The team behind “Superman” is responding to the backlash after director James Gunn said the DC tentpole is the story of “an immigrant that came from other places.”

When asked about the reaction to his comments, James Gunn explained that the movie is for “everyone” and that he doesn’t have “anything to say to anybody” spreading negativity around “Superman.”

“I’m not here to judge people,” he told Variety at Monday night’s “Superman” premiere at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre. “I think this is a movie about kindness and I think that’s something everyone can relate to.”

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[–] 331 points 1 year ago* (41 children)

I mean... He's literally an alien that came here illegally.

Is MAGA stupid? Don't answer that, it was rhetorical.

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  • [–] 98 points 1 year ago (13 children)

    Asmongold. Enough said. Also, most conservative men are opposed to bathing. Something something washing assholes is gay.

    They are stupid, useless, and gross.

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  • [–] 71 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    You mean the guy who lives like a pig and has cockroaches climbing on his shirt while live streaming his newest rage fit should not be listened to?

    Seriously, what is wrong with his viewers? The content is shit brought to them by someone living in his own literal shit.

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  • [–] 42 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    I thought you were exaggerating so I googled it and what the fuck man.

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Did you read about where the dried blood on the wall by his bed came from?

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Jesus Christ, who the fuck gets bleeding gums as recurring thing.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    People with severe gingivitis. Like if this guy wasn't doing something with moderate effort on a regular basis I'd assume severe depression because cleaning and oral hygiene are things that can fall to the wayside while struggling with depression. But also Jesus man, have some shame.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago* (8 children)

    Well he's an Alien who is an American citizen more than likely.

    Foundlings aren't directly mentioned in the laws but if a child is found in the U.S. and you can't find the parents, it is assumed to have been born here. And thereby a citizen by the 14th Amendment.

    Unless someone could prove who his parents were and where they were born, until that time I don't think they would have grounds to revoke the citizenship

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Pfft, you think the Trump administration would give him the benefit of the doubt.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    When Superman came to earth Trump wasn't born yet right? He had FDR

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    AFAIK, current Supes is perpetually 28ish. So, he was born/arrived under Bill Clinton's administration. But Trump is trying to denaturalize people who have birthright citizenship without citizen parentage, so i dont think it matters.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    There is proof of his origin, that hologram of his father that explained it to him

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

    So you believe some people who found a baby in the middle of no where and decided to raise/adopt him picked up a hologram made of alien tech unlike anything seen on earth before and were going to bring that to the government to say we know who his parents are? Kid would go to a gov facility for infinite tests and the Kent's would be institutionalized or disappeared because everyone would have thought they were nuts in the psych ward. No way they'd know the kid was going to fly, shoot laser beams and be impervious to weapons.

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  • [–] 23 points 1 year ago (15 children)

    Technically he was "born" in the US in most versions going back a few decades. His pod was retconned from one they put a whole living baby into in earlier stories, to an artificial womb "birthing matrix" that combined DNA. Was even a storyline that dealt with if he was eligible to be President based on that (may have even been the reason for the retcon, can't remember). So he'd be an "anchor baby" to use their racist term, and someone Donald wants to invalidate an amendment with an executive order for

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (10 children)

    Is thst still canon? I know it was officially changed at least by New 52 to be baby Kal-El in the ship from Krypton again. And then Post-Crisis canon was merged with New 52 Canon with Rebirth and Doomsday Clock, but I haven't read a comic in years now. No idea what they settled on as his new origin. Either way though, non-lawful entry or born here with non-citizen birth parents, he would be considered an illegal or stateless immigrant under the current government. There is no getting around that Republicans.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (8 children)

    Poor Supes has been retconned since he first appeared. For a while he could shapeshift and turn invisible.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    He can't fly, but he can leap over tall buildings in a single bound.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    https://youtu.be/9UJphNPwDfk?list=PLhGipfv0juZWw5lM_NyhY1n32UXVSn37Q

    1940 animated version using rotoscopes. One of my favorite versions of the Man Of Steel.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (3 children)

    I watched Young Justice when I was a kid, I remember the one in the black t-shirt only being able to do that. I think he was Superman's nephew? Idk lol

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    The superboy in YJ was a government created half human half kryptonian. He was grown to teenager in a vat essentially.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    In some versions he's almost literally Supes and Lex's son as Lex was the human half of the mix.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    So, Supes is an illegal and he had a kid with another guy?

    Also, the kid is dating Miss Martian, who is also an illegal alien and a shapeshifter who can become a boy if she wants to...

    Get me my Bat-Shark Repellent!

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)
  • [+] 110 points 1 year ago (2 children)
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    America has two souls battling and it always has. It's Paine and Franklin vs the southern founders. It's Jefferson vs himself. One soul says we're a nation built on the idea that all people are created equal, with fundamental rights, and that government should be more controlled than the citizens. The other soul looks at a nation founded by genocide and slavery, with early settlers being the puritans after they lost power in the UK and think that's what they think America should be.

    Each side considers the other un-American because we want different Americas

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  • [–] 108 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Everything upsets MAGA. They’re petulant children in desperate need of a nap. Sadly, they are using that energy to ruin lives, and destroy a country.

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  • [–] 75 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    But they’re explaining only half of the plot an illegal alien is assimilating and it’s making a specific billionaire very upset he can’t continue to exploit his people

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  • [–] 21 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    All I am gonna say is xenophobic Lex Luthor is always the best written Lex Luthor

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  • [–] 21 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Largely because it's a bit valid to be concerned that the indestructible alien could decide he's bored serving the world and just take it over.

    Xenophobic Lex is just a compelling villain, a bit like doom. Someone who has a sound reason for their actions, but usually takes really questionable routes.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    I like Lex Luthor as a villain a lot more than I like Superman as a hero for exactly this reason. He's a villain, sure, but his villainy is all centered around this one highly logical and concerning idea of never giving Superman total power because they'd then never be able to take it away from him.

    Dr Doom I straight up don't even consider a villain tbh. He's antihero at worst (though he'd be pissed to hear me say so). His subjects love him. A bit megalomaniacal, maybe, but he genuinely wants to rule the world to do what's best for everyone.

    If Fantastic wants to fight you because he thinks it's the right thing to do, and Doom wants to fight you because he thinks you're destroying his property, I know which one I'm putting my bet on because I know which one is going to show up to that fight more pissed off. His reasons are weird but Doom does still frequently show up to fight the bad guys, if for no other reason than "this is my fucking planet and I won't have you breaking the place". I love that.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Is he Xenophobic specifically, or is the Xenophobia simply an expansion on his Deophobia?

    I always understood Lex to be more than just "I dislike you because you R alien" and more "You are an alien with supreme power, and humanity cannot stand against you as is, therefore I dislike you"

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Yeah, I think it's actually envy with a side of pragmatism (he envies that everyone likes superman and wants that power, but also legitimately fears what a bad superman could do). But Xenophobic is just a funny way to phrase it.

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  • [–] 69 points 1 year ago* (11 children)

    I hate the director for deciding to associate a fictional character with societal issues.

    Has there been any movie where fictional characters aren't associated with societal issues? I ask because I'm pretty sure every single movie does this.

    Edit: OP Deleted their comment.

    None

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  • [–] 26 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Show me a piece of fiction which has nothing to say about societal issues and I'll show you a fucking boring piece of fiction.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Show me a piece of fiction which has nothing to say about societal issues and I’ll show you an author or reader who doesn’t understand literature.

    I don’t think it’s even possible for a participant in society to write something that has nothing to do with society. We are all affected by our environments. Fish might not notice the ocean, but it doesn’t mean that they could write something that doesn’t involve the ocean, to really stretch a metaphor.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    I agree, but wasn't sure I could adequately defend that assertion if challenged. 🙂

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    That’s fair, and also why I hedged about participants in society, because maybe ChatGPT could? But I don’t think ChatGPT can really write fiction, for the same reason my cat sitting on a keyboard can’t write fiction- the end product has nothing to do with intention or communication

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    its like people that get angry at rage against the machine for singing about politics.

    ... that is the whole point.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    That's wild. Superman fought the KKK and Nazis. He fought for equal rights. My man threw nuclear missiles into the sun in the 80s for demilitarization. Superman is a political figure fighting for a better society. He just also happens to fight big space monsters from time to time as well.

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  • [–] 66 points 1 year ago (16 children)

    How can you not know Superman's origin story? Apart from the comics its been retold in every major movie version too. He literally is and always was (weird retcons aside) an immigrant.

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago (11 children)

    I'm pretty sure I knew through popcultural osmosis before I ever saw any of the films

    Some people weirdly don't connect fictional scenarios to real life analogues though. Like in the Oz books, a princess is kidnapped and forced to grow up as a boy. Some people don't see that as a transgender character because it's a fantasy scenario. Some people don't see Superman as an immigrant because their brains just don't connect a science fiction situation with an alien to immigration

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

    I've found that people who don't understand or enjoy media literacy or criticism also don't tend to understand the concept of an analogy/allegory, and don't want to either. Superman represents the "American Way" and can't be an immigrant and the idea that America is a nation of immigrants is not relevant in any way. Only the old statements from Bridget from Guilty Gear count and not any of the new ones that confirm she's trans. Naoto from Persona 4 and some similar stories like hers in other games can't be a commentary on social pressures around restrictive gender roles, dysphoria, and performativity simply because she ultimately still identifies as a cis woman. You can explain the nuances until you're out of breath, they will never accept the nuances.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    There was a post a while ago where someone was explaining that Star Wars was an allegory for the Vietnam war, and the next guy was all "well that's not true, unless the Empire is supposed to be America!"

    Like they're so close to getting it, but their brain swats it away before it can become a fully formed thought.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    These are the people who think that Hermione being non-white in the upcoming tv series is a problem because of how it will come across when Draco calls her a mudblood. Yeah, we can't have people reading it as a racist slur when Draco uses a racist slur. I'm genuinely confused as to how they read that scene before.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    There are people who write about Hermione feeling uncomfortable as her physical gender after taking the polyjuice potion to become Harry and wanting to transition back to her perceived gender — and who somehow can’t extend that to trans people in real life.

    [:Looks vaguely in the direction of Jo Rowling:]

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    An excellent point. I'd like to ask Rowling, is Hermione still a woman when polyjuiced as Harry? If no, then she's saying gender is changeable. If yes, then she should be able to understand how internal sense of gender isn't dependent on the physical body.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Those people really need someone to explain the concept of subtext to them.

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  • [–] 58 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    Well, Superman is an illegal immigrant. I don't think they have a US consulate in Kypton.

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  • [+] 23 points 1 year ago (4 children)
  • [+] 31 points 1 year ago (2 children)
  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    The state of Krypton! Yeah, say you're in Sacramento, just get on the 5 real quick... escape velocity quick. Look at the big dipper on your starboard facing shield and keep it on your reticle for 35 parsecs. Then it's just past the big 2354Kolonila poster planet. You won't miss it, it a really flat planet. Ask for Yorel, tell him you're friends with Kal. But you'll need one of several time machine types because krypton is gone these days.

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  • [–] 55 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Party of "fuck your feelings" huh? MAGA biggest cry babies out there. Guess it makes sense.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Network anchor Kellyanne Conway said of the film, “We don’t go to the movie theater to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology onto us.” Jesse Watters added, “You know what it says on his cape? MS13.”

    MAGA is so fucked up it's impossible to tell if they're serious or not.

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  • Then don’t fucking go and see it, Kellyanne. Problem solved.

    I bet you didn’t mind being preached to for ‘God’s Not Dead’ 1-4 or whatever. Or ‘Sound of Freedom’. Or whatever Ben Shapiro’s dumb school shooting movie was called.

    Fuck off with your hypocritical bullshit.

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  • [–] 51 points 1 year ago*

    MAGA Outrage Over Director Saying Superman Is an Immigrant

    (We're about a decade too late, and our engorged trolls are now our leaders, but still...)

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  • [–] 47 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    I mean he was literally created by Jews during the time of Hitler as an inversion of the Nazi ideal of a "super man" who would go around beating up Nazis. His origin story is basically just space Moses, and his Kryptonian name "Kal-El" is formatted like the name of an angel, containing the name "El" meaning "God" (compare MichaEL, GabriEL etc.) Superman has been anti-fascist and pro-minority since his inception.

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  • [+] 24 points 1 year ago* (2 children)
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (1 child)

    But if we force schools to change their curriculum to align with MY version of reality, that makes it true! Right?

    Or it's just a really really long con for a ton of content creators to make content about "the shocking truth they won't teach you in school!!!". Because I guess that's the only way to get idiots to actually understand something is by packaging it in some hidden conspiracy wrapper.

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