Dean Cain Couldn’t Be More Wrong, ‘Superman’ Has Always Been an Immigrant Story

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s… the anti-woke brigade, setting their sights on a popular movie that dares to offer a message of inclusivity. James Gunn‘s Superman has flown into theaters this weekend, drawing lots of praise across the board from comic fans, moviegoers, and critics. But there are some vocal naysayers hung up on one particular aspect of this story: Gunn referring to Superman as an immigrant. One of these voices stands out among others because it is none other than a former Superman, Dean Cain, who starred as Clark Kent in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in the 1990s. Cain expressed dissatisfaction with Gunn’s comment in a TMZ interview, saying that Superman is not a movie that needs to lecture audiences, and that making Superman “woke” is a mistake that goes against the American values of the character and will hurt the film’s box office.

There are two truths that no amount of anti-woke badgering can undo. The first is that Superman is going to be a massive success. It is critically well-regarded and already breaking box office records for 2025. It’s a crowd-pleaser, and those crowds are content to enjoy the film while tuning out criticisms that inject reactionary, hateful identity politics where they have no place. The second is that Superman has always been an immigrant story; a story of refuge and a story of a man who comes to embody every ideal of the human race despite not being a member by birthright. His status as an alien visitor is vital to what makes Superman matter, not only in how he defines himself as one with the human race, but in how his nemesis hates him on account of his “otherness.”

‘Superman’ Is About Humanity, Not Nationality

The “wokeness” that Cain and other conservative pundits like Jesse Waters often knock up against is typically nothing more than an overly broad dog whistle used to criticize any story that endorses inclusion, respect, and basic human kindness. If those traits meet your definition of “woke,” then Superman does fit that bill. But why is that a bad thing? Superman is built to represent an ideal for humankind to believe in, something we can hope for and aspire to be more like.

David Corenswet as Superman on the poster for the James Gunn film.

“It’s About Politics”: James Gunn Says ‘Superman’ Is About an “Immigrant That Came From Other Places”

“’Superman’ is the story of America.”

The Superman of this film, played with heart and a remarkable charm by David Corenswet, is as human as ever. The Man of Steel is rendered as vulnerable, caring, flawed, but ultimately pure in every way that matters. He loves saving people, he remembers the kindness shown to him by ordinary citizens, and he sees the good in even the worst of us. Do those values really mean nothing simply because he is not toting around an American flag and shouting patriotic platitudes at every turn? Critics point to “the American way” stinger that followed “truth” and “justice” in Superman’s classic motto, but American exceptionalism is not the value that motto was built on. The idea is not to relish being better than everyone and tout our greatness; it is to act in service of a world that is in need. This is an objective that should not be defined by nations or borders, especially when Superman himself is a character born on another planet entirely.

Superman’s Status as an Immigrant to Our World Has Always Been the Point

Rachel Brosnahan as Lois & David Corenswet as Superman kissing outside in Superman (2025) — Image via DC Studios

Superman’s nemesis, Lex Luthor, portrayed in a delightfully evil turn by Nicholas Hoult, hates the fact that Superman is not human. His status as a refugee to Earth is one of the main points of conflict between the two. This is not a new take on the character. Lex’s xenophobic streak has guided his hatred for the Man of Steel for years in comics, TV adaptations, and more. He resents that a non-human can come into this world and become a hero, that the masses would admire someone who is not of their own kind. This is underscored in the final big confrontation between the two, where Superman takes Lex down a peg by expressing how he is just as human as any man could be. He breathes, he sleeps, he wakes up every morning and tries to do his best, just like almost everyone on Earth, but Lex reviles him in part because of where he was born.

So, if you are angry about Gunn calling Superman an immigrant, consider that you are parroting the opinions of the monkeys smashing keyboards in Lex’s pocket universe. Because Superman is a story about a man who came here and proved that heroes are not born, they are made with time and care and a whole lot of humanity. It is not “wokeness” or preachy or moralizing to celebrate a story about the human capacity for love, respect, and inclusion, especially for those who do not come from the same place as us, because enough people in this world try to make them feel alone as it is, and a movie sending out a message to combat that hate should not be considered controversial. Where we are born or even raised should never come with an implicit judgment, because we are defined by our actions and our character, not by lines on a map or the flag over our heads.