known to a wide variety of countries and cultures. It is a seminal sci-fi tale. Superman
was born on the fictional planet Kryp- ton. He was named Kal-El. As a baby, his parents Jor-El and Lara sent him to Earth in a small spaceship shortly before Krypton was destroyed. His ship landed in the Ameri-
can countryside, near the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas. He was found and adopted by farmers Jona- than and Martha Kent, who named him Clark Kent. His adoptive par- ents soon realized that he possessed unusual powers and taught him to use them to benefit humanity. This origin tale is largely kept intact
in filmmaker James Gunn’s new take in this summer’s movie. Prior to its release, Gunn sparked
Actors Who Have Portrayed the Man of Steel:
fears that this would be yet anoth- er Hollywood product infused with wokeness. Gunn, who helmed the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, told the Lon- don Times that the then-upcoming film would be “about politics,” calling the Superman character “an immi- grant that came from other places and populated the country.” When the director was asked about
viewers who might find his statements offensive, Gunn said, “Screw them.” Fortunately, Gunn soon back-
tracked, telling Variety, “This film is for everybody.” Despite the dustup, the movie
raked in $57 million in the U.S. alone during its first two weeks. The produc- tion cost $225 million to film, accord- ing to Variety, and an additional $125 million for marketing. Although the film includes scenes
that some viewers may view as politi- cal, most moviegoers will discover aspects that coincide with their own personal worldviews. The usual supporting characters
Christopher Reeve, the late actor who defined the character in the 1978 Superman movie
Dean Cain in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
appear, including Clark Kent (Super- man’s alter ego), who lives in the fic- tional American city of Metropolis, where he works as a journalist for the Daily Planet; his love interest and Kent’s fellow journalist Lois Lane; Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen; and editor-in-chief of the news- paper Perry White. The most distinctive character in
the film turns out to be Krypto, the Superdog in a cape. The canine is an adorable scene-stealer throughout the entire film, unruly behavior and all. When it comes to the topic of immi-
gration, rather than being politically radioactive, one of the central themes of the film appears to be assimila- tion. Gunn’s movie actually celebrates Superman’s full embrace of Midwest- ern values taught lovingly to him by his adoptive parents, the Kents. Additionally, the movie’s primary
Tom Welling in the TV series Smallville (2001)
Henry Cavill in the Man of Steel movie (2013)
theme is the resolute decency of the lead character. When Superman is asked why he performed one of his
WHY WE LOVE MAN OF STEEL S
uperman is a highly relatable character. This can be seen in the balancing of his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing, the burden he endures in his destined life mission, and the vulnerability he displays each time he is confronted with the deadly component Kryptonite (an extraterrestrial substance that can weaken and ultimately kill him). Audiences are able to connect
with Superman because he struggles in human ways. According to clinical psychologist
Robin Rosenberg, superhero “stories show us not how to become super but how to be heroes, choosing altruism over the pursuit of wealth and power.” Superman’s journey taps into
a universal human desire for protectors. For almost nine decades his origin story has remained remarkably similar across many different versions.
many awe-inspiring deeds — one that saved thousands of lives — his simple response is, “Why? I mean . . . to do good! For, you know . . . good!” As always, arch-villain Lex Luthor
goes about seeking to rid the world of Superman and doing everything possible to harm him. He even uses social media to carry out some smear campaigns against him. For his part, though, instead of
gloating when he finally defeats his nemesis, Superman delivers an impas- sioned monologue celebrating his deep love of humanity and humanlike fallibility. As Gunn said to NPR about his
film’s protagonist, “We all want to be Superman. We want to fly, we wanna shoot beams out of our eyes, have super strength to be able to beat up anybody who comes at us. “We go into the movie wanting to be Superman. And I think that by the end of the movie, we realize that Superman wants to be us. He wants to be a human being. That is his biggest desire.”
SEPTEMBER 2025 | NEWSMAX 55
REEVE/WARNER BROS. PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES / CAIN/ABC PHOTO ARCHIVES/DISNEY GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT VIA GETTY IMAGES WELLING/STEVEN LAWTON/FILMMAGIC / CAVILL/ANTHONY HARVEY/GETTY IMAGES
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