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3w ago

James Gunn Defends Immigrant Framing as Superman Hits $406M Worldwide

Advocates have used social campaigns to push back against critics to underscore the hero’s immigrant roots.

The comic book Action Comics No. 1, published in June 1938, featured the first appearance of the character Superman (here lifting a car).
Superman creators Jerry Siegel, left, and Joe Shuster pose in front of sketches of their creation.
This image was originally produced in 1949 and distributed to schools by the Institute for American Democracy, an offshoot of the Anti-Defamation League. The art team at DC digitally restored the poster in 2017.
Susannah York and Marlon Brando portrayed Superman's parents, Lara and Jor-El, in the 1978 movie.

Overview

  • The film opened to a record $122 million domestically and has reached $406 million worldwide after two weekends.
  • Gunn told Entertainment Weekly he remains curious which elements of the movie are labeled “woke” and said kindness is its central message.
  • Historians including Danny Fingeroth have reiterated that Superman’s role as a refugee immigrant dates back to his 1938 debut.
  • Comic experts Edward Gross and Robert Greenberger condemned the “Superwoke” criticism, arguing the reboot honors the character’s original immigrant narrative.
  • Despite strong domestic turnout, the movie’s international haul has lagged, although Brazil and the U.K. have shown particularly robust weekday growth.