This isn’t exactly a review. It’s more of an analysis—an excavation, really—of the politics woven deep into James Gunn’s new Superman film.
Gunn had a daunting task ahead of him: revive one of the most iconic characters in pop culture, relaunch a chaotic cinematic universe, and somehow still make the result feel emotionally sincere and culturally relevant. And yet—against all expectations—he’s done it. The film isn’t just good. It’s shockingly good. Not in a loud, spectacle-first kind of way, but in its conviction. In its warmth. In its spine.
What sets this film apart isn’t just the visual confidence or the back-to-basics ‘aw, shucks’ charm. It’s the clarity. Gunn’s Superman isn’t a blank-slate demigod or a brand-friendly savior. He’s an empowered, fully formed everyman—relatable, idealistic, and deeply human in a world that treats idealism like a threat.
So no, this isn’t your standard superhero breakdown. This is a closer look at what the film is really saying—about immigration, disinformation, fascism, and the long-forgotten radical legacy of the Man of Steel.
In James Gunn’s Superman (2025), the big blue boy scout returns to the skies and his roots. This is not the sanitized corporate hero some fans have grown used to. This Superman is political. Passionately so. And for anyone who’s actually been paying attention, he always has been.
Before he was a symbol of Americana, before the capes and catchphrases were scrubbed of meaning, Superman had a mission—and it wasn’t about flag-waving. In Action Comics #1, he was introduced as “Champion of the Oppressed”—a vigilante for the poor, the working class, and marginalized people.
Created in 1938 by two sons of Jewish immigrants, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman wasn’t born from corporate branding—he was forged in the middle of the Depression by kids raised on labor politics and outsider status. Their parents migrated to America and, during the time Superman was being crafted by their kids, were growing alarmed at the creeping fascism across Europe, and they were proud supporters of FDR’s New Deal—the very policies today’s conservatives love to hate. In his earliest adventures, Superman didn’t just stop bank robbers and mad scientists—he beat up corrupt landlords, exposed abusive bosses, and forced brutal mine owners to face their workers. He threw wife-beaters through walls. He dragged war profiteers into the light. He wasn’t a mascot for American exceptionalism. He was literally the champion of the oppressed.
That slogan was later changed to “Truth and Justice,” and eventually, during World War II, “the American Way” was tacked on for nationalist, propagandistic purposes. That final revision—the one so often quoted today—was a political decision, not a creative one.
But the truth is: Superman’s roots are firmly leftist, working-class, and rebellious. James Gunn didn’t make him political—he restored him.
Superman and Immigration: A Threat or a Mirror?
We all know the story. Superman crash-lands in Kansas and is raised American, but in the film, he’s treated the way immigrants are treated today—with suspicion, surveillance, and politicized fear. He’s arrested without due process by a masked police force that looks suspiciously like ICE, and treated like an invading force simply for existing, then confined to a high-tech detention facility similar to the “Alligator Alcatraz” President Trump is bragging about. The press speculates on his loyalty. Politicians call for his deportation.
Fox News might as well have written the chyron: “Alien Threat Among Us?”
The parallels to the modern immigration debate are razor sharp. Lex Luthor and his media empire fuel paranoia, pushing narratives of danger and cultural decay. It’s the same talking points hurled at refugees and asylum seekers today. It’s not even subtle.
Gunn’s take doesn’t invent these themes—it reflects the world we’re living in.
Defender of a Free Press
Clark Kent’s role as a reporter isn’t a side gig—it’s a core identity. In a media landscape overrun with lies, rage-clicks, and disinformation, Superman (2025) makes a point to show how journalism is under siege. Luthor’s empire floods social feeds with noise, propaganda, and algorithmic outrage. In response, the Daily Planet digs in, fighting back with facts.
This lands with weight in a country where President Trump repeatedly calls the press “the enemy of the people.” Along with his love interest Lois Lane (the kind of woman who always gives conservatives heartburn), Clark Kent and Lois Lane stand in direct contrast. They’re not just a symbol of truth—they write it, print it, and defend it. And when propaganda tries to drown it out, they resist without compromise.
Fictional War, Real-World Invasion
The fictional conflict between Boravia and Jarhanpur in Superman (2025) is barely a disguise. Boravia, the aggressive, militarized state, launches an unprovoked assault on a smaller neighbor. The cultural, political, and military imagery reads like a direct allegory for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It’s not just the geopolitics—it’s the money behind it. LuthorCorp funds Boravia’s aggression, positioning itself to profit from war, chaos, and destabilization. The film indicts the machinery of global conflict, where private capital often has more to gain from suffering than peace.
It’s a stark reminder that Superman’s real enemies aren’t just supervillains. They’re power structures built to exploit fear.
Disinformation, Weaponized
One of the film’s most surreal—but disturbingly accurate—scenes features an army of monkeys sitting at computers, generating an endless stream of identical tweets and social posts, all vilifying Superman.
It would be funny if it weren’t so real because we’ve seen similar tactics employed to sway public opinion against Hillary Clinton and actress Amber Heard, among many others.
The film’s take on social media doesn’t pull punches. It shows how public opinion is shaped—intentionally and maliciously—by bot farms, algorithmic engagement, and digital echo chambers. The public turns on Superman not because of what he’s done, but because of what they’ve been fed.
Lex Luthor doesn’t need to fight Superman physically. He turns a misinformed public against him first.
What This Movie Really Says
James Gunn’s Superman isn’t subtle. It’s a sharp, cinematic middle finger to the forces of authoritarianism, fear-mongering, and dehumanization, wrapped up in a grand, sometimes goofy, always clear visionary film.
At its core, it makes a clear case: Superman defends immigrants from xenophobia. He fights for the press in an era of disinformation. He battles propaganda with facts and principles. And an instantly recognizable cable news channel is more than gleeful to lead the charge against him.
This is not your dad’s Superman. This is not the jingoistic icon hijacked by Reaganites or rebranded by cable news. This is the original—a radical, working-class immigrant who champions the oppressed and pisses off the powerful.
And if that’s too political for some? Good. It means it’s finally telling the truth again.
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