“Superman” director James Gunn, a noted Trump critic drew a comparison between a battered Superman in the flick’s trailer and the United States itself.
Gunn made this statement during a press event tied to the release of the new trailer saying, “We do have a battered Superman in the beginning. That is our country.”
He elaborated, describing his belief in humanity’s essential goodness despite political and ideological divides.
“I believe in the goodness of human beings, and I believe that most people in this country, despite their ideological beliefs, their politics, are doing their best to get by and be good people — despite what it may seem like to the other side, no matter what that other side might be,” he explained.
James Gunn says #Superman will embrace the innate goodness of the Man of Steel.
“We do have a battered Superman in the beginning. That is our country. I believe in the goodness of human beings, and I believe that most people in this country, despite their ideological beliefs,… pic.twitter.com/yQJm0j6LBN
— Variety (@Variety) December 19, 2024
He clarified that these ideas shaped the movie, sharing, “This movie is about that. It’s about the basic kindness of human beings, and that it can be seen as uncool and under siege [by] some of the darker voices are some of the louder voices.”
The trailer, released with fanfare, opens with Superman (played by David Corenswet) barely staying conscious after crash landing in the Arctic.
The Man of Steel is visibly battered, struggling to take breaths, and musters just enough energy to whistle for his canine companion, Krypto. He manages to say, “Home. Take me home.”
The trailer also gives audiences glimpses into Superman’s dual life—his time as Daily Planet journalist Clark Kent and snippets of his challenges and battles ahead—all set to “The Superman Theme.”
Gunn, speaking with Variety, noted his enthusiasm for finally unveiling parts of the film.
“I’m excited for people to get to see the essence of what we’re doing because it really has been like this private secret that we’ve all been hoarding,” he admitted about the project.
“We felt really good about it, like from a moral place, even from the beginning. We all felt like we were doing something good, both in terms of quality and in terms of actually something that’s not a fascistic power fantasy,” he said about the film, which opens on July 11.
He clarified his stance further, sharing, “I’m not saying that about other hero movies in general. But it felt good to be doing something that was about a person’s kindness.”
Gunn went on to comment on how superhero films often overlook intrinsic elements of beloved characters.
“Superhero movies have taken these characters and said, ‘Okay, it’s Batman [or] it’s Superman, but it’s not any of the other stuff,” he pointed out.
Instead, the director highlighted a deliberate effort to incorporate and respect Superman’s long-standing mythology.
“We’re embracing all of the Superman mythology. He has friends who are other superheroes,” he pointed out. “He has people he doesn’t get along as well with who are other superheroes.”
“He has a lot of the things that we love from the Superman comics that we haven’t been able to see as much of in filmed media, and definitely haven’t been able to see in a grounded way, which is what I hope we’ve created,” Gunn concluded.
Gunn veered away from explicitly discussing politics during the press event but has not shied away from controversial political statements in the past.
Back in late 2017, Gunn criticized then-president-elect Donald Trump in a series of statements online.
“In my years on social networking I have never spoken out politically,” he tweeted defiantly after posting a NSFW joke about Trump.
“But we’re in a national crisis with an incompetent President forging a full-blown attack on facts and journalism in the style of Hitler and Putin.”
By early 2018, Gunn ramped up his criticism further. He publicly offered to make a charitable donation if Trump would agree to weigh himself with a medical professional present.
Gunn challenged Trump’s alleged physical measurements with a tweet that read, “I will give $100 thousand dollars to Trump’s favorite charity if he will step on an accurate scale with an impartial medical professional, okayed by both of us. For real. #Girther #GirtherMovement.”
He added skepticism about Trump’s reported health stats, tweeting, “Trump’s medical exam says he’s 6’3” and 239 pounds. Albert Pujols is 6’3″ and 240 pounds. If the dementia tests are equally accurate, we are doomed,” pairing his statement with side-by-side photos of the then-President and the baseball player.
Later that year, Gunn faced professional fallout when controversial tweets he had posted years earlier surfaced.
The uncovered tweets, which reportedly included inappropriate jokes that touched on topics like terrorism and child abuse, caused an uproar online.
Disney responded by removing Gunn from his directorial role in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise.
However, after issuing a public apology and undergoing discussions with executives, Gunn was reinstated roughly a year later.
Reflecting on the incident, he stated, “My words of nearly a decade ago were, at the time, totally failed and unfortunate efforts to be provocative.”
“I have regretted them for many years since – not just because they were stupid, not at all funny, wildly insensitive, and certainly not provocative like I had hoped, but also because they don’t reflect the person I am today or have been for some time,” he added.