Interview conducted by and copyright Edward Gross
"Superman is perceived as the big square Boy Scout, and that was at least a part of the purpose of Birthright, to try and overturn that perception somewhat. When he was first created, he was a crusader for social justice. He was actually somebody who would walk the walk as well as talk the talk. Not brutal, but certainly efficient at what he did. He just became more mannered over the years and sort of sensitized. We took all of the corners off of the character, and in doing so we also sort of managed to jettison the answer to the QUESTION, why does he do this? That was the purpose of Birthright, to give him some sort of context.
"It should be clear in Birthright the reason he puts on the suit, and that the reason he goes out and actually uses his powers to make the world a better place is because it’s the only way he knows how to connect with humanity. That’s his connection. We all need to feel that we’re a part of something, and there’s no time that we feel more a part of something than when we’re doing what we do best and when we’re letting our light shine. The problem with keeping your light hidden under a bushel, to milk an old cliché, is that it tends to isolate you.
"Basically he wants to be part of the race, but he’s always on the bench. That’s where he thinks fate has put him, because he has to hide all of his abilities. Being Superman is a way of getting out there and really engaging – both physically and emotionally getting his hands dirty, getting out there and interacting."