Dean Cain, known for his role as Clark Kent in the 1990s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, has openly criticized James Gunn’s reboot of Superman starring David Corenswet. In a recent interview with TMZ, Cain expressed discomfort with what he described as the “woke-ification” of the iconic character, particularly objecting to Gunn’s framing of Superman as an immigrant symbol and representing “the story of America.” This perspective, first shared by Gunn in an interview with The Times of London, has sparked significant backlash from conservative commentators and politicians, with Cain emerging as a prominent voice among the critics.
Cain questioned Hollywood’s trend of adapting classic characters to fit contemporary social narratives, especially targeting Disney’s changes to franchises. He said,
“How woke is Hollywood going to make this character? How much is Disney going to change their Snow White? Why are they going to change these characters [to] exist for the times? For Superman, it was ‘truth, justice, and the American way.’ Well, they dropped that… They came up with ‘truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.’ Changing beloved characters I don’t think is a great idea. If you want to create a new character go ahead and do that.” —Dean Cain, Actor
Concerns Over Political Messaging in Superman’s Story
Cain further voiced concerns that James Gunn is politicizing Superman by equating him with immigration themes. While acknowledging that the phrase
“truth, justice, and the American way”
historically includes immigrant-friendliness, Cain emphasized the importance of limits and rules within that framework.
“Superman has always stood for ‘truth, justice and the American way,’ and the ‘American way’ is immigrant friendly, tremendously immigrant friendly,”
Cain said, adding,
“But there are rules. You can’t come in saying, ‘I want to get rid of all the rules in America, because I want it to be more like Somalia.’ Well that doesn’t work, because you had to leave Somalia to come here… We can’t have everybody, society will fail. So there have to be limits.” —Dean Cain, Actor
He warned that turning Superman into a political metaphor could damage the movie’s success at the box office, despite his continued excitement for the film itself.
“I think bringing Superman into it… I think that was a mistake by James Gunn to say it’s an immigrant thing, and I think it’s going to hurt the numbers on the movie. I was excited for the film. I am excited to see what it is… I’m rooting for it to be a success, but I don’t like that last political comment.” —Dean Cain, Actor
James Gunn and Sean Gunn Respond to the Controversy
Despite the criticism, James Gunn has remained firm in his vision for the film. At the Superman premiere, Gunn told Variety that he has no response for those spreading negativity, emphasizing that the movie centers on kindness rather than political debate.
His brother, Sean Gunn, who plays Maxwell Lord in the film, defended the movie’s message, framing the backlash as a misunderstanding of its core values.
“My reaction to [the backlash] is that it is exactly what the movie is about. We support our people, you know? We love our immigrants. Yes, Superman is an immigrant, and yes, the people that we support in this country are immigrants and if you don’t like that, you’re not American.” —Sean Gunn, Actor
Overview of the New Superman Cast and Release Details
The upcoming Superman film features David Corenswet in the role of Clark Kent / Superman / Kal-El, alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. The movie is scheduled for release in theaters on July 11, drawing attention not only for its star-studded cast but also for the debates surrounding its thematic direction.
As debates over the David Corenswet Superman controversy continue to emerge, the film’s reception will be closely watched to see whether these political discussions impact its commercial success and public perception.
