Mr. Gunn said in . He鈥檚 standing up for core values 鈥� kindness and goodness 鈥� at a time when the world most needs it.
鈥淪uperman is a hopeful character,鈥� says Julian Chambliss, a professor of English at Michigan State University and author of 鈥淎ges of Heroes, Eras of Men: Superheroes and the American Experience.鈥� 鈥淪uperman is the character whose hopes, I think, can correspond very directly to particular moments.鈥�
Mr. Gunn, who also wrote the script for 鈥淪uperman,鈥� told the that his movie is a political story about America. Specifically, it鈥檚 about an immigrant. That drew criticism from some conservatives who dubbed the movie 鈥淪uperwoke.鈥� But Mr. Gunn added that the movie is 鈥渕ostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.鈥�
Origin story of the original superhero
After the Man of Steel first appeared in a 1938 comic book, the trajectory of his popularity was faster than a speeding bullet. By 1940, Macy鈥檚 had added Superman to its annual Thanksgiving parade. (鈥淟ook up! It鈥檚 a bird! It鈥檚 a plane! It鈥檚 鈥� a balloon?鈥�) Thanks to radio serials, TV shows, and movies, non-comic book readers became familiar with Superman lore. He looked after the little guy. He fought bad landlords, corrupt politicians, and corporate tycoon Lex Luthor. And he exercised restraint, sparing the lives of his enemies.
The appeal of the superhero, Dr. Chambliss says, is a kind of fantasy wish fulfillment. Namely that an ordinary person can transform into a mighty being and take on the world鈥檚 wrongdoers.
鈥淭he solution relies at some level on collective action,鈥� says Dr. Chambliss. 鈥淏ut we can鈥檛 always agree on what the collective action is and so we personify a character that can do something right away.鈥�
Going back right to the beginning, Superman鈥檚 storylines have defined good versus evil. Superman鈥檚 co-creator Jerry Siegel, a Jewish writer, the rise of Nazism made him feel 鈥渢he world desperately needed a crusader, if only a fictional one.鈥� In the 1940s, a radio serial came up with the tagline that Superman fights a 鈥渘ever-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way.鈥� Its intent was to promote America鈥檚 involvement in World War II.
鈥淚t really boils down what it means to be an American in basically three phrases,鈥� says Robert Greenberger, co-author of 鈥淪uperman: The Definitive History.鈥� 鈥淛ust as 鈥榯he American dream鈥� is this ever-evolving term, 鈥楢merican way鈥� is what Americans are striving to be as good citizens.鈥�
In 2021, DC Comics the motto to 鈥淭ruth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow.鈥� The publisher said the change reflected more global storylines as Superman inspires people around the world.
The new movie echoes that idea. It includes a scene of a young boy waving a flag with the 鈥淪鈥� symbol during a conflict between two nations. Superman (David Corenswet) then intervenes to stop the war. Journalist Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) questions the superhero鈥檚 decision. She asks him whether he first consulted the U.S. president.
Superman, whose costume complements the colors of the American flag, is a great allegory for America鈥檚 role in the world, says Dr. Chambliss. Should he, and by extension the U.S., act like the world鈥檚 policeman? It鈥檚 a question that Americans are grappling with right now.
鈥淭he character becomes infused with the idea of what we are, as a country, as an idea,鈥� says Dr. Chambliss. 鈥淭hat character gets infused with a lot of ambiguity.鈥�
The search for truth and justice
Superman stories have, from the very beginning, also explored what it means to be an American. It鈥檚 an allegory about immigration, and assimilation. Kal-El鈥檚 parents saved their baby son by placing him in a pod and dispatching it to Earth. Mr. Siegel and co-creator Joe Shuster were from Jewish families who鈥檇 fled antisemitism in Eastern Europe. Superman鈥檚 original home, Krypton, was a doomed planet. There鈥檚 a scene in 鈥淎bsolute Superman鈥� where Superman is separated from his earthly parents, the Kents, by a militarized force due to an 鈥渋mmigration violation.鈥� It isn鈥檛 the first time Superman has reflected changing attitudes toward immigration. In 1986, a comic miniseries tweaked the character鈥檚 origins. He鈥檚 sent to Earth in an artificial womb inside a pod vessel. But he鈥檚 only born once it lands on United States soil. It gives him birthright citizenship.
鈥淪uperman鈥檚 origin story prompts us to consider why it is so easy for society to quickly alienate and judge individuals based on their ethnicity rather than their character,鈥� says Grace Gipson, an assistant professor and Black pop culture futurist scholar at Virginia Commonwealth University, in an email interview.
Establishing that perspective allows readers and viewers to appreciate the full story of Superman, she says, both in terms of his Kryptonian and Earth-based roots.
鈥淚 would even argue that Superman鈥檚 two identities as Clark Kent and Kal-El trouble the 鈥楾ruth, Justice and the American Way鈥� tagline, as it speaks to this tension between assimilation and cultural preservation,鈥� says Dr. Gipson.
鈥淗owever, both identities, which are seeking truth and justice in America, can also be seen as a counternarrative, suggesting that instead of hiding a part of one鈥檚 identity, we should embrace our dual identity.鈥�
The 2025 鈥淪uperman鈥� presents the hero as down-to-earth. He even has a dog. One who can do really neat tricks 鈥� like fly. But the storyline also examines how Americans are suspicious of the superhero because he鈥檚 an alien. Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) refers to Superman as 鈥渋t.鈥� In response, Superman says, 鈥淚鈥檓 as human as anyone.鈥�
As much as the character鈥檚 superpowers are otherworldly, so is his sense of character.
鈥淗e鈥檚 one of the few characters who will turn the other cheek,鈥� Dr. Gipson says. 鈥淎s much as people would do him wrong, he still does what鈥檚 right.鈥�
That narrative about the line between right and wrong is at the heart of 鈥淪uperman.鈥� Indeed, Clark Kent and Lois Lane have differing views of morality when it comes to protecting an imperfect nation from its aggressive neighbor.
鈥淪uperheroes are at their best,鈥� says Dr. Santos, 鈥渨hen they help us work out our cultural anxieties.鈥�
