Superman (2025), directed and written by James Gunn, the director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, has somehow become the focal point of the entire world's conversation, and deservingly so. It swoops in as a bright ball of sunshine, cementing itself as the foundation of a legendary DC era. One of the most anticipated movies of this summer, Superman upholds that mantle with relative ease and delivers beyond expectations, which have been soaring ever since its teaser dropped six months ago.

Being a super fan of the genre, it is utterly refreshing to see a movie remove itself from the pretentious cynicism that undoubtedly plagued Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. Where Snyder had Superman jump out of the way of a flaming vehicle crashing into a building packed with civilians, Gunn's Superman even saves a squirrel!

Because that's who Superman truly is! He personifies a ray of hope, exploding with love and life! Experiencing James Gunn's take on our beloved alien who wears his underwear over his pants is one hundred and thirty minutes of injecting saturated, splashy, and shiny shots of hope into your veins.

Is James Gunn's Superman Political?

Politics is at the core of every media and art. You cannot separate the act of creation from the influence of its surroundings. But to see this movie – a movie about Superman who stops wars and saves every breathing entity on the planet, to be accused of being "woke" is as appalling as it's shocking.

Since when did the simple act of being good become a radicalized principle? Conservatives are so brainwashed by their constricted viewpoint of the world that they see basic reiterations of kindness as a threat, as left-wing propaganda trying to convert them.

Take the Quiz: What’s Your Secret Superpower? This Quiz Will Reveal Which Singer Icon You Resemble

This fun quiz will unveil your unique qualities and reveal which music icon you resemble the most.

The Immigrant Debate and Fan Hypocrisy

James Gunn remarked in an interview:

“Superman is the story of America. An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country. But for me it’s mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”

If this statement is capable of triggering a sane person, then they need to reevaluate their definition of Superman, and while they are at it, perhaps humanity as well. But what is absurd about this is the lack of satire, for it did manage to set off a chunk of the fanbase, sending them into a spiral about their Superman being branded as an immigrant.

Given the ongoing situation with ICE and its receiving billions in federal funding for immigration enforcement, including detention, deportation, and prosecution, it should be quite a no-brainer that MAGA enforcers would categorize that statement as some progressive leftist rhetoric.

But what these so-called fans remain blissfully unaware of is the apparently not-so-apparent fact that the Superman comics were created by the sons of Jewish immigrants, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, in the famously woke years of 1938. To further drive the point home, James Gunn writes the following exchange in the film:

"Aren't you going to read me my rights?"

"You're an extraterrestrial, son. You haven't got any rights to read."

Image Credit: Jet Carson from Pixabay

What Is The Outrage – Or Better Put – The Whining About?

What liberal ideas is Superman(2025) enforcing upon you?

Billionaires are unethical? Definitely a shocker, that one. Empathy is the greatest superpower there is? What a radicalized point of view! Or is it the actuality of him fighting fascism, the supposedly revolutionary ideology, that is bearing the brunt of the ridiculous indignation? Superman has always been defined by his fight against fascism and oppression, ever since the birth of his character. So, to now sprout complaints against his very essence should come as an epiphany about one’s own moral and political stance.

Perhaps, it's the slight implications of manufactured wars and anti-colonial sentiments eerily mimicking the current state of affairs in the world that's too liberal to digest. Especially, the potential parallels between Israel-Palestine and the fictitious states of Boravia and Jarhanpur, which seemingly cast the movie in an anti-Israel light.

Superman Isn’t The Problem; It’s The Dearth of Humanity

A snippet on Lois and Clark's heated debate includes:

"I wasn't representing anybody except me and..and..doing good."

"I would question myself in the same situation and consider the consequences."

"People were going to die!"

It is as simple as that. You do not need to do a thorough thesis on the past or ruminate about future repercussions to know that [censored] is wrong. And Superman embodies his role as a savior with that sincere conviction.

Some Republican commentators are mad because Superman, their American ideal, isn't taking their side and in a bizarre turn of events, chooses to dismantle totalitarian regimes and oppression. Who could have thought, right?

So, To Answer The Question, No

James Gunn didn't go out of his way to make a political film about Superman. Politics is embedded somewhere deep in all art, waiting for its moments to shine through. It's just the unfortunate times we find ourselves living in, where a superhero film with comical antagonists and farcically barbaric wars can appear so relatable and relevant. And Superman, the symbol of hope and goodness, can be viewed as a "woke" agenda.