Is James Gunn’s “Superman” a Reaction to the Palestine-Israel Conflict?
According to cinemadrame News Agency, In James Gunn’s “Superman,” which he wrote, directed, and produced, there’s a scene depicting an advanced army attacking innocent civilians. This scene has reminded many viewers of the Palestine-Israel conflict. The humanitarian themes in “Superman” and Gunn’s interview with “The Times London,” where he stated the film is about an “immigrant,” have drawn strong criticism from American conservatives.
The National has reported that numerous social media users are saying James Gunn’s new film is a critical response to Israeli attacks on Gaza. On the Letterboxd platform, one user’s five-star review of “Superman,” which garnered 9 million views, claims the film is “heavily anti-Israel.” Another review with 11 million views asserts that the film’s criticism of Israel is “very clear and obvious.”
Gunn and other members of the film’s crew have not yet claimed that the film’s story is about conflicts in West Asia, but many moviegoers have interpreted it that way, with some even saying they cried during these scenes.
The film’s story begins with the character Superman, played by David Corenswet, preventing an attack by the fictional country of Borovia – an American ally – on the fictional country of Jarhanpur. Borovia has an advanced military supported by the United States, while Jarhanpur is an oppressed nation struggling to defend itself.
Early in the film, Lois Lane, played by Rachel Brosnahan, interviews Superman about his actions in Borovia. Lane tells him: “The Department of Defense says they’re going to investigate your actions.” Superman responds: “Actions? I stopped a war.”
The film’s trailers showed one of the battle scenes between Borovia and Jarhanpur. On one side was the Borovian army, equipped with tanks, other vehicles, and armed soldiers, while on the other, defenseless civilians were fleeing for their lives.
Although this scene might evoke other wars, it doesn’t resemble the Russia-Ukraine war, for example, because the Borovian army consists of white individuals, and the people of Jarhanpur are non-white. In one scene, the people of Jarhanpur approach a border separated by a metal fence, with women, men, and children confronting the Borovian army, who have guns pointed at them, with stones and sticks they hold. One of the Jarhanpur children holds a yellow flag with the Superman symbol on it, hoping he will be their savior.
In another scene from “Superman,” Lois and Superman discuss the moral aspects of intervening in war. Lois supports defending Borovia, while Superman is idealistic and believes he must end the war to prevent the shedding of innocent blood.
The Croatian-Danish actor Zlatko Burić plays Vasil Glarx, the leader of Borovia, whose physical characteristics bear a strong resemblance to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel. He collaborates with the villainous character Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult, who plays a key role in the Borovian invasion and intends to seize parts of Jarhanpur.
John Byrne, a writer for Superman, told “The Daily Beast” in 2016 that the character Lex Luthor was inspired by Donald Trump: “Of course, Donald Trump was our model.”
The film’s production coincided with the beginning of the Palestine-Israel conflict. Gunn was writing the screenplay for “Superman” in October two years ago when Hamas attacked Israel, and a few months later he said it was 99% complete. Filming for the project took place from February to July 2024.
Gunn has not directly commented on the Palestine-Israel conflict, but before filming began, Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef announced that he was fired from “Superman” after protesting the killing of Palestinians. In February 2024, Gunn officially stated that Youssef was never offered a role: “Bassem and I have talked, and we have no issues with each other.”
