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‘Superman’ Director Backtracks After Insulting Half Of The Country

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James Gunn
Photo Credit: "James Gunn" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.

With the release of the highly anticipated DC reboot “Superman” just around the corner, director James Gunn is scrambling to walk back some eyebrow-raising remarks that managed to insult a large swath of the American public.

Gunn, who previously faced backlash over crude online comments and was booted from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise before being rehired, recently stirred controversy yet again.

This time by injecting overt politics into his Superman reboot and openly dismissing critics who took issue with it.

In an interview with the UK’s Times of London, Gunn described the new film as “pro-immigrant” and rooted in “kindness,” and made clear what he thought of any backlash: “Screw them.”

He elaborated, calling Superman “an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country,” describing the film as “the story of America.”

According to Gunn, “basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”

The political agenda, it turns out, isn’t hidden behind the cape. Gunn admitted a scene in which Lois Lane interviews Clark Kent is “about politics.”

“Yes, it’s about politics,” he said, adding that the scene also tackled moral dilemmas.

“Do you never kill no matter what — which is what Superman believes — or do you have some balance, as Lois believes? It’s really about their relationship and the way different opinions on basic moral beliefs can tear two people apart.”

But it was Gunn’s dismissal of any criticism that lit a firestorm. “Obviously there will be jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness. But screw them,” he said.

Now, as the premiere looms, the director appears to be dialing it back. On the red carpet, when asked directly about MAGA supporters and the political nature of his film, Gunn shifted gears.

“I don’t have anything,” he initially replied. “I think this movie’s for everybody. I don’t have anything to say.”

“I’m not here to judge people, you know. I think this movie is about kindness, and I think that’s something everyone can relate to,” he added.

The retreat from political combativeness wasn’t the only controversy surrounding Gunn.

During a press tour interview with the YouTube channel Reel Rejects, Gunn shared how he tunes out criticism—though not without making another remark that raised social media’s hackles.

“It’s always the weirdest stuff,” he said of online hate. “And then I go, I think I might be getting upset about something a 12-year-old in India is saying, you know what I mean? I’m like, let it go.”

That offhand comment prompted immediate backlash for what many called “casual racism.”

One angry post on X read, “People from India who are defending @JamesGunn regarding his remark about India, grow a spine. This is casual racism.”

The writer added, “He should [apologize] or we’re boycotting Superman and DCU all together.”

Attempting damage control, Gunn and lead actress Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Lois Lane, suddenly became very complimentary of India in an interview with the Hindustan Times.

“Bollywood films are important to me when I’m telling stories,” Gunn said, praising their mix of heart, drama, comedy, and music.

“I would love to see an Indian actor be a part of the global superhero universe,” he went on.

“We’ve already got things started in Korea, Japan, and Brazil. So it would be great to collaborate with some Indians.”

The director also called Indian fans “amazing,” saying he thought about “how much Superman means to the people of India” while making the film.

Adding to the drama, Gunn’s brother, Sean Gunn, made headlines of his own on the same red carpet. Unlike his sibling, when asked about MAGA critics, Sean didn’t hold back.

“We support ‘our people’ we love our immigrants, and yes Superman is an immigrant, and yes the people that we support in this country are immigrants, if you don’t like that then you are not American,” he said.

“People who say no to immigrants are against the American way. That is what the American dream is all about.”

The messaging didn’t stop with the Gunns. Lead actor David Corenswet, who plays Superman, also seemed hesitant to fully embrace the hero’s iconic slogan.

When discussing the Superman motto, traditionally “truth, justice, and the American way,” Corenswet swapped the last part out for something noticeably vaguer: “truth and justice and all those good things.”

Explaining the change on CBS Sunday Morning, Corenswet said, “When he doesn’t have to symbolize safety and security and truth and justice and all those good things, he still feels those values.”

Corenswet added that this version of Superman would be more “complex” and emotionally conflicted.

“Just like when a firefighter comes home, or a paramedic comes home, they might get frustrated, or they might panic about something – where in the course of doing their job, they would never let themselves panic or yell or raise their voice,” he said.

Watch Corenswet’s full interview with CBS Sunday Morning here:

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