James Gunn's Superman has deliberately stirred up a political uproar. With opinion over the film's central conflict has drawn attention from fans online. The lead conflict of the film is around Boravia, ethnically white and Jarhanpur, ethnically non-white, where the former has occupied the latter, drawing a simile from real-world politics into the DC universe. Critics and social media posts have strongly drawn the parallel, but Gunn himself refused to give in to the controversy. Critics have praised the film, calling it ‘fresh’, and it sits at 85 per cent on the Tomatometer as of now.In an interview with the Sunday Times, James Gunn said, “An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost…and obviously there will be jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness. But screw them.”<h2>How does Superman resemble the Israel-Palestine conflict?</h2>Boravia is a militarised, technologically advanced state, powerful and well armed. Boravia invades and occupies Jarhanpur, a resource-scarce, impoverished country. Lex Luthor, who has powerful corporate/military interests, backs Boravia's invasion and manipulates the media narratives to frame Boravia as justified. Superman intervenes not as a weapon of war but with moral responsibility to end bloodshed.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Several reactions are citing how the James Gunn Superman movie is promoting a whole host of left-wing issues and causes, including opposing President Trump, opposing Israel, opposing Elon Musk and opposing immigration enforcement. <a href="https://t.co/yl4b6s4ID7">pic.twitter.com/yl4b6s4ID7</a>&mdash; Jedi Jones (@JediJones77) <a href="https://twitter.com/JediJones77/status/1942472086540243203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

There are certain visual metaphors and metastories which coincide or draw inspiration from the real world imagery, such as drones and missiles raining down on a desert cityscape, and children hiding in rubble. It echoed scenes at Gaza where civilians were caught in collapsing buildings while Superman shielded a family with his cape. The blue-and-grey drones resemble Israeli UAVs like Hermes 900. A massive wall separates the once shared territory and is heavily guarded by armed forces, similar to the Israeli walls at the West Bank. The protest scenes were similar to those of West Bank children throwing stones at the wall. Gunn includes “pocket-dimension prisons” reminiscent of ICE black sites. There was a silent moment where Superman looked at graffiti on a broken part of the wall reading: "Home is not a place. It’s a right."Even though not a direct commentary on the conflict in the Middle East, but an evocative analogy. As one reviewer explains, “The crux of the film is an evil country in the Middle East filled with white people that has been a US ally for decades, trying to invade a neighbouring country to genocide its people and steal their land”.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">SUPERMAN BY JAMES GUNN IS REALLY ANTI-ISRAEL FILM OMG, AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD😭😭😭😭 <a href="https://t.co/kJYCAaQJpF">pic.twitter.com/kJYCAaQJpF</a>&mdash; rezel* (@repxkomh13) <a href="https://twitter.com/repxkomh13/status/1942910932847591545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>How did the US media react?</h2>Fox News presenter called the film a “moat of woke” and joked about the character having MS-13 branded on the cape instead of the iconic S. With MAGA supporters accusing it of pushing down liberal “ideology” with viewers.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Not. Good. Review coming soon <a href="https://t.co/Ax1gRaEvRl">pic.twitter.com/Ax1gRaEvRl</a>&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1943494809689202700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Gunn has publicly denied that the Borovia plot is about the Middle East. Casting decisions like the comedian Bassem Yousuf, who had appeared on the Piers Morgan Uncensored, a vocal critic of the occupation, were changed from the film.&nbsp;Still, the allegorical window remains open, people online poured “I loved Superman… Boravia = Israel, Jarhanpur = Palestine…” “powerful and clear commentary on the senseless genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.” &nbsp;The irony is not lost, Superman was first created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two US children from Jewish immigrant parents. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

James Gunn's Superman, the sixth iteration of the superhero franchise from the DC universe, has sparked debate among fans and conservative media. Many are calling it a pro-Palestinan resurrection of Superman, while the Director himself has referred to the character as ‘immigrant’. 

James Gunn's Superman has deliberately stirred up a political uproar. With opinion over the film's central conflict has drawn attention from fans online. The lead conflict of the film is around Boravia, ethnically white and Jarhanpur, ethnically non-white, where the former has occupied the latter, drawing a simile from real-world politics into the DC universe. Critics and social media posts have strongly drawn the parallel, but Gunn himself refused to give in to the controversy. Critics have praised the film, calling it ‘fresh’, and it sits at 85 per cent on the Tomatometer as of now. In an interview with the Sunday Times, James Gunn said, “An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost…and obviously there will be jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness. But screw them.” How does Superman resemble the Israel-Palestine conflict? Boravia is a militarised, technologically advanced state, powerful and well armed. Boravia invades and occupies Jarhanpur, a resource-scarce, impoverished country. Lex Luthor, who has powerful corporate/military interests, backs Boravia's invasion and manipulates the media narratives to frame Boravia as justified. Superman intervenes not as a weapon of war but with moral responsibility to end bloodshed.

James Gunn's Superman, the sixth iteration of the superhero franchise from the DC universe, has sparked debate among fans and conservative media. Many are calling it a pro-Palestinan resurrection of Superman, while the Director himself has referred to the character as ‘immigrant’.&nbsp;

SPOILER ALERT | Is James Gunn's Superman an allegory for Israel-Palestine conflict?

Ever imagined Leonardo DiCaprio fighting Superman? While this may have never come true, but it was about to become a reality. Leonardo was once approached to play the role of antagonist Lex Luthor for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in the DCEU, director Zack Snyder has revealed.&nbsp;

Promoting the&nbsp;Rebel Moon second part, Snyder on the Happy Sad Confused podcast&nbsp; revealed the actor who he was in talks with before he finalised Jesse Eisenberg as a villain opposite&nbsp;Henry Cavill's Superman and Ben Affleck's Batman.

In the latest episode of the podcast, Snyder was asked about the rumours around the casting choice. Replying to this, the director said that he had a word with Adam Driver and the Titanic star about the role.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/did-taylor-swift-take-a-jab-at-kim-kardashian-in-her-latest-the-tortured-poets-department-album-713038">Did Taylor Swift take a jab at Kim Kardashian in her latest The Tortured Poets Department album?</a>

"I think I did talk to Adam on the phone, yeah," Snyder said before adding, "Leonardo DiCaprio, I talked to him about it."

While Caprio was not sure about his role, he did have a lot of great ideas for the role.

"I think, in the end, he was like, 'Eh, I don't know.' But he was really smart about the material and really smart about the character," the filmmaker said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/double-surprise-taylor-swift-releases-15-extra-songs-as-part-2-of-the-tortured-poets-department-712995">Double surprise! Taylor Swift releases 15 extra songs as part 2 of The Tortured Poets Department</a>

"In a lot of ways, I think he was the one that mentioned to me this idea about Superman fighting the Justice League at some point."

While Leonardo didn't become part of the movie, Snyder&nbsp;incorporated the actor's idea of Superman fighting his allies in his film Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. This is not the first time when DiCaprio's name emerged in a&nbsp;superhero movie. In 2023, David S. Goyer, the writer who has worked with Christopher Nolan on the Batman trilogy revealed that Warner Bros. executives wanted the Oscar-winning actor to play the role of Riddler after the 2008's The Dark Knight became a hit.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Ever imagined Leonardo DiCaprio fighting Superman? While this may have never come true, but it was about to become a reality. Leonardo was once approached to play the role of antagonist Lex Luthor for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in the DCEU, director Zack Snyder has revealed.

Ever imagined Leonardo DiCaprio fighting Superman? While this may have never come true, but it was about to become a reality. Leonardo was once approached to play the role of antagonist Lex Luthor for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in the DCEU, director Zack Snyder has revealed. Promoting the Rebel Moon second part, Snyder on the Happy Sad Confused podcast revealed the actor who he was in talks with before he finalised Jesse Eisenberg as a villain opposite Henry Cavill's Superman and Ben Affleck's Batman. In the latest episode of the podcast, Snyder was asked about the rumours around the casting choice. Replying to this, the director said that he had a word with Adam Driver and the Titanic star about the role. Did Taylor Swift take a jab at Kim Kardashian in her latest The Tortured Poets Department album? "I think I did talk to Adam on the phone, yeah," Snyder said before adding, "Leonardo DiCaprio, I talked to him about it." While Caprio was not sure about his role, he did have a lot of great ideas for the role. "I think, in the end, he was like, 'Eh, I don't know.' But he was really smart about the material and really smart about the character," the filmmaker said. Double surprise! Taylor Swift releases 15 extra songs as part 2 of The Tortured Poets Department "In a lot of ways, I think he was the one that mentioned to me this idea about Superman fighting the Justice League at some point." While Leonardo didn't become part of the movie, Snyder incorporated the actor's idea of Superman fighting his allies in his film Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. This is not the first time when DiCaprio's name emerged in a superhero movie. In 2023, David S. Goyer, the writer who has worked with Christopher Nolan on the Batman trilogy revealed that Warner Bros. executives wanted the Oscar-winning actor to play the role of Riddler after the 2008's The Dark Knight became a hit. (With inputs from agencies)

Did you know Leonardo DiCaprio was approached to play Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman?

James Gunn recently confirmed that Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor in the upcoming Superman: Legacy film. Gunn shared a photo on Threads, revealing that he and Hoult celebrated the official casting with a dinner. Gunn expressed his happiness and assured fans that their approach to Lex Luthor would be different from anything seen before.

"Yes, finally I can answer, nicholashoult is Lex Luthor in #SupermanLegacy and I couldn’t be happier. We went out to dinner last night to celebrate &amp; discuss how we can create a Lex that will be different from anything you’ve seen before and will never forget. “But, James, we heard this weeks ago, why didn’t you tell us it was true?” Because, although we were discussing it, it wasn’t final until a couple days ago and I don’t want to tell you all something that isn’t certain," he wrote on Threads.

The casting decision was finalised a couple of days ago, according to Gunn. Previously, Hoult was a finalist for the role of Superman, which ultimately went to David Corenswet. Other actors considered for the iconic role included Tom Brittney, Andrew Richardson, and Jacob Elordi.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Zb1JY8mZcs?si=5TxDjpBDxfH46zd_" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rachel Brosnahan has been cast as Lois Lane, and the selection process for her role involved serious consideration of four actresses, including Emma Mackey, Phoebe Dynevor, and Samara Weaving.

In addition to Hoult and Brosnahan, the supporting cast includes Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Luthor's assistant and sometimes mistress.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-nicholas-hoult-reportedly-set-to-play-lex-luthor-in-superman-legacy-661066">Nicholas Hoult reportedly set to play Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy</a>

The film was not conceived as a traditional origin story for Superman, signaling a departure from conventional superhero film structures. Superman: Legacy is positioned as the "true start" to the studio's overarching narrative for the new DCU franchise.

The film's title Superman: Legacy suggests a narrative that transcends the individual character and delves into the broader impact of Superman on the DC universe. The title became a focal point for fan discussions, fuelling speculation about the thematic elements and narrative arcs to be explored.

Superman: Legacy hits theatres globally on July 11, 2025. 
&nbsp;

James Gunn recently confirmed that Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor in the upcoming Superman: Legacy film. Gunn shared a photo on Threads, revealing that he and Hoult celebrated the official casting with a dinner.

James Gunn recently confirmed that Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor in the upcoming Superman: Legacy film. Gunn shared a photo on Threads, revealing that he and Hoult celebrated the official casting with a dinner. Gunn expressed his happiness and assured fans that their approach to Lex Luthor would be different from anything seen before. "Yes, finally I can answer, nicholashoult is Lex Luthor in #SupermanLegacy and I couldn’t be happier. We went out to dinner last night to celebrate & discuss how we can create a Lex that will be different from anything you’ve seen before and will never forget. “But, James, we heard this weeks ago, why didn’t you tell us it was true?” Because, although we were discussing it, it wasn’t final until a couple days ago and I don’t want to tell you all something that isn’t certain," he wrote on Threads. The casting decision was finalised a couple of days ago, according to Gunn. Previously, Hoult was a finalist for the role of Superman, which ultimately went to David Corenswet. Other actors considered for the iconic role included Tom Brittney, Andrew Richardson, and Jacob Elordi. Rachel Brosnahan has been cast as Lois Lane, and the selection process for her role involved serious consideration of four actresses, including Emma Mackey, Phoebe Dynevor, and Samara Weaving. In addition to Hoult and Brosnahan, the supporting cast includes Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Luthor's assistant and sometimes mistress. Also Read | Nicholas Hoult reportedly set to play Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy The film was not conceived as a traditional origin story for Superman, signaling a departure from conventional superhero film structures. Superman: Legacy is positioned as the "true start" to the studio's overarching narrative for the new DCU franchise. The film's title Superman: Legacy suggests a narrative that transcends the individual character and delves into the broader impact of Superman on the DC universe. The title became a focal point for fan discussions, fuelling speculation about the thematic elements and narrative arcs to be explored. Superman: Legacy hits theatres globally on July 11, 2025.

James Gunn teases Nicholas Hoult's unique Lex Luthor in Superman Legacy

lex-luthor

Lex Luthor, News on Lex Luthor, stories on Lex Luthor, articles on Lex Luthor, Lex Luthor stories at Wion, Lex Luthor news, Lex Luthor latest news

lex luthor

SPOILER ALERT | Is James Gunn's Superman an allegory for Israel-Palestine conflict?

Did you know Leonardo DiCaprio was approached to play Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman?

James Gunn teases Nicholas Hoult's unique Lex Luthor in Superman Legacy