Though the S symbol on Superman’s chest is meant to symbolise hope, it may mean something a little different for James Gunn. In a recent interview with The Times, Gunn acknowledged that although Superman’s message of kindness may be met with cynicism from some viewers, he would instead choose to disregard this specific demographic, saying “screw them”.
Gunn explained that the timing of the movie’s release is particularly opportune right now, given that our generation currently appears to have a proclivity towards being antagonistic online. “I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online,” he explained.
“I include myself in this,” Gunn added, acknowledging that this is a cultural problem that stemmed from “millions of people having tantrums online” and expressed his heartfelt desire to utilise his medium of filmmaking to spread the vital message of kindness, hoping to change at least the hearts of some people.
In Gunn’s opinion, the story of Superman reflects the story of America. Expounding on the parallel, he pointed out that Superman is the tale of a foreign immigrant who comes to the country with nothing but a basic human kindness that he holds close to heart.
He also admitted that his movie will be received differently in different regions of the United States, and that while some unkind viewers may take offence at his version of Superman simply because it preaches about human kindness, he would not pay these people any mind.
Gunn’s comments echo the sentiments he shared last year in an exclusive Q&A session that Geek Culture attended. “We can expect a Superman who is about the compassion of the human spirit, a Superman who is about kindness, love and compassion… He is the best of humanity, even though he is an alien from outer space,” he explained.
Although he acknowledged that the world and the Internet have become much more polarising, Gunn confessed his hope that both David Corenswet’s (The Politician, Hollywood) Superman and the film will help bring a bit of compassion and humanity to the world. And in a time with many people of different political and moral persuasions, Gunn hopes that the simplicity of goodness embodied by Superman‘s titular character will be something that everyone can take home.
And perhaps, that is indeed the kind of hope that the S on Superman’s chest should stand for after all.
Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he’s not sleeping, he’s highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it’s honestly pretty close.
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