Washington (TDI): The new Superman movie, released a week earlier, has sparked heated and varied kinds of conversation across the internet over its political themes and symbolism.Â
The Movie Director James Gunn frames Superman, who is originally from the fictional planet Krypton, as an immigrant. In an interview, he declared that Superman is the story of America, and an immigrant who came from another place and populated this country. He also emphasized that the Movie is ultimately about “basic human kindness.”
However, there are all kinds of talks regarding the movie on the internet. Former Superman actor Dean Cain says framing the character as an immigrant was a mistake. In Contrast, some members of the cast responded with humour.
Nathan Fillon, who plays the character of a guy gardener quipped “somebody needs a hug” when asked about the backlash. While his brother, Sean Gunn, who plays Maxwell Lord in the movie calls out critics saying “Yes, Superman is an immigrant and if you don’t like that, you are not American.”
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The conversation is not restricted there. Audiences on social media are also interpreting scenes from movies as a clear allegory for the Gaza crisis. Some posts suggest that the film expresses open solidarity with Palestinian civilians as some scenes in the movie depict how the native people of a country, despite being materially weak, bravely fight against the oppression.
Although Filmmakers have not confirmed any real-world connection, many viewers draw a correlation between the fictional nations of Boravia and Jarhanpur with Zionist occupation and Palestine.Â
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This entire debate strikes at the heart of Superman’s cultural identity. Interestingly many point out that his origin as an alien refugee, his crash landing, and living in America without documentation is one of the oldest metaphors in contemporary American storytelling. Despite the controversy, the film is performing well. It has crossed $217 million globally, far more than it was initially projected.
