What is it about Hollywood actors and filmmakers that they feel a compelling need to sabotage their multi-million-dollar tentpole franchise films just before they are set to be released? Is it a humiliation fetish or something?
This spring, the stars of the MCU's Fantastic Four: First Steps spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how the movie really should be about gender politics and remove all of that 'toxic masculinity'. Lead actor Pedro Pascal then doubled down on the stupid by picking a fight with J.K. Rowling about men pretending to be women. Anthony Mackie also drove even fewer people to buy a ticket for his Captain America: Brave New World by claiming that the character of Captain America ... has nothing to do with America.
And then, of course, there is the gold standard of making your audience hate you: Rachel Zegler. The less said about her, the better.
Not to be outdone, this weekend, director James Gunn announced that his new Superman movie -- that absolutely no one asked for -- is really all about immigration, just one week before the movie is set to be released.
And if you don't like that, you're a jerk.
CEO of DC Studios says Superman is about an “Immigrant That Came From Other Places”, while branding critics “jerks.”
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 6, 2025
James Gunn has said Superman is about “An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human… pic.twitter.com/JTSgFVO7bB
... but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.'
The head of the movie studio 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.'
'I'm destroying a beloved superhero character and screw you if you don't like it.'
That oughta' drive ticket sales.
Gunn also told The Times of London that the movie is overtly political and is 'the story of America.'
James Gunn Says 'Superman' Is About an 'Immigrant That Came From Other Places' and How We've 'Lost' the Value of 'Basic Human Kindness': 'Yes, it’s About Politics' https://t.co/X3fCHq2yGc
— Variety (@Variety) July 6, 2025
'I mean, ‘Superman’ is the story of America,' Gunn explained. '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.'
Gunn acknowledged that the movie’s themes may be interpreted differently across political groups, especially considering the current nationwide unrest around immigration. However, Gunn stands by the ideals embedded in 'Superman,' and added that he doesn’t care if anyone takes offense.
Oh, it's the story of America now?
That's funny. We seem to recall Gunn saying not that long ago that 'Truth, Justice, and the American Way' was not an appropriate slogan for the son of Jor-El, and needed to be replaced with 'the human way' (whatever that means).
James Gunn's 'Superman' Replaces Iconic Motto "The American Way" With "The Human Way" pic.twitter.com/9CngNuxBUt
— Fandom Pulse (@fandompulse) June 6, 2025
Oops. Is that the story of America, too?
Needless to say, potential ticket buyers were less than thrilled with Gunn calling them all jerks.
— Ron Tucker (@FearIsALiar60) July 6, 2025
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) July 6, 2025
Thanks for the spoiler. Now I know to skip it because, like so many other movies in the last decade, it was made by moral superiors of Hollywood for moral superiors of Hollywood and not us poors.
— ULTRA Grizzly Biker DAD (@AnotherHomoCon) July 6, 2025
They simply cannot help themselves.
My favorite thing about Superman has always been the scolding. https://t.co/fSVMSU6b6w
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) July 6, 2025
LOL.
Way to ruin another movie, Hollywood.
— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) July 6, 2025
Just let us enjoy the films. ffs https://t.co/oGVDSfXpOz
They can't. They just can't.
Maybe Tom Cruise can, but he's just about the last of a dying breed.
Fortunately, plenty of people were happy to educate Gunn that he does not understand the Superman character in the least, no matter how much he wants to 'update him for modern audiences.'
Superman wasn’t an immigrant, he was an orphaned refugee from a world that was destroyed by Krypton’s Democrat communist party… He was adopted by a kindly old Christian couple who raised him to be a decent fellow with Christian values…. Superman certainly was not a leftist, no…
— Siggy Ingleson (@SiggyIngleson) July 6, 2025
Now I'm really worried. I'm a huge Superman fan, but he is unfortunately sometimes used for political points when he should be a universal hero. The "Superman is an immigrant" point is a misunderstanding of the character. Yes, he is technically a refugee, but he came here…
— Jeff in GA (@SoarinOnKrypton) July 6, 2025
... but he came here because his planet exploded. He was then raised with middle-America values. His story is one of an alien desperately trying to fit in while also trying to be a symbol of hope.
He didn't come here demanding free healthcare and EBT cards, that's for sure.
Even the star of the movie, David Corenswet, gets it more than Gunn does.
David Corenswet on Superman
— DCU Superman News (@DCUSuperNews) July 6, 2025
"He is an American hero and an American symbol. He is always striving to be a symbol of goodness, hope and perseverance. Like any interesting hero, he is not perfect.. He is just willing to get up every morning and try to do his best" pic.twitter.com/qTpqUM3sro
It's not that difficult.
It only becomes difficult for Hollywood elites who hate America and cannot make a movie about a superhero who embodies American values and greatness.
I see they want to go down the Snow White road…
— Danielle (@daniellemerrim1) July 6, 2025
Thanks for the heads up https://t.co/6ddudGikZr
Warner Bros spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 million marketing the new Superman reboot and James Gunn just lit it on fire… https://t.co/xxQnEsuRK8 pic.twitter.com/swuUmZGnVz
— Pete Lethal (@PeteMitch311) July 6, 2025
Calling people who disagree with you “jerks” and saying “screw them” for disagreeing with you seems like a losing strategy for getting people to see your movie
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) July 6, 2025
Also, using Superman to virtue signal and lecture people about politics will backfire. https://t.co/k1qcB2dPeu pic.twitter.com/vNIMlv27cQ
Ya think?
Tiresome. https://t.co/MZ5C1keJYz
— Flappr (@flapprdotnet) July 6, 2025
Beyond tiresome.
The reason there is so little originality in Hollywood movies today is that there is virtually NO originality or original thinking in the people who make the movies.
I’m going to skip seeing Superman now. Director is an absolute moron to say this publicly the week before release. America is desperate for apolitical entertainment and Hollywood is unable to deliver it. https://t.co/SjKZ7KGgLI
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 6, 2025
Look guys, just stop watching anything made after 2010 and you’re mostly good. https://t.co/g2iTPUKwLp
— Julie Gunlock (@JGunlock) July 6, 2025
This is a great rule, one with only extremely rare exceptions in the case of major studio productions.
And another movie franchise bites the dust. https://t.co/2Ssub2FOm9
— Phineas J Whoopee, Lineman extraordinaire ( Ret. ) (@j_whoopee) July 6, 2025
The movie was entirely unnecessary in the first place, but we'll just go back and watch REAL Superman portrayals, like Christopher Reeve or Dean Cain.
As for our original question, 'Why do they do this?', one of our favorites, Jesse Kelly, had a simple and very direct answer.
The communist is always a communist first. Everything else is second.
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) July 6, 2025
It’s why Hollywood will put out flop after flop and yet they still refuse to stop doing this.
If you’re a movie director, making a great one is not as important as the revolution. https://t.co/4gREJexNLO
If you asked Gunn, of course, he would deny being a Communist. And it's not like he is carrying a card in his wallet or anything.
But it doesn't matter if he is calling himself one or not. What matters are the ideals he embraces, which are decidedly anti-American and lean very hard into Communism.
In short, he is the exact opposite of the Superman character his movie is trying to portray.
Hopefully, moviegoers will show him that we're not going to stand for that, and give James Gunn's Superman a hard, hard pass.
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