Movies

Why Superman’s Kindness Makes Him the Ultimate Punk Rock Hero

BBG News

For over three decades, Batman has been the undisputed king of superhero coolness in popular culture. In 1988, Alan Moore and Brian Bolland redefined him by moving past his campy TV-show image, offering a darker, more psychological interpretation in their graphic novel “The Killing Joke.” This story explored the origins of the Joker and highlighted the chilling similarities between Batman and his arch-nemesis.

Tim Burton’s two Batman films added an air of melancholy to the character while maintaining his sophistication, blending a gothic aesthetic with his brooding personality. However, Christopher Nolan’s 2008 “Dark Knight” took this gloominess to a new level, depicting Batman as a complex and enigmatic superhero, who was less about flashy moves and more about strategic thinking. This portrayal made loving Batman feel deep and thoughtful, rather than lighthearted or childish.

Unlike Batman, Superman, who debuted just one year earlier in the same publication (Action Comics #1), has long been associated with a more juvenile appeal. Despite being the first superhero and arguably the most famous, Superman’s iconic lines like “Faster than a speeding bullet!” and “More powerful than a locomotive!” have not resonated as strongly with adults compared to Batman’s intellectual and brooding persona. As such, Superman has been considered less cool over the years.

Which is exactly what makes him great.

As a movie enthusiast, I find something genuinely refreshing about Superman – he’s not bound by existential nonsense; he belongs to all of us. He’s compassionate, optimistic, and remarkably impartial, focusing solely on the battle between right and wrong. Even if you’re a die-hard Batman fan, he’d leap to save you, much like U.S. presidents used to promise service for every citizen, not just those who voted for them. The essence of Superman is something that James Gunn captures correctly in his less-than-stellar reboot, Superman, starring David Corenswet, an actor from Juilliard who grasps the connection between the endearing charm of the caped hero and the vulnerability of his alter ego, journalist Clark Kent.

The intrigue isn’t just that Lois Lane (played here by Rachel Brosnahan) can be smitten by Superman while harboring only mild affection for Clark Kent, a common occurrence because women often prefer the attractive man over the kind one. In Gunn’s reinterpretation, she’s aware of Superman’s dual identity from the start, anyway. The more captivating aspect of the Clark Kent/Superman transformation is that while embodying Superman allows the character to meet unrealistic ideals of masculinity, being Clark Kent liberates him from them. To portray Superman, you need a touch of candied sweetness, and Corenswet possesses it.

Additionally, Corenswet embodies the appropriate level of self-assured charm, another vital trait for a Superman character – this remarkable being, referred to as Kal-El, may have originated on a distant planet, but he was nurtured by compassionate midwestern farmers. The actor’s striking features – his sleek black hair and strong jawline – hint at another common Superman attribute, notably in cinematic portrayals. Since Superman doesn’t hide behind a mask, his emotions are always evident to the audience. And fortunately, we’ve had numerous competent to exceptional Supermen even in subpar Superman movies.

Brandon Routh, who played Superman in Bryan Singer’s 2006 movie “Superman Returns,” is often overlooked as a great Superman. In developing his character, Singer and Routh emphasized Superman’s vulnerability, not only to Kryptonite, but also because he was a man out of sync with the world around him. Guided by his father, Jor-El (portrayed by Marlon Brando in a spectral form, reprising his role from Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman”), Superman was encouraged to utilize his outsider status for the benefit of humanity. Routh’s portrayal of Superman lacked the melancholy seen in movie versions of Batman, but he still conveyed a sense of vulnerability and sadness. Instead of appearing as a typical comic-book hero, he seemed more like a matinee idol. However, his feeling of alienation was palpable. In one of the film’s most poignant scenes, this Superman uses his X-ray vision to peer through the walls of Kate Bosworth’s Lois Lane’s house, where she now lives with her son and fiancé (James Marsden). He sees the warmth of their home life, including their small disputes. This is the kind of life he yearns for, but he will always remain an outsider, looking on.

The subsequent live-action Superman portrayed by Henry Cavill endured the excessive solemnity that Zack Snyder crafted in the films Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman (2016). However, Cavill triumphed: his Superman and Clark Kent were undeniably attractive, yet in the first film particularly, both characters exuded a sensual allure that’s uncommon in the realm of comic-book adaptations. In Man of Steel, for instance, when Lois Lane, played by Amy Adams, is injured in the Arctic while working on a story, Superman suddenly appears to alleviate her pain with his X-ray vision. “This is going to hurt,” he cautions her, yet his smoldering presence seems almost like a placeholder for anesthesia—it must feel wonderful. In Batman v Superman, a film that aimed to settle the age-old question of who’s the superior superhero but failed miserably, Snyder mainly concentrated on amplifying the gloom. Ben Affleck delivers an incredibly grim Batman, while Cavill is compelled to spend a significant portion of the movie projecting nobility and suffering. Regardless of your preferred superhero, Snyder fell short in his portrayal of both.

Regarding the greatest portrayal of Superman in film history, there’s no debate: Christopher Reeve stands out as the undisputed choice. In four Superman movies, he embodied both Superman and Clark Kent, with the first two—Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman and Richard Lester’s 1980 Superman II—being iconic in the superhero genre. Just like Corenswet, Reeve was a Juilliard graduate, and he approached the role of Superman with the perfect balance of seriousness and humor.
Reeve embodied the sleek, shining perfection of Superman as originally conceived by co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938. Yet, he also infused the character with a self-deprecating wit about his own good looks. He delightfully played up Clark Kent’s clumsy mishaps, making even minor movements significant, imbuing the ordinary act of adjusting his glasses with casual, effortless charm. As Superman, Reeve was an Art Deco dream—strong yet ethereal, more like a dreamy Adonis than a muscle-bound Charles Atlas. In Superman II, perhaps the most romantic superhero movie ever made, his Superman/Clark Kent grapples with the realization that Lois Lane (played by Margot Kidder) will suffer if she knows his dual identity: he cannot provide her with the normal romance she craves. As Clark Kent, he gives her a kiss from Superman, and in an instant, the painful knowledge that Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same vanishes.

Some fans of Superman dislike this plot element as it is absent from the 2006 version of “Superman II,” known as the Donner Cut, which features pieces of footage directed by Richard Donner, the original director of “Superman II.” The film’s producers, Alexander and Ilya Salkind, replaced him with Lester (who had previously directed their films “Three Musketeers” and its sequel “The Four Musketeers”). While the Donner Cut has its supporters, I am not one of them. If the hybrid of Lester’s and Donner’s work in “Superman II” isn’t flawless, it contains moments of breathtaking grace that I wouldn’t give up for anything, including that kiss, an act of compassion and understanding. Perhaps this moment wouldn’t resonate with just any actors. But with Kidder and Reeve, it’s enchanting.

Regrettably, Gunn’s Superman contains very little magic. The special effects are more dominating than extraordinary, and the plot revolves primarily around problem-solving rather than poetic storytelling. However, Gunn skillfully captures the unique qualities that distinguish Superman from many other superheroes, particularly his kind-hearted nature. At one point, Brosnahan’s Lois insightfully points out a characteristic of Superman that he concedes is true: “You trust everyone, and you think everyone you’ve ever met is beautiful.” She suggests he’s not “punk rock,” but he ponders if she might be mistaken. He proposes, almost causing the world to crumble with his intensely blue eyes, that perhaps caring about people is the true essence of punk rock.

As a cinephile penning my thoughts, I must admit that the dialogue in this film leans towards the quirky and folksy, yet director James Gunn seems to be tapping into an intriguing idea. It’s reminiscent of the sentiments expressed by Joachim Trier during the press conference for his movie “Sentimental Value,” premiered at Cannes in May. He stated, “Polarization, rage, and toxic masculinity are not the solutions; empathy is the new rebellion.” In essence, Gunn and Trier appear to be suggesting that compassion may serve as a revolutionary force in today’s world.

Instead of Gunn’s portrayal, Siegel and Shuster’s Superman character deserves a more fitting representation. Regrettably, this could not be further from the truth at a time when we desperately need an exceptional Superman. When he debuted, amidst the Great Depression, it’s no surprise that Superman quickly captivated the public consciousness, offering hope to many who felt powerless.

If you were fortunate enough to possess significant wealth in those days, life might have been manageable. However, for recent immigrants or the children of immigrants—and given the high number of people arriving in the United States during the first three decades of the 20th century, there’s a good chance you fell into one of these categories—Superman, an alien himself, must have felt like a kindred spirit. Just as today, he embodied the importance of compassion and empathy; he actively sought to correct the injustices humans inflict upon each other. In his unwavering rectitude, he was not only principled but also the epitome of cool—and this remains true to this day.

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2025-07-11 22:06

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