The new Superman seems to be pro-Palestine
The year has welcomed us with various crises, tensions, protests, resistance movements, and a few ongoing genocides, along with some weird endorsements and nominations. On the other hand, the art and the people continue their resistance through various platforms, and James Gunn’s The Superman (2025) is one of them. The movie discusses quite a few issues, and while watching, one may reflect and surreal gasp with the feeling of ‘I know this one or this guy or this event’. And the reason behind this gasp is a surprising factor: the movie marks the first solo Superman film in a decade, directed by James Gunn, who is now heading the DC Studio. Apart from these, the movie also remains true to the original comic version thanks to the director’s vision. Since the movie mirrors the crises and cries of many from the point of a view of an immigrant who were portrayed as a alien, to millions suppressed by the authoritarian regimes, to the people who are living in an actual genocide, and the billionaires plans to use the crisis to profitable business for their growth and benefit; one may find it more relatable than feeling it just a movie.
Superman, also known as Kal-El and Clark Kent, is theoretically an extraterrestrial human, or an Alien. If quoting Donald Trump, he is an example of an illegal alien or immigrant who resides inside the country without an actual visa or proof. And we all know the backstory of how Kal-El became Clark Kent to Superman, and also a journalist at the Daily Planet. The movie starts with Superman’s life after the Borivian-Jarhanpur conflict escalation, and Lex Luthor’s metahuman experiments that he conducts out of jealousy, only to annihilate Superman, who has gained popularity and admiration from many. But how come this simple and yet predictable superhero storyline became too realistic? And that too in this very year of 2025, when the world witnessed various political turmoils? If you think only you find it relatable, no, we all are in the club.
The LA protests and Trump
A Netizen’s widely circulated post quote, “I cannot wait to watch an illegal alien absolutely ruin the plans of a Billionaire.” It was only recently that the United States of America witnessed mass-scale protests and demonstrations all over the country, especially in Los Angeles, regarding the ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)’s series of raids, mostly in disguise, that appeared to be part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Started with the people involved in the pro-Palestine protests, gradually the focus shifted to the larger picture of immigration, leading to increased tensions among the families who had migrated from third-world countries.
The ironic part is that during the campaigning for the 47th USA Presidential Elections, Trump, who was the Republican Party candidate was repeatedly made ill-remarks to the migrants, such as they are “illegal aliens”, and they “eat dogs, and cats”. In the movie, we can see the similarities with this particular symbolism used by Trump, whereas here, the allegations were that he came to destroy the earth, and rule over the people, as well as take the women to his secret harem, where he will use them for reproduction - a homogenous targeted accusations that is based on the fear of being ruled over and the dignity of women.
But now that White House itself is trying to endorse the movie widely by publishing a poster of the movie portraying the POTUS as Superman, when the movie itself supports “an alien immigrant who resides in the country without any proof.” So does that mean Superman is an exception? When the whole country was built up from scratch by the hardships of millions of immigrants, and if one sees from this angle, they are also Superhumans, right?
Too real to be true: The Musk and Trump
The character of Lex Luthor of Luthorcorp is an example of how to be a typical businessman who wants and only sees profit and growth. Now this resonates with the impressions of some really “good businessmen” out there. The arms deals, private entities' involvement in space science, and the “helping hand” to the government authorities were some of the major parts of Lex Luther’s character, now sound similar? When the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the character showcases how to be more cruel and gruesome. For example, in the movie (spoiler ahead), when Superman was taken to Luthor’s prison, since American prisons are not at all equipped with mechanisms to manage a metahuman, it shows a group of Monkeys who are working tirelessly to degrade the image of Superman in ‘Social Media’ by using hashtags like #SuperShit it will drag one to this old news of how Musk’s Neuralink was involved with experimenting Monkeys for their projects.
Experiments and Arms deals have been one of the hot topics of the past two decades. And when a movie like Superman takes up the issues, and a private entity’s involvement with a government shows it's not a surprising factor, but rather alarming. Recently, the United Nations published a report named “A/HRC/59/23: From economy of occupation to economy of genocide - Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 (Advance edited version)” by the contributions of Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Albanese lists 48 companies across the world, mostly from the USA, involved with the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. In a world where the billion-dollar corporations fall for economic benefits over humanity, compromising ethics and morality, a movie that shows the same speaks volumes.
Here in the movie, Superman and the Justice Gang were there to help and assist in the crisis when the people faced such a dangerous situation, but in reality, there is no Superman. And those who speak for the voiceless, we can predict what the end will be. Though it's not like we don't have heroes, we have a few; it's people like Francesca Albanese who continued to fight and raise their voice. When Multi-billion-dollar organisations and their ties that involve benefiting from a crisis will be a great story for a movie, but now that we can relate to it, it indeed becomes too real to be true for all of us.
Palestine reference
Since the very beginning of the movie, one can realise that the core theme of the movie lies between Superman and Luthorcorp’s involvement in the Borivian-Jarhanpur crisis. When the Borivia has a government and an authority, the Jarhanpur doesn't. The people were struggling, and they were trapped on four sides of the country, surrounded by fences guarded by the military of Borivia, and the support of Luthercorp. The abundance of minerals and resources makes the country of Jarhanpur more valuable. In the movie, Superman helps the Jarhanpur people by fighting along with them, and mentally aligning with their right to live in their country, and he is so anti-invasion-minded. Meanwhile, Borivia continues its operations of invasion with the aid of Luthercorp, so that they can establish a Luthernation on the Map instead of Jarhanpur. Now converting this storyline to the non-fiction area, you are exactly resonating with what is happening in the Middle East or Africa.
When I was watching the movie in a theatre in Delhi, during the scene where the Borivian president gives a highly patriotic speech urging the military to proceed with the operations, the guy sitting next to me said exactly what I was thinking: “Benjamin Netanyahu.” And at that moment, the movie won in terms of what they wanted to imply and the idea behind why one should watch this movie more than think of it as a comic movie. Since comics are inspired by real events, this movie was a solid note to the personal is political idea. At the same time, when the propaganda-themed movies exist in the same industry and those in power favour them and try to tackle the voices of the oppressed, a movie like this that implies the idea that people are getting silenced, the art will speak volumes. The movie indicates the need for independence of countries from Africa to the Middle East to South America from the chains of external invasion that hinder the independence of the people who belong there.
Like Tom Taylor, one of the writers who penned Superman himself wrote, which I personally completely agree with, “A Child whose world was lost when politicians reject science. A baby sent across an ocean of stars to seek the safety of another land. A refugee embraced by America who uses his great power to help everyone on Earth. A kind and humble hero who challenges a cruel and narcissistic billionaire. A man who can be anything who chooses to be a journalist for truth and justice. A symbol of hope pushing back against fear. A smile. A friend. This is the time for Superman.”
Superman comics were always political, but now we may see it as quite relatable, then it's a warning that the humanity in ourselves is eroding. For example, in the movie, when the character of Lois Lane asks him were you representing the United States when you went to Jarhanpur, Superman simply said ‘I wasn't representing the United States; rather, I was representing myself because people were dying’ — a comic reminding us about the failure of humanity. If the ethics and morals we were blabbering about when we get microphones, then people in Palestine, Congo, and the Sudan, like countries, won't be suffering. James Gunn’s Superman is, therefore, a gentle reminder to check our humanity level. Using a comic like Superman, a myth, a legend, as not a mere saviour, rather someone who is highly vocal and opinionated about the rights of the oppressed, and stands against colonisation, and the multi-billion dollar companies, that is an “Absolute Cinema” for me. Now that the movie is not at all favouring the blood, guns, and power, we have to wait and see what the ‘Global Leaders’ respond to it.
Rahath Rahila Illiyas is a graduate of Conflict Analysis and Peacebuilding, Nelson Mandela Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. She is interested in analysing conflict and peace resolution through media, gender, and culture.
