“Superman” actor Sean Gunn, brother of director James Gunn, doubled down on the political messaging behind the upcoming film—appearing to suggest that Trump supporters and critics of mass immigration are “not American.”
In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Gunn confirmed the movie will carry a political message and dismissed early backlash from test audiences, saying those who have a problem with it shouldn’t bother buying a ticket.
“Superman is the story of America,” he 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.”
Superman was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in 1938. In the original comics, he is portrayed as the sole survivor of the planet Krypton, sent to Earth by his parents moments before their world was destroyed. But Gunn’s focus on Superman as an “immigrant” was seen as a direct shot at President Donald Trump’s mass deporation efforts, as well as the tens of millions of Americans who support it.
Throughout the film’s promotional tour, Gunn has repeatedly suggested that Superman’s fictional story should be embraced as a guiding political principle in the United States. When asked how the movie—which serves as a reboot of 2013’s Man of Steel for the D.C. Universe—will resonate in a deeply divided nation, the director admitted there’s a clear contrast.
“Yes, it plays differently,” he said. “It’s about human kindness. 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.”
Gunn’s pointed remarks about President Trump and his supporters sparked backlash online, but he doubled down on his position in a Monday interview with Variety, standing by his original comments. Sean, who plays Maxwell Lord in the film, took things a step further by suggesting that those who object to the politicization of the superhero flick are “not American.”
“My reaction to [the backlash] is that it is exactly what the movie is about,” he said. “We support our people, you know? We love our immigrants. Yes, Superman is an immigrant, and yes, the people that we support in this country are immigrants and if you don’t like that, you’re not American. People who say no to immigrants are against the American way.”
