Whoopi Goldberg Praises New ‘Superman': 'I Forgot What Kindness Looked Like'
With the film's stars David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan visiting the ABC talk show today, Goldberg spoke about her reaction to seeing a screening of the movie. Although neither she nor the guests directly addressed the MAGA backlash, Goldberg and Corenswet applauded Gunn's approach.
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Goldberg said her initial reaction to the first scenes, she 'felt [herself] myself getting annoyed, and I couldn't figure out what was happening. And what it was was I forgot what kindness looked like, and I kept waiting for Superman to become quippy, and he's not that. He's never been that.
'So I fell in love with you as Superman. Chris Reeve was a friend, and so [the new movie] allowed me to just kind of question myself. Why didn't I recognize the kindness? I was waiting for you to turn into somebody you had never been. I know it sounds crazy, but it knocked for a loop because I thought, Oh, that's right. He's nice and he's kind and he's different.'
Asked by Goldberg what he hopes people take away from the film, Corenswet, who plays the title character, said, 'It might be too much to ask, but just what you described about looking inward and wondering, Is there something more I could be doing? Could I be a little kinder to people? Could I take a little more responsibility for myself, my family, my loved ones? Could I be somebody who shows up in a moment of crisis or uncertainty and say, I'll take care of this situation.'
The Superman kerfuffle started when Gunn told The Times U.K., '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.'
The comment drew ire (real or performative) from some conservatives. Fox News host Greg Gutfeld said the superhero has 'a woke shield,' and Laura Ingraham tweeted, 'Another film we won't be seeing.' Donald Trump supporter and Lois & Clark Superman Dean Cain 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?'
The Warner Bros. film, which opens in the U.S. on July 11, currently has an 85% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is expected to see a $200M global start at 60,000 global screens.
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