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Former Superman actor Dean Cain feels James Gunn's interpretation of the superhero is ‘woke’ and overly pro-immigration
Former Superman actor Dean Cain has expressed concern that legacy heroes like Superman are being reshaped to fit contemporary political narratives.
American actor Dean Cain has declared James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film “too woke” — and he’s not holding back on why he thinks that’s a problem. The actor, best known for playing Clark Kent in the 1990s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, shared his strong views in a recent TMZ interview, saying the new take on the iconic hero might alienate audiences and hurt its box office potential.
“How woke is Hollywood going to make this character?” Dean asked, while expressing frustration with the broader trend of modernizing legacy characters to fit contemporary ideologies. “Why are they going to change these characters to exist for the times?” he added.
Dean’s remarks were in response to comments made by James, who recently told The Sunday Times that his Superman is “an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country,” and that the film is ultimately “a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.” James’ framing of Superman as a symbol of the immigrant experience has stirred backlash from right-wing media figures and conservative audiences.
While Dean acknowledged Superman’s extraterrestrial roots — “We know Superman is an immigrant — he’s a freaking alien” — he believes James' interpretation crosses into political messaging. He emphasized that Superman’s moral strength, or what he called “his goodness,” is the hero’s true defining trait. “Superman’s inherent weakness is his goodness,” Dean said, describing it as central to the character’s values.
The actor also revisited the character’s traditional motto, “Truth, justice, and the American way,” which has been updated in recent years to “Truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.” Dean criticized this change, asserting that the original phrase reflects an America that is welcoming to immigrants — but within a system. “The ‘American way’ is immigrant friendly… but there are rules. We can’t have everybody. Society will fail,” he said.
A longtime supporter of Donald Trump, Dean also used the opportunity to criticize what he sees as politically motivated immigration policies and messaging, both in Hollywood and in the current administration. He argued that introducing these themes into Superman risks dividing the fanbase. “I think bringing Superman into it, I think that was a mistake by James Gunn… and I think it’s going to hurt the numbers on the movie,” he said.
Other voices have joined the conversation. American journalist Jesse Watters mocked James' comments, quipping that Superman now fights for “truth, justice, and your preferred pronouns,” while actor Sean Gunn — who plays Maxwell Lord in the new film and is James' brother — responded firmly: “If you don’t like that [Superman is an immigrant], you’re not American.”
Despite the controversy, Dean said he remains interested in James' vision and praised the director’s lighter, more humorous tone. “I’m excited to see what it is… I love the humour in Superman. But I don’t like that last political comment,” he said. ”
Regardless of the backlash, early signs suggest the film is on solid ground. Superman currently holds an 86% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and is projected to surpass Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel at the box office this weekend.
