Superman DCU Review: James Gunn Superman is initiating a new era in the DC Universe by portraying David Corenswet as Clark Kent in a new, hopeful, far joyful tone of the Superman of Henry Cavill and his DCEU. This variant of Clark embraces charm, compassion and self reflection. However, this sunny surface is hiding a rather dark twist that both motivates the character in his path and leaves one with rather disturbing questions about the attitude of this film.
Krypton’s Shocking Message: A Narrative Risk
The main twist of the film, i.e. that biological parents of Superman (Jor-El and Lara) told him to conquer the Earth and raise an heir of Krypton, is rather daring and vague, as a narrative one, as well as thematically.
What Works:
- Emotional Conflict: This disclosure causes a severe crisis of identity in Clark and causes him to confront the difference between his genesis and what he believes.
- Character Development: His decision to have remained in the side of humanity, using Lois and his parents on earth as guidelines, supports the fact that nurture and choice of an individual is more powerful than nature and fate.
What Hurts:
- Ideological Implications: Set as the metaphorical pro-immigrant message in a story, targets such a twist threatens to echo anti-immigrant xenophobic nonsense, i.e., it contains the notion that immigrants have their own hidden agenda or intentions to replace and dominate the native population.
- Conflicting Messages: In the case whereby colonization was the legacy of Krypton, the fear of Superman, regardless of whether it was irrational, becomes justifiable, which waters down the theme of unfair prejudice in the film.
Immigration Allegory: Mixed Success
Clark Kent is an immigrant, and his story is very consistent and similar to the fates of the real life migrants one of the things Gunn makes clear in his Superman.
Positives:
- The evil deeds of Lex Luthor can be directly likened to xenophobia and authoritariism propaganda.
- The character trait of toughness exhibited by Clark illuminates the reader, depicting that it is what people do that makes the person, rather than what their parents do or did. It is a positive message at the right time.
- The Daily Planet’s journalism becomes a force for truth, highlighting how media can combat bigotry and misinformation.
Missed Opportunities:
However, the “conquer and breed” message undercuts this by:
- Validating fears about hidden motives of immigrants.
- Imposing guilt by association on Clark — even if he rejects Krypton’s ideology.
- Turning Jor-El and Lara into imperialistic symbols rather than compassionate visionaries.
In short: It unintentionally plays into harmful stereotypes, even while trying to disprove them.
Clark’s Kryptonian Identity: Too Easily Rejected?
By the film’s conclusion, Clark chooses to embrace his Kansas roots over his Kryptonian past. While that decision is framed as empowering, it leaves behind a subtle message:
That Krypton — his biological culture — is inherently toxic.
Previous Versions vs. DCU:
In the majority of previous interpretations (the films of Donner, the television series Smallville, even the film of Snyder), Jor-El is a foresighted or criminally misunderstood hero. In comparison, the plan in Gunn is an idea that makes the two parents equally guilty of something morally repulsive and worse still, it lacks a redeeming shade.
This raises the concern:
- Does Superman now stand in spite of his heritage, instead of drawing strength from both worlds?
Supergirl: The Future of Krypton’s Legacy
The appearance of Kara Zor-El / Supergirl (Milly Alcock) in the final scene could be the narrative key to course-correct this Kryptonian conundrum.
Possible Path Forward:
- Supergirl’s upcoming film might reveal alternative interpretations of Krypton’s culture.
- Kara may embody the positive, compassionate Kryptonian values that Clark believed in — showing that his heritage isn’t inherently corrupt.
- A future retcon (i.e., Lex doctored the footage) could also neutralize the damaging implications.
This would allow a multi-film arc in which Clark reconciles with his Kryptonian identity and reclaims it on his own terms, strengthening the story’s immigrant metaphor.
Final Verdict: A Heroic Start With a Conflicted Message
| Aspect | Rating |
|---|---|
| Clark Kent’s portrayal | 5/5 |
| Emotional depth | 4.5/5 |
| Immigration metaphor | 3/5 |
| Krypton twist | 2.5/5 |
| Thematic consistency | 3/5 |
Pros:
- Heartfelt performance by David Corenswet
- Optimistic tone fits Superman’s legacy
- Strong character journey centered on choice
Cons:
- Krypton twist undermines pro-immigrant message
- Jor-El/Lara characterization feels unnecessarily dark
- Leaves a thematic contradiction unresolved
Conclusion
Superman by James Gunn reinstills the positive selfless hero that people have longed to see. However, in trying to modernise and dramatise his tale, it stalls of its own feet with a Kryptonian twist to its tale that indirectly sounds the same note as anti immigrant anxieties. One can still see the heart of the movie, which is the personal development of Clark, but the ideological background around this main idea might harm the message of the movie among certain audiences.
In case the next Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow or other future DCU productions provide a different interpretation of the nature of Krypton and its legacy, this can become an interesting multi-film series about identity, choice, and heritage. Until now, Superman is a well-crafted movie with a solid foundation in its core, unable to eloquently cast its most critical metaphor.