This article contains some spoilers for “Superman” (2025).
Photo by Aldwin Romero / SOC Images.
The world is in one of its darkest periods of history right now.
Our country and the very values that it holds dear are under attack, a third world war feels like a looming threat and democracy as we know it is at risk. It’s very easy to feel hopeless, like there’s no point in fighting against the tyranny. Giving up feels like not just the easy way out, but the only available option sometimes.
But we can’t give up.
The only way to get out of these dark times is to maintain hope and fight against the justices that we see day in and day out. To put it blatantly, the world is on fire right now. Luckily, I know a guy who can put out the flames with his freeze breath: Superman.
Superman is known to be a symbol of hope and strength. Through his superhuman abilities and his tireless fight for what he believes in, Superman represents the ideals that we all strive for in becoming better as people. In a world where these very ideals of truth, justice and a better tomorrow are being challenged and outright ignored, Superman’s embodiment of these values spark the hope that we so desperately need to get through these trying times.
I’ve been getting more and more excited for the release of James Gunn’s “Superman” which has led me to consume a lot of Superman media. I started watching the CW’s “Superman & Lois,” I’ve recently read the 12-issue comic All-Star Superman and I’ve watched through all of the live-action Superman movies in preparation and excitement for James Gunn’s take on the iconic character.
Then, I saw the movie and it was everything I could’ve hoped for and then some.
“Superman” was the first time—in what feels like a long time—that I’ve felt like everything is going to be okay. As the quintessential symbol for hope, this movie showed that a person with a heart full of kindness, compassion and empathy could change the world for the better.
I left the theater with a spark of hope in my heart, and in the days that followed that spark has only grown. It felt amazing to see this character that I’ve loved since I was a kid embody the values that drive not just himself, but his fans such as myself.
I’ve been a fan of the Man of Steel since I was a kid.
I’ve dressed up as him for Halloween (both as a kid and an adult), I ran around the house with a red cape on my back pretending to fly around like Superman. I’ve read some of Superman’s best comics and I’ll never forget watching “Superman Returns,” “Man of Steel” and now “Superman” in theaters when they released.
My parents, much like Jonathan and Martha Kent, instilled in me the values of being honest, helpful and kind to everyone I encounter, so I’ve always seen a lot of myself in Superman.
Superman is widely known for being an alien sent to Earth by his parents from their home planet of Krypton before it was doomed to be destroyed, who uses his powers for the good of mankind. Unfortunately, many people see this depiction as “woke” and “making a superhero movie all about politics” and are using this as a critique against the movie.
The movie’s plot revolves around a conflict between the two fictional nations of Boravia and Jarhanpur, showing similarities to the ongoing real-life conflict between Israel and Palestine, and Superman plays a pivotal role in ensuring that a war doesn’t break out between the two nations by stopping a Boravian invasion of Jarhanpur.
Writer and Director James Gunn, however, has denied that this conflict is inspired by the growing conflict in the Middle East in an interview with ComicBook.com.
Lex Luthor, the film’s primary antagonist, has a burning hatred for Superman. Multiple times throughout the film, Luthor cites Superman’s status as an alien as a reason why he has such a strong hatred for him, even going so far as to say “[Superman is] not a man, he’s an ‘it,’” which represents the unfortunate modern-day bigotry that immigrants, both documented and undocumented, experience on a day-to-day basis alongside the fears of being detained by ICE.
So I would like to set the record straight about Superman being “taken over by the woke mind virus”: Superman is, and has always been, an immigrant story. Even Gunn said so.
He has had to work twice as hard as his peers, having to walk on eggshells to make sure that he doesn’t mess up. Through his hard work, sacrifice and drive to do right by everybody, he’s able to make a successful life in America for himself, having a well-respected job as a journalist for the Daily Planet and even falling in love with someone.
Finally, the concept of him being “woke” is not exclusive to him, but rather it’s a shared trait between all superheroes who fight against injustice. A hero standing up against injustice being done to an individual or group by an individual, a group or an establishment is something that all good heroes do.
They fight for the people without a voice, to protect those people from the harm that others may wish to inflict upon them.
Superman is one of the kindest, most compassionate characters in comics, inspiring generations of kids and adults alike.
Michael Chen, owner of Manifest Comics & Cards in Bayonne, has memories of Superman going back to when he was a kid. Some of his earliest memories about the character were from the iconic The Death of Superman storyline in 1992, where Superman died fighting the monster Doomsday.
“[Superman’s death] really hit hard,” Chen said. “That really showed how far he was willing to go to protect people.”
In the years since that iconic storyline, Chen has read a multitude of Superman comics and spent hours watching movies and TV shows starring Superman. He’s learned a lot about the character and he’s grown to love Superman’s dedication to doing good for humanity, no matter the personal cost.
“The thing that resonates is always the idea of someone who is viewed as an outsider, who is always going to do the right thing, even if people aren’t going to thank him, respect him for it, or even want him around. He knows that he has a responsibility because he can help them. He can’t turn a blind eye.”
Michael Chen, owner of Manifest Comics & Cards, told Slice of Culture
The good that Superman stands for is timeless.
He represents all the good that we, as humans, as people, have the capacity to do.
David Corenswet delivers a performance that fans haven’t seen since the likes of Christopher Reeve, giving DC fans hope for a successful franchise, but also giving fans hope for a better tomorrow.
