A former Superman star is taking issue with the creative direction of the DC Universe’s new cinematic chapter. In an interview with TMZDean Cain, who famously portrayed Clark Kent in the 1990s television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Supermanhas publicly voiced his criticism of director James Gunn’s recent comments regarding the upcoming movie, Superman. The controversy stems from Gunn’s description of his film as being fundamentally about Superman’s status as an immigrant, a core aspect of his nearly century-old origin story. Cain, who also complained about Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel on release, has responded to this framing, suggesting that this emphasis is an example of Hollywood pushing a “woke” agenda onto established characters.
“The ‘American way’ is immigrant-friendly, tremendously immigrant-friendly,” Cain stated. “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… There have to be limits, because we can’t have everybody in the United States. We can’t have everybody, society will fail. So there have to be limits.”
According to Cain, Gunn’s latest comments are part of a bigger issue with Hollywood that extends to other blockbuster productions. “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?”
While Cain acknowledged the character’s alien origins, he took issue with connecting Superman to current real-world political discourse on immigration. During the interview, Cain argued that comments were a “mistake” and predicted they could “hurt the numbers on the movie.” This reaction from Cain puts him at odds with the film’s creative team, including James Gunn’s brother Sean Gunn, who has defended the immigrant focus by stating, “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.”
Superman and the “American Way”
Cain’s focus on “The American Way” taps into one of the most enduring aspects of Superman’s mythology, the motto “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.” The phrase itself didn’t come from the original comic books, being famously popularized by the Adventures of Superman radio show in the early 1940s as a patriotic slogan to rally support during World War II. Its association with the hero was further solidified during the Cold War era of the 1950s Adventures of Superman television show. In both instances, the motto was designed to position the nation’s most powerful fictional hero as a definitive symbol of American ideology during periods of intense international conflict. As a result, it became inextricably linked to the character in the public consciousness, even though it represented a specific nationalist interpretation of his purpose.
However, that patriotic framing often overshadows the more personal story at the heart of the character. Superman creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, were the children of Jewish immigrants who wrote the Man of Steel’s origin as a deeply personal immigrant allegory. The story of Kal-El, a child sent away from a dying world by his parents to find safety and a new home, has always been that of a refugee who must assimilate into a new culture while retaining his unique heritage. He is the ultimate outsider, who, despite his otherness, chooses to use his immense power to protect the world that adopted him.
Superman’s foundational narrative has allowed different creators to explore what “the American way” truly means. In recent years, DC Comics has made a conscious effort to move the character beyond a purely nationalistic role. The motto itself has been officially updated in the comics to “Truth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow,” a change intended to give the hero a more global and less politically confined appeal. Therefore, Gunn’s decision to lean into the immigrant aspect is not a reinvention of the character but a return to one of his most fundamental themes, choosing to highlight the human kindness of an outsider as a core value of the hero.
The DC Universe theatrical journey officially kicks off when Superman flies into theaters on July 11th.
What do you think of Dean Cain’s comments and the focus on Superman’s immigrant story? Join the discussion in the comments!
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