Polygon.com / 16.07.25

Superman's relationship with America's government keeps getting more complicated

In an extremely contentious interview with her boyfriend/coworker Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) in James Gunns 2025 reboot movie Superman, Lois Lane presses him about the fallout of his intervention in an overseas war between the aggressive country of Boravia and its weaker neighbor, Jarhanpur. You seemingly acting as a representative of the United States will cause more problems around the world, she notes. He testily counters, I wasnt representing anybody except for me. Gunns version of the hero isnt a traditional defender of truth, justice, and the American way. But thats far from a radical spin on the character. Writers of Superman movies, comics, and TV shows have spent decades grappling with how closely the hero should be tied to the U.S. government. Superman is from an alien world, but he was raised in Kansas as Clark Kent. Hes been embraced as an American icon, appearing on U.S. postage stamps, and receiving commemorative statues in the city of Metropolis, Illinois and...
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