James Gunn’s Superman movie keeps raising eyebrows—first with a plot centered on fake news and online trolls, and now with fans debating whether the Man of Steel is broke. Not to mention making fun of the Snyder Cut.
After a Threads user asked if Superman is poor, Gunn jumped in to clarify. But with all the odd plot choices stacking up, it’s fair to ask: Is this still about telling a Superman story, or more about pushing agenda-driven messaging and virtue signaling as Gunn did with Creature Commandos?
What did James Gunn say?
It’s known the Kent farmhouse (pictured above) looks very different in Gunn’s Superman movie compared to past versions. Traditionally, the Kent home is shown as a two-story colonial with a porch, a white picket fence, and the feel of a classic Midwestern family farm.
The fan questioned, “@jamesgunn can you settle this debate for the DC Studios Showcase. Is Superman poor? I always thought he was middle class but @coyjandreau and Tyler Coates are saying I’m bugging.”
Gunn replied, “Our house in Superman is a converted double-wide trailer. I wanted his upbringing to reflect more closely the Missouri farmers I was raised around..”
Is This Still Superman—or Political Messaging?
While some fans praised and supported Gunn’s choice to swap out the iconic Kent farmhouse for a trailer as relatable or authentic, others weren’t buying it (see below).
One user joked, “Oh no. Is Clark going to be wearing a well-worn red MAGA hat?”—a reminder that Gunn’s attempt at grounding Superman in a more “real” America may not be read as neutral. Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel also split fans down the middle, and we all saw how that turned out.
When a Superman movie starts sparking debates over economic class and political symbolism before it even hits theaters, you have to wonder if it’s about telling a good story or more about something else.
Fans react
“As someone who lived with his teen mom and Grandparents from birth to age 5 in a double wide mobile home my grandfather built himself, on farmland, this couldn’t mean more to me.”
“Superman isn’t poor because he doesn’t need to eat and isn’t vulnerable to society’s violence toward low income people. Clark Kent is raised by poor rural farmers. It’s how he learns empathy and the value of human lives, regardless of social class.”
“See, I appreciate this. I lived in a double-wide on a cattle farm in rural Alabama until I was 10. We weren’t rich and we weren’t poor– we were solidly middle class for the area.”
Release info
Superman flies into theaters on July 11th. James Gunn writes and directs. Starring includes David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult.
