"Superwoke" Critics Are Just Mad Superman Isn't a Sociopath
As James Gunn's Superman hits theaters this week, a new round of outrage has emerged online — this time accusing the movie of being, somehow, "superwoke."
The term was thrown around by critics on Fox News and echoed by former Superman actor Dean Cain, who launched into a rant about how the film is supposedly pushing an agenda.
The controversy centers on a quote from Gunn himself during an interview with The Times U.K., where he said:
"Superman is the story of America. An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost."
When asked whether the film might play differently in red states versus blue states, Gunn added:
"Yes, it plays differently. But it's about human kindness and 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."
That was enough to trigger a small but loud corner of the internet. Fox News branded the film "Superwoke" — despite there being no evidence they'd seen it — and culture war commentary quickly followed.
What's ironic is that Superman has always been a metaphor for immigration, dual identity, and being an outsider. The character has been portrayed that way for decades in comics, films, and TV. Even Zack Snyder's Man of Steel touched on the exact same themes — without causing this kind of backlash. Gunn's take is hardly new.
Nathan Fillion, who plays Guy Gardner in the film, responded to the drama with a simple line:
"Just a movie, guys."
What the reviews actually say
If you go by the critics — you know, the people who've actually seen the film — the entire "woke" discourse falls apart.
Reviews have called Superman one of the more lighthearted DC films in years. It's not political, it's not preachy — it's just a movie about an alien with a good heart trying to do the right thing. David Corenswet's performance as Superman has been praised for capturing the character's optimism and warmth, and Gunn's tone has been compared more to the Christopher Reeve era than anything controversial.
Alison Willmore, writing for Vulture, probably nailed it best in her headline:
"Superman isn't trying to be political. We just have real-life supervillains now."
As for the supposed controversy that Lex Luthor is a billionaire villain and Superman is a literal alien immigrant? That's... always been the setup. That's not Gunn going rogue — that's just Superman. If kindness offends you, the problem might not be with the movie.