Truth, Justice, and the Human Way in James Gunn’s <i>Superman</i>

Abstract This piece examines Gunn’s Superman through a historical perspective, placing it within the context of Superman’s appeal and place in American culture since his first appearance in 1938. I argue that Gunn draws on the work of numerous versions of Superman to craft a cinematic version that hews closely to creator Jerry Siegel’s naive New Deal liberalism while speaking to the need of the moment. In essence, the film’s appeal to “Truth, Justice, and the Human Way” replicates the ideologically slippery “American way” that Superman fought for after Pearl Harbor. Gunn’s spin is that we must invest hope in humanity, and the capacity for empathy and kindness, in the face of soulless amoral power. That such an appeal seems radical says something of the Trumpian moment and the hyper reliance on technology and the devaluing of humanities, which is to say what makes us human.