Latest news with #Lois&Clark:TheNewAdventuresofSuperman
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dean Cain Worries James Gunn's ‘Superman' Is Just Too 'Woke'
A former Superman is throwing some culture war kryptonite at James Gunn's new film. Dean Cain — who played the iconic superhero in the 1990s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman — took issue with Gunn's recent comments (below) suggesting that his new Superman is an allegory for immigration about 'about politics.' The film has also reportedly used the phrase 'truth, justice and the human way' in product marketing instead of the Superman's best-known motto of fighting for 'truth, justice and the American way.' More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Superman': What the Critics Are Saying Sarah Jessica Parker Defends Not Posting About Politics: "FDR Was Elected Without Social Media" 'Superman' Review: James Gunn Gives DC Studios' Crown Jewel a Gleaming Polish With Help From David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan Speaking to TMZ, Cain pointed out Fox News host Jesse Watters' joke that Superman's cape should now have on it 'MS-13' — the name of a Salvadoran gang that's designated as a foreign terrorist organization — and that the host makes 'great political points.' 'How woke is Hollywood going to make this character?' Cain asked. 'How much is Disney going to change their Snow White? Why are they going to change these characters to exist for the times?' Continued Cain: 'For Superman, it was 'truth, justice in the American way.' Well, they dropped that … I don't think is a great idea. I think if you want to create a new character, go ahead and do that. But for me, Superman has always stood for 'truth, justice, and the American way' — and the American way is 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 wanted to be more like Somalia.' Well, that doesn't work, because you had to leave Somalia to come here — so it doesn't make any sense. If people are coming for economic opportunity, let's take a look at your government and why you don't have that economic opportunity … And there have to be limits, because we can't have everybody here in the United States … our society will will fail.' Cain reportedly added that Gunn's comments weren't necessary because, 'We know Superman is an immigrant — he's a freaking alien.' It's important to note here that it doesn't actually sound like Cain has seen the new film, which critics have largely described as a crowd-pleasing success that is not overtly political. As USA Today points out, 'While Gunn doesn't overdo it with political stakes, themes and personalities, he certainly drives home the point that kindness is the superpower we all should be using on the regular.' Cain was reacting to Gunn's viral comments to the Times UK which talked about this film's message. '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.' He also acknowledged that Superman may be interpreted differently among various political groups and doesn't mind if some people take offense. 'Yes, it plays differently,' Gunn said. '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 … 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.' Gunn added, '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.' Superman opens in theaters today and is targeting a $100 million-plus box office opening as DC seeks to kick off a new hero universe. Superman stars David Corenswet (Twisters, Pearl) as the title character. Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, House of Cards) plays his love interest and journalist, Lois Lane; and Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu, Juror #2) portrays the villain, Lex Luthor. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Dean Cain calls out James Gunn for calling Superman an 'immigrant'
Former Superman star Dean Cain has come out strongly against filmmaker James Gunn for his recent remarks about the superhero. The actor, known for portraying the iconic DC Comics character in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, described Gunn as "woke" for calling the character an "immigrant". Cain compared DC Studios adapting Superman to modern times with Disney's recent Snow White remake. "Why are they going to change these characters (to) exist for the times?" asked Cain. The actor's comments come shortly after Gunn described Superman as America's story, which bats for "basic human kindness" at a time when the idea itself has lost its meaning. Meanwhile, the filmmaker's brother Sean Gunn, playing Maxwell Lord in Superman, supported him and underscored the vital part that immigrants play in American society. The actor stated, "The people that we support in this country are immigrants and if you don't like that, you're not American." While Cain agreed with the notion about Superman being an immigrant, he argued that the USA has certain rules and policies in relation to immigration for a reason. According to the actor, the country cannot let in every foreigner because otherwise, "society will fail". He went on to suggest that, if not for these rules, it would be similar to Somalia. Conservatives in the USA seemingly believe that progressive social agendas have diluted Superman, moving it away from his classic heroic archetype and associating it with undesirable elements, such as the superimposition of 'MS-13' on the superhero suit. Besides James and Sean Gunn, actor Nathan Fillion, who plays Guy Gardner (Green Lantern) in Superman, also tried to defuse the controversy, terming it "just a movie".
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Superman Is Super Woke According To MAGA Supporters
It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's grown adults upset over a classic superhero in tights, and what he stands for. Superman hit theaters on July 11. It was written and directed by James Gunn and stars David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, and more. At this point, everyone knows that Superman is an alien from another planet who humans raised to eventually become the superpowered hero in the red and blue tights. But when James recently referred to Superman as an "immigrant," all hell broke loose. In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, James 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." James's comments sparked immediate backlash from the far-right MAGA crowd. Even though the original comic was created in 1938 by the sons of actual immigrants, and Superman was sent to Earth to make a better life for himself after his planet was destroyed, they accused the film of being "too woke." Fox News contributor Kellyanne Conway said, "We don't go to the movie theater to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology onto us." Fox News host Jesse Watters said in the same segment, "You know what it says on his cape? MS-13," referring to the Salvadoran gang that's designated as a foreign terrorist organization. Ben Shapiro may have agreed that Superman is technically an immigrant but argued that he's a man "who assimilates to American values and then brings those classic American values to the big city." Actor Dean Cain, who played Superman in the 1990s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, agreed with Jesse Watters, saying to 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?" Dean continued, "For Superman, it was 'truth, justice in the American way.' Well, they dropped that … I don't think is a great idea. I think if you want to create a new character, go ahead and do that. But for me, Superman has always stood for 'truth, justice, and the American way' — and the American way is 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 wanted to be more like Somalia.' Well, that doesn't work, because you had to leave Somalia to come here — so it doesn't make any sense. If people are coming for economic opportunity, let's take a look at your government and why you don't have that economic opportunity … And there have to be limits, because we can't have everybody here in the United States … our society will will fail." Ironically, the internet quickly resurfaced a clip from Season 4, episode 14 of Dean's series where Superman is stopped by an "immigration and naturalization" officer asking for his green card. Even the 2001 TV series Smallville had an entire storyline where Tom Welling's Clark Kent referred to himself as "an illegal immigrant" when justifying to his mom why he wanted to help a friend from being deported. So, I had the pleasure of seeing the Gunn's Superman reboot. While things that certain groups consider "too progressive" don't cause me a meltdown, I find it disturbing that people are accusing superheroes of being "too woke." For decades, comic book superheroes have been characters who come from different planets, sometimes with abilities that set them apart from average society, and heck, some of them even find themselves at odds with world governments and authority because they challenge the status quo. It has ALWAYS been the superhero agenda since its iteration. The only difference is that there was a time when American values aspired to fight for the same causes as Captain America, Superman, and Batman, and not the bad guys. Today, it feels like it might be harder to swallow that Lex Luthor, a genius tech billionaire who colludes with political figures for his agenda could be the villain in the story. Thanos, Magneto, Doctor Doom, and these larger-than-life supervillains who use their power, wealth, influence, and exact vengeful and hypocritical tyranny on people who don't align with them are hitting too close to home nowadays. If our world leaders' talking points start sounding more and more like something a Bond villain would say, it's not the fictional superhero that got "too woke," or changed for the worse — it's our society. And heck, don't just take my word for it. Although MAGA enthusiasts might decry the idea of Superman being an immigrant fighting for truth, justice, and the progressive American way, there are a lot of folks pointing out that the backlash is wrong. Aside from the celebrities involved in the film, the rest of the internet is having a field day shutting down the backlash against Superman being "took woke." Here's what some folks are saying: And finally, this X user held nothing back, saying, "You're uncomfortable by the acts of kindness cause you're fucking evil. The movie isn't woke. You're just fucking evil." She called out people who claim Superman is "superwoke" for trying to push a political message when the message is just "be kind to other regardless of who they are." What are your thoughts?
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Superman vs. ‘Superman'? Dean Cain cries ‘woke' after James Gunn calls hero an immigrant
Dean Cain, the former star of 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,' laments Hollywood's newest take on the Man of Steel — one that likens his story to the immigrant experience in America. In a recent conversation with TMZ, Cain — who starred as Clark Kent/Superman in the hit 1990s TV series — wondered: 'How woke is Hollywood going to make this character?' The 58-year-old actor railed against filmmaker James Gunn and his latest take on the Kryptonian icon after the director declared in an interview with the London Times that 'Superman is the story of America.' In the interview, Gunn described his hero as 'an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country,' adding that his film, starring David Corenswet in the title role, is 'mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.' Gunn, who has been an outspoken critic of President Trump, made his comment as the Trump administration carries out its aggressive crackdown on immigrant communities across California. Since raids in Los Angeles began June 6, federal immigration agents have arrested nearly 2,700 undocumented individuals, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Cain was clearly not a fan of Gunn's remark. Cain, who has not seen the film yet, criticized the idea of 'changing beloved characters' and suggested creating new original characters instead. When he starred in 'Lois & Clark,' Cain was the fourth actor to portray Superman onscreen, filling in the red boots of Kirk Alyn, George Reeves and Christopher Reeve. He claimed that the superhero 'has always stood for truth, justice and the American way. 'The American way is immigrant-friendly, tremendously immigrant-friendly, but there are rules,' he added, before his aside about people coming to the U.S. to seek opportunity. Speaking more broadly about immigration, Cain said he believes in enforcing limits on immigration, otherwise 'our society will fail.' In another clip from his conversation with TMZ, Cain asks why immigration agents and federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, 'are being villainized for enforcing the laws that our lawmakers, our elected representatives created.' Videos shared on social media have documented numerous incidents of masked immigration agents forcefully detaining civilians and confronting other people attempting to interfere in the arrests. Cain said he thinks it 'was a mistake by James Gunn to say, you know, it's an immigrant thing,' adding that he thinks the movie will suffer at the box office as a result. Cain said he was looking forward to Gunn's take on the comic-book hero and is rooting for its success, but ultimately contends, 'I don't like that last political comment,' referring to the Marvel alum's description of Superman. Gunn's 'Superman' is now in theaters and also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion and Isabela Merced. In her review, Times film critic Amy Nicholson writes, 'This isn't quite the heart-soaring 'Superman' I wanted. But these adventures wise him up enough that I'm curious to explore where the saga takes him next.' Amid the latest 'Superman' discourse, the White House on Thursday shared a photo on social media of Trump's face superimposed onto Superman's body on the film's poster. In response to the odd digital alteration, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's press office fired back with a familiar point. 'Superman was an undocumented immigrant,' the tweet said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
White House shares altered 'Superman' movie poster with Trump as the superhero
The White House is seemingly joining in on the hype of the new "Superman" movie by posting an altered version of the film's poster featuring none other than President Donald Trump. The White House shared the poster in an X post around 9 p.m. on July 10, showing what appears to be Trump wearing Superman's iconic red, blue and yellow suit. The words written on the poster include "A Trump Presidency," "Truth," "Justice" and "The American Way." The caption on the White House's post reads: "THE SYMBOL OF HOPE. TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY. SUPERMAN TRUMP." The actual movie poster that Trump's office altered features Superman, played by David Corenswet, looking up in the air as he flies toward the sky with the words "Look Up." DC Studios' "Superman" hit U.S. theaters on Friday, July 11. 'Superman' movie review: David Corenswet soars as an empathetic Man of Steel James Gunn, the director of "Superman," sparked controversy after an interview with The Times of London, during which he called the superhero's fictional life "the story of America." "I mean, 'Superman' is the story of America," Gunn said during the interview. '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." Dean Cain, who played Superman from 1993 to 1997 in the TV series 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," spoke out against Gunn's comments, telling 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 that exist for 'the times.'" Fox News contributor and former Trump aide, Kellyanne Conway, also commented, saying, 'We don't go to the movie theater to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology onto us,' Conway said, per Variety. In response to the backlash, Gunn told Variety that "Superman" is for "everyone" and that he doesn't have "anything to say to anybody" spreading negativity around the film. Sean Gunn, who plays Maxwell Lord in the film, stood up for his brother's comments. 'My reaction to (the backlash) is that it is exactly what the movie is about,' he said, per Variety. 'We support our people, you know? We love our immigrants. Yes, Superman is an immigrant, and yes, the people that we support in this country are immigrants and if you don't like that, you're not American. People who say no to immigrants are against the American way.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: White House shares 'Superman Trump' poster with president as superhero
