As James Gunn’s Superman film prepares for its global debut, controversy has emerged from an unexpected corner: Dean Cain, who famously portrayed Clark Kent in the 1990s television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Cain has publicly expressed his reservations about Gunn’s characterisation of the Man of Steel, particularly his emphasis on Superman’s immigrant status.
Cain, who is partly of Japanese descent through his biological father, Roger Tanaka, suggested in a recent interview with TMZ that Gunn’s comments risked politicising the iconic superhero, potentially impacting the film’s box office performance. This perspective arrives as Superman is already generating significant pre-release buzz and strong box office projections.
The Man of Steel: Alien or Immigrant?
James Gunn, the director and co-head of DC Studios, has framed his new Superman as “an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country,” asserting that the film is “a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”
Cain, however, contended that this explicit linking of the superhero to contemporary immigration issues might be a misstep. “It’s being portrayed as a real negative thing that we want people to follow our immigration laws, which is insane to me,” he told TMZ.
He further elaborated, “I feel we are in a bad situation here now because it’s being stoked by politicians and by NGOs that have a political agenda. And I think bringing Superman into it, I think that was a mistake by James Gunn to say it’s an immigrant thing, and I think its going to hurt the numbers on the movie.”
While Cain stated his excitement for Gunn’s vision, praising the director’s move toward a brighter, more humorous tone for the DC Universe, he reiterated his concern over what he views as an unnecessary political connection. “I was excited for the film,” Cain said. “I’m excited to see what it is because James Gunn seems to have a sense of humor… I love the humor in Superman. So I’m rooting for it to be a success, but I don’t like that last political comment.”
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Cain acknowledged Superman’s extraterrestrial origins (“We know Superman is an immigrant — he’s a freaking alien”) but argued that associating him too closely with current political debates was problematic.
He invoked Superman’s traditional motto, “Truth, justice, and the American way,” suggesting that while “The ‘American way’ is immigrant friendly, tremendously immigrant friendly. But there are rules.” He concluded by stating, “You can’t come in saying, ‘I want to get rid of all the rules in America, because I want it to be more like Somalia.’… There have to be limits, because we can’t have everybody in the United States. We can’t have everybody, society will fail. So there have to be limits.”
The Political Landscape and Hollywood’s Icons
Cain’s remarks come at a time when the debate surrounding immigration policy in the United States is particularly charged. President Donald Trump, whose campaign Cain supported, has made opposition to immigrants a central point of his domestic policy, initiating stricter measures.
Gunn’s comments have predictably drawn criticism from some right-wing commentators, with one Fox News host humorously suggesting Superman might now fight for “your preferred pronouns.” Conversely, others have lauded Gunn’s stance, arguing that Superman has always inherently been an immigrant story and a symbol of kindness.
James Gunn, for his part, has responded to the pushback by stating he is “not here to judge people,” maintaining that the film is fundamentally “about kindness.” Nathan Fillion, who appears as Green Lantern in the new film, suggested audiences should view it simply as “Just a movie.” However, Sean Gunn, James’s brother and also an actor in the film, firmly backed his sibling, stating, “Yes, Superman is an immigrant, and yes, the people that we support in this country are immigrants and if you don’t like that, you’re not American. People who say no to immigrants are against the American way.”
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Superman opens in numerous international markets this week and in U.S. theaters on Friday, July 11. Early box office projections indicate the film is poised for a strong opening, potentially becoming the highest-grossing solo Superman film on its debut.
