Dean Cain worries Superman is woke
The 58-year-old actor - who played the superhero in Lois + Clark: The New Adventures of Superman from 1993 to 1997 - admitted he has reservations about the filmmaker's new movie, which stars David Corenswet, and his vision for the character.
He told TMZ: "How woke is Hollywood going to make this character? How much is Disney going to change their Snow White? Why are they going to change these characters [to] exist for the times?"
James had previously compared his movie to "the story of America", with a central character who is "an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country."
Referencing the traditional Superman motto of "Truth, justice, and the American way" - which has evolved over the years and has most recently been "Truth, justice, and a better tomorrow", Dean said: "We know Superman is an immigrant — he's a freaking alien...
"The 'American way' is immigrant friendly, tremendously immigrant friendly. But there are rules.
"You can't come in saying, 'I want to get rid of all the rules in America, because I want it to be more like Somalia.' Well that doesn't work, because you had to leave Somalia to come here... There have to be limits, because we cant have everybody in the United States. We can't have everybody, society will fail. So there have to be limits."
Dean's comments came after James described Superman - which also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor - as a tale of "basic human kindness".
He told the Sunday Times newspaper: "'I mean, 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 ...
"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."
And the DC Studios CEO believes a story of positivity and goodness is much needed in the world.
He added: "This Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people's goodness.
"I'm telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.
"And I include myself in this. It is ad infinitum, millions of people having tantrums online. How are we supposed to get anywhere as a culture?
"We don't know what's real, and that is a really difficult place for the human brain to be.
"If I could press a button to make the internet disappear I'd consider it. And, no, I don't make films to change the world, but if a few people could be just a bit nicer after this it would make me happy."
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The courts ruled that Wright's version did not differ enough from the original melody to qualify as an original creative work eligible for copyright protection, and that Pinkfong's song had clear differences from Wright's. The Supreme Court said its ruling reaffirms the established legal principle on existing folk tunes as derivative work. "The Supreme Court accepts the lower court's finding that the plaintiff's song did not involve substantial modifications to the folk tune related to the case to the extent that it could be regarded, by common social standards, as a separate work," it said in a statement. Pinkfong said the ruling confirmed its version of Baby Shark was based on a "traditional singalong chant" that was in the public domain. Chong Kyong-sok, Wright's South Korean lawyer called the outcome "a little disappointing", but said "the matter is now settled". Pinkfong's Baby Shark became a global phenomenon after it was released on YouTube in 2015, with the original Baby Shark Dance video exceeding 16 billion views and peaking at No.32 on the Billboard Hot 100. Baby Shark remains a crucial product for Pinkfong, which earned 45.1 billion won in revenue in the first half of 2025, according to its regulatory filing. The company has turned the five-member shark family - Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Papa Shark, Grandma Shark, and Grandpa Shark - into TV and Netflix shows, movies, smartphone apps and world-touring musicals.
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South Korea's Supreme Court has rejected a 30 million won ($A33,000) damage claim by an American composer who accused a South Korean kids content company of plagiarising his version of Baby Shark. The decision on Thursday ends a six-year legal battle over the globally popular tune known for its catchy "doo doo doo doo doo doo" hook. The top court upheld lower-court rulings dating to 2021 and 2023 that found no sufficient grounds to conclude Pinkfong infringed on Jonathan Wright's copyright. Wright, also known as Johnny Only, had recorded his version in 2011, four years before Pinkfong's, but both were based on a traditional melody popular for years at children's summer camps in the United States. The courts ruled that Wright's version did not differ enough from the original melody to qualify as an original creative work eligible for copyright protection, and that Pinkfong's song had clear differences from Wright's. The Supreme Court said its ruling reaffirms the established legal principle on existing folk tunes as derivative work. "The Supreme Court accepts the lower court's finding that the plaintiff's song did not involve substantial modifications to the folk tune related to the case to the extent that it could be regarded, by common social standards, as a separate work," it said in a statement. Wright's South Korean lawyer and Pinkfong did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Pinkfong's Baby Shark became a global phenomenon after it was released on YouTube in 2015, with the original Baby Shark Dance video exceeding 16 billion views and peaking at No.32 on the Billboard Hot 100. Baby Shark remains a crucial product for Pinkfong, which earned 45.1 billion won in revenue in the first half of 2025, according to its regulatory filing. The company has turned the five-member shark family - Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Papa Shark, Grandma Shark, and Grandpa Shark - into TV and Netflix shows, movies, smartphone apps and world-touring musicals.
