Superman, the immigrant hero we need today

Superman

Directed by James Gunn (Warner Bros. Pictures, 2025)

With the release of a new Superman film, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, comes new ideas and thoughts on the character’s place in our current world. With the amount of war, famine, abuse, power, greed, and manipulation of information going on each and every day, it is fitting that a hero who is an alien, journalist, and farmworker is being brought to our attention once again.

With that, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that before the film’s release Gunn has been targeted by various outlets for labeling his iteration of Superman as “political”—he himself took the first step in saying so. Why tip toe around the fact that everything has politics in it today? With a character of this magnitude it will inevitably be politicized—and that’s OK.

The story of Superman has evolved over the years in fascinating and significant ways, from its creation in 1938 up to the present day. Each new iteration of the character, whether through comic, radio, novel, or film has its own take on the powers and responsibilities of the hero that adds to the lore. But what is constant and clear throughout all the adventures of Superman is that he is an “alien” from a foreign place that needed refuge. As an adoptee, this aspect of Superman’s story brings great peace to my life.

Superman came into my life via comic books, cartoons, and films. At first, I was mesmerized by the idea of his strength, but then I looked closely at his story and was shocked by how much I saw myself in it.

At birth, I was put up for adoption in Bucharest, Romania. I was born a few years after the Romanian Revolution: the country was unstable and the toll this took on children in the city was unbearable. Kids were left behind all throughout the country and the federal systems that were meant to bring order and help kids were failing tremendously.

I was two and half years old when I was adopted and brought to New York, where I was given a new foundation of family and hope to build a life upon, much like Clark Kent on his Kansas farm. Once I made the connection between Superman and adoption, I instantly formed a newfound love and appreciation for the character. His specific struggle to fit in and understand his place in the world is something that I felt deeply within my journey. I understand that Superman’s story is not always as relatable to others—after all he is an alien—but as our world faces such division over the idea of who belongs in a land such as the United States, we are being invited to look at Superman with a more focused eye.

This is where James Gunn’s film comes in. Superman succeeds greatly in telling a Superman story that connects with the current mood and tenor of our world. There was tremendous love and care put into how Corenswet was to portray Superman, and it pays off greatly. This Superman is one who is deeply in touch with humanity and the full potential of human kindness. He is quick to put his personal ideals aside for the sake of what is right, even taking the time to save a squirrel while all of Metropolis is in danger. That may sound odd, but it was a prime moment of character building that tells us exactly what this Superman wants to do with his gifts.

The truth of the matter is that Superman can no longer be limited to one country or idea, and that’s a beautiful thing. We must remember that Superman is for all of us who desire hope, and especially for those of us who have traveled to new places and spaces in search of that hope.