For many Superman fans, the "kindness is the new Punk Rock" take on the iconic DC Comics superhero introduced in James Gunn's recent reboot was exactly what they wanted from this latest big-screen interpretation of the character. For others, the Man of Steel's more hopeful outlook and squirrel-saving antics came across a little too hokey and old-fashioned.
Con O'Neill, who played GCPD Chief Mackenzie Bock in Matt Reeves' The Batman and HBO's The Penguin series, was a big fan of Superman, and had a blunt response to those who criticized the movie's depiction of the Man of Tomorrow.
O'Neill was asked about the DC Studios film during a panel at Oz Comic Con Brisbane (Via FeatureFirst.net).
"He praised its portrayal of Superman’s humanity and the promotion of kindness, furthering his point about it being hugely important in today’s society as a combatant against vitriol and hateful rhetoric. He also condemned the few individuals online who disagree with the sentiment portrayed in the film."
“'There are people who think Superman shouldn’t be kind like that. F*ck those people.'”
O'Neill was also asked if he was going to be a part of the Gotham PD spin-off series before it was shelved, and when and where we might see Bock again (he will likely appear in The Batman - Part II, but this has yet to be confirmed).
“I would tell you, but then I’d have to kill you,” joked the Our Flag Means Death star. “I love Bock. Matt Reeves and Matt Reeves’ mind is unquestionably one of the most extraordinary places I’ve been invited into. So wherever I thought or think Bock should be, it isn’t going to be what Bock will be. So I’d just go by the genius of Matt Reeves. I mean… the man is a f*cking genius. If you haven’t seen Matt Reeves’ other films… Watch them! They’re f*cking awesome.”
What do you make of O'Neill's comments?
Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/The Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
The cast also features Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as "Ma" and "Pa" Kent, and Milly Alcock's Supergirl makes her DCU debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie.
"And that’s a wrap," Gunn posted last year when filming concluded. "God bless our cast and crew whose commitment, creativity, and hard work have brought this project to life. I set out to make a movie about a good man in a world that isn’t always so much. And the goodness and kindness and love I’ve encountered on a daily basis on the set has inspired me and thrust me forward when I felt too spent to move on my own.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It has been an honor. The destination has been Superman, but the journey has been the toil and the laughter and the emotions and ideas and magic we’ve shared together on set - and for that I am forever grateful."
You can check out a synopsis for the movie below.
"In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind."