Superman’s Controversial Origin Retcon Was Actually the Best Possible Twist

With Superman‘s worldwide box office soaring past $551,256,392 (as of this writing), it’s clear that James Gunn did something right with his take on The Big Blue Boy Scout. From David Corenswet’s somewhat corny yet all-around wholesome performance as Clark Kent to secret MVP Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), there is a lot for Superman fans to love about the character’s DC Universe debut. There is, however, one aspect of Superman’s latest big-screen outing that has fans torn: his new origin. If you still haven’t seen Superman, now would be the time to stop reading because we’re about to dive headfirst into spoiler territory.

If you have seen the movie, then you know James Gunn made a significant alteration to the Superman mythos by changing the reason why his birth parents sent him to Earth. Kal-El and Lara Lor-Van, still exile their baby to save him from Krypton’s imminent destruction, but now they expect him to rule over humans rather than save them. Many fans were understandably upset over the change, with some even holding out hope that the whole thing was a ruse orchestrated by Lex Luthor despite James Gunn explicitly stating otherwise. We want to play Devil’s advocate, however, and suggest that Gunn’s alteration to Supes’ origin was not only warranted but actually made Superman a better movie.

Superman’s Parents Not Being the Best People Actually Comes From the Comics

First of all, we should point out that James Gunn didn’t invent this idea of Jor-El and Lara turning out to be jerks. It actually comes straight out of The Man of Steel, John Byrne’s post-crisis retelling of Superman’s origin. However, even if the idea of Clark’s Kryptonian parents breaking bad had sprung directly from Gunn’s brain, it would still be the right twist for 2025’s Superman.

Superman is often presented as a dichotomy between alien and human. The poster child for nature vs nurture, Superman’s whole deal has always been the idea that if this extra-terrestrial child were raised in a lab instead of a loving midwestern home, he would become an evil dictator instead of a righteous savior. Heck, The Boys is pretty much based around the entire concept.

The problem comes when the adopted parents and the biological parents are equally benevolent. If Superman’s Kryptonian parents are already pretty swell, then he doesn’t exactly have to go out of his way to follow the example of his adoptive parents. It’s just good influences all around with Jor-El advising his son to help those weaker than him and Martha Kent admonishing Clark to say “please” and “thank you” while he’s doing so.

On the other hand, giving Superman fascist parents that he has to choose to disobey makes for a much more interesting character. It works especially well in Superman as a way of highlighting how much of an influence John and Martha Kent had on their son growing up. James Gunn gave us a Superman story where it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that the hero would fight for truth and justice: it’s a choice.

Having Clark Choose to be Good Gives his Actions More Weight

By having Clark make a conscious choice to walk the path of breakfast for dinner and saving people simply because it’s the right thing to do, Gunn emphasizes the character’s humanity. This is a Superman who refuses to let his genetics define him, because, as Pa Kent tells him, “Your choices, Clark, your actions, that’s what makes who you are.” It also gives Superman an opportunity for personal growth as he goes from a character trying to fulfill the wishes of two sets of parents to realizing that he only has one “real” mom and dad, and their love and influence are all he needs to guide him.

Anyone who has ever had a surrogate mother or father who inspired them more than their own flesh and blood understands exactly what Clark is going through in Superman. The choice to forge your own identity based on the love of others instead of following your genetic destiny is a powerful one. It’s the same choice Rey makes at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker when she chooses to ignore the Palpatine blood flowing through her blood in favor of following the examples shown to her by the Skywalker family.

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James Gunn’s evil Kryptonians twist also lays the groundwork for the DCU to explore Superman’s Kryptonian heritage further. Is knowing her uncle was a eugenics freak one of the reasons Supergirl drinks? Are there other races that Krypton conquered that Superman will have to deal with as one of the last living Kryptonians? Having Kal-El deal with the sins of his father — and Krypton in general — could be a possible plotline in future Superman movies.

Ultimately, James Gunn’s decision to mess with the most widely accepted version of Superman’s origin was a bold one that ended up working in his favor. We’re all for movies and shows deviating from the source material if it’s for a good reason — look at what Batman: The Animated Series did with Mr. Freeze — and as far as we’re concerned, Gunn had a good reason.

Now, if he changes anything about Batman’s parents, that’s another story.

Do you agree that Superman’s new origin works, or do you prefer your Kryptonians to be goody two-shoes? Let us know in the comments.