‘It’s A Bit Late To Complain He’s An Immigrant.’ Says Superman Writer

Hollywood & Entertainment‘It’s A Bit Late To Complain He’s An Immigrant,’ Says Superman WriterByRob Salkowitz, Senior Contributor

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights

Rob Salkowitz is an Eisner-nominated comics journalist and author

DC Comics, art by Alex Ross Mark Waid knows a thing or two Superman

Besides writing the Man of Steel’s adventures in comics for the past 40 years (including the classic Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and currently in DC’s Action Comics, World’s Finest and Justice League Unlimited), he has been an unabashed fan of the character since childhood; only a fool would test his knowledge of Superman trivia

But one question the new James Gunn Superman film has left Waid stumped: why certain corners of the media and fandom are so upset to discover that the legendary “visitor from another planet” identifies as an immigrant

When he discovered his super-powers as a teenager, it was his values and grounding that taught him to use them for the benefit of humanity

He assimilates into American society as Clark Kent, but his true identity is always that of an alien

James Gunn’s Superman (2025) is just the most recent version of the character to echo the theme that creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, both children of immigrants, embedded into their character more than 90 years ago, years before Superman was published and became an icon. “If you haven’t noticed that he’s been an immigrant refugee for the past 87 years, I don’t know what to tell you,” said Waid in an interview earlier this week

Waid was reacting to criticism from outlets Fox News

Superman writer Mark WaidCourtesy of Mark Waid “There are no merits to that argument,” says Waid. “It’s only an issue now because of the desperate efforts of conservative media to get attention for itself

The whole point of the movie is that a child came to America with nothing and no knowledge of how to act, and he learned what is good and noble and right by growing up here

How is that possibly anti-American. ” MORE FOR YOU Waid has been a longtime critic of right wing fandom and has frequently drawn the ire of “Comicsgate,” a self-identified movement of fans outraged at diversity, social justice and other gressive themes in culture

Usually, he tries to tune out the noise and simply tell good stories superheroes, including long runs on The Flash, Captain America, Fantastic Four and dozens more

But often, the tone that the discourse has taken leaves him baffled. “Every day, Superman is learning to be a better human,” said Waid. “I don’t see why that’s a political message

The point of the movie is that we need to be kinder to each other, and that kindness is a virtue

Bullies hate that because kindness takes their power away

It’s their kryptonite

Any hint of compassion or kindness is perceived as weakness and derided as ‘woke. ’ And boy, that’s not just the message of Superman, but of every superhero that I’ve written, and every superhero I can think of. ” Waid says the culture war rhetoric has occasionally given him pause pursuing certain kinds of story tropes

In an age where you can’t necessarily assume people will identify a narcissistic, xenophobic, power-mad billionaire as the villain, or the wholesome, values-based champion of the underdog as the hero, even writing characters as straightforward as Superman has become a challenge. “There are times in the past few years I’ve had to self-correct because I don’t want people thinking I’m deliberately mocking any actual political administration,” said Waid. “It’s not because I don’t have the courage of my political beliefs, it’s that it takes away from the story

If you’re looking for allegories that aren’t there, then the reader isn’t paying attention to what makes the superhero story a superhero story. ” Waid said that audiences for films Superman should leave their baggage at the door and take the movie on its own terms. “Most superhero movies are bringing superheroes into our world,” he said. “In Superman, we’re stepping into his world

It’s a world of black and white [morality], where someone interfering in a war to s makes perfect sense in context

That’s the kind of thing the character was built for

And it doesn’t come across as corny in the film; it comes across as earnest