The in-your-face politics of ‘Superman’ pack a refreshing punch

Jalyn Thomas, Contributing Writer 

The newest movie installment in the DC universe, “Superman,” solidified the hero’s known position as the universal symbol of hope. 

From saving a squirrel to the citizens of the fictional country of Jarhanpur, director James Gunn brought the character back to the corny heroic persona that we all know and love, showing his humanity because he is not, in fact, a god — unlike Zach Snyder’s depiction of Superman.

While the movie follows many of the story beats typical of other films in the genre — an evil scientist supervillain, multidimensional world-eating wormholes, a plethora of cringeworthy quips — it also establishes real-world relevance through parts of the plot that serve as commentary on current events, including topics such as immigration, police brutality, and war. It is these moments of relevance that solidify Superman as a universal symbol of hope.

One of these instances is the Boravia and Jarhanpur conflict, which viewers casual and critical alike have noted possesses similarities to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. 

Gunn has noticed these conversations about the similarities between the movie and the real-world conflict. He stated in a Variety article that he wrote the script prior to Oct. 7, 2023, and claims the connection was not intentional. 

In the same article, political internet personality Hasan Piker claimed that “Superman” is obviously about the genocide in Gaza, and that “anyone involved in the film would be ‘lying’ if they told you it wasn’t an analogy for Israel and Palestine,” when talking about conservative pundit Ben Shapiro’s review of the film.

On the right wing of the political spectrum, Shapiro said the movie does not align with the facts, repeatedly mentioning the “left-wing brain” when discussing the movie’s politics. 

One political aspect the public and Gunn agree on is that “Superman” is about immigration. In an interview, Gunn said Superman is an immigrant, which is how the infamous term “superwoke” came to air on Fox News. 

Despite seeing the reviews online, when I finally got to watch the film, I was unprepared for how in-your-face the politics would be. In my opinion, it is refreshing to see. While Gunn claims it is not an analogy for the genocide happening in Gaza, it is hard to ignore the similarities. 

“Superman” is one of the most talked-about movies of this year, and thus has generated a lot of controversy over its political messaging. Whether you hated or loved the movie, you cannot ignore its politics and what it means to be so vocal.

“Superman,” which is doing amazing at the box office and is being continuously talked about months after release proves that sugarcoating politics is never the answer. Minimizing the movie to a “left-wing brain,” as Shapiro claims it to be, erases the impact it has on those who are affected by these political topics everyday.  

It is important to keep talking about these issues, because they are not going away. Nobody can really hide from them — even in movies as big as “Superman.”

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