James Gunn Defends Tweak To Superman's Mother and father

James Gunn stands by his resolution to tweak the well-known origin story involving Superman and his mother and father in his Superman film. The primary entry in Gunn’s new DC Universe launched a brand new iteration of the Man of Metal, performed by David Corenswet. The film was successful with each critics, with a “Licensed Recent” Rotten Tomatoes rating, and audiences, incomes $615 million worldwide.

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The film takes place three years after Corenswet’s Superman reveals himself to the world, which means he already has established relationships with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), and different characters, together with the Justice Gang (Nathan Fillion’s Man Gardner, Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific, and Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl). Whereas not an origin story within the conventional story, Gunn did make a major tweak to Superman’s lore.

As we be taught over the course of the film, Superman’s mother and father, Jor-El and Lara (Bradley Cooper and Angela Sarafyan), didn’t ship him to Earth to be its protector, however to rule over humanity. Superman wasn’t conscious of this as a result of the message was broken throughout his travels to Earth, however Lex Luthor discovers it and shares it with the world to get them to activate Superman; Mr. Terrific assures Superman that the recording isn’t a faux regardless of Lex’s involvement.

This grew to become a key inflection level for Superman’s arc, however it was additionally a degree of dispute amongst some followers. Historically, Superman’s mother and father urge their son to deliver out the very best in humanity. Gunn, in director’s commentary obtainable for Superman on iTunes, defined why he made this variation:

“So the query is what are you able to add to the mythos that’s just a little bit completely different that doesn’t actually basically, in any approach change who the character is, and though you recognize Clark’s mother and father normally within the comics are benevolent, that isn’t at all times the case. It hasn’t at all times been the case. There have been tales by which, even in canon, that that hasn’t been the case, and Jor-El isn’t at all times handled as a benevolent character.”

“They’re benevolent to their son. They love their son clearly, however they aren’t essentially benevolent in the way in which they consider human beings. They consider human beings as lower than on this model. In order that was the factor that was the twist. I believe it really works. It’s not one thing that’s going to be retrofitted sooner or later. It’s the truth of Superman’s life. He was despatched by his mother and father to Earth to avoid wasting him primarily, but in addition they hoped he would proceed the Kryptonian heritage and kind of take over Earth as its ruler, and that isn’t who Superman thinks of himself as being in any respect.”

What This Means For Superman Shifting Ahead

David Corenswet's Superman looking disappointed in the DC movie — David Corenswet’s Superman wanting disenchanted within the DC film

As Gunn mentioned, this characterization of Superman’s mother and father is not going to be retrofitted. In his DC Universe, this is Superman’s origin.

Nonetheless, as we see within the film, Superman makes the selection to disregard his mother and father’ want for him to rule and proclaims that he’s as human as anybody as he makes an attempt to do what he can to make the very best selections.

What will likely be fascinating is to see if, and the way, this new backstory impacts Superman within the upcoming sequel, Man of Tomorrow, and even his cousin, Kara (Milly Alcock), in her personal film, Supergirl.

Our Take On James Gunn’s Superman Retcon

David Corenswet flying as Superman in Superman (2025)

I agree with Gunn fully on this. Everyone knows Superman’s origin story so properly, it was refreshing to have a unique approach to it, and it gave the character an added layer that hasn’t been explored in previous iterations.

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Gunn nonetheless gave Superman a hopeful ethos on this model, which is now, arguably, much more highly effective. He wasn’t informed by his mother and father to guard humanity, he’s doing it as a result of he believes in them.