Former SUPERMAN Actor Dean Cain Believes James Gunn's Man Of Steel Might Be Too "Woke" For Box Office Success

Former SUPERMAN Actor Dean Cain Believes James Gunn's Man Of Steel Might Be Too "Woke" For Box Office Success

Dean Cain, who played the Man of Steel on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, has shared some of the reservations he has about James Gunn's take on the iconic hero...

By MarkCassidy - Jul 10, 2025 11:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman

Even though it's common knowledge that Superman - aka a refugee from an alien planet - is an immigrant, James Gunn calling attention to the fact in a recent interview stirred up a bit of backlash online in certain circles, and some fans began to accuse the filmmaker of introducing a version of the character that was too "woke."

As ludicrous as it may sound, this is where we are right now, and it seems this mindset is not just relegated to a small minority of fans.

Dean Cain, who played Kal-El in the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman TV series from 1993 to 1997, told TMZ that he now has some reservations about this latest take on the iconic DC Comics hero and the movie's drawing power.

"How woke is Hollywood going to make this character? How much is Disney going to change their Snow White? Why are they going to change these characters [to] exist for the times? For Superman, it was ‘truth, justice, and the American way.’ Well, they dropped that… They came up with ‘truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.’ Changing beloved characters I don’t think is a great idea. If you want to create a new character go ahead and do that.”

“Superman has always stood for ‘truth, justice and the American way,’ and the ‘American way’ is immigrant friendly, tremendously immigrant friendly,” Cain continued. “But there are rules. You can’t come in saying, ‘I want to get rid of all the rules in America, because I want it to be more like Somalia.’ Well that doesn’t work, because you had to leave Somalia to come here… There have to be limits, because we cant have everybody in the United States. We can’t have everybody, society will fail. So there have to be limits.”

Cain believes that Gunn may have made a mistake by drawing attention to the character's immigrant status.

“I think bringing Superman into it… I think that was a mistake by James Gunn to say it’s an immigrant thing, and I think it’s going to hurt the numbers on the movie. I was excited for the film. I am excited to see what it is… I’m rooting for it to be a success, but I don’t like that last political comment.”

Gunn has already weighed-in on the response to his comments, stating that he has nothing to say to the people spreading negativity about the film: “I think this is a movie about kindness and I think that’s something everyone can relate to.”

What do you make of Cain's take? Let us know in the comments section down below.

Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.

The cast also Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as "Ma" and "Pa" Kent, and Milly Alcock's Supergirl has been confirmed to make her 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."

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foreverintheway
foreverintheway - 7/10/2025, 11:17 AM
a MAGA guy called something he didn't like "WOKE"?! oh my god... how could this happen?!
Rexotron
Rexotron - 7/10/2025, 11:23 AM
@foreverintheway - It's almost like they dont know the meaning to a term they've been owning! Gasp! Getting rid of The American Way is too woke! Oh no, the ultimate immigrant character made by the sons of immigrants is having his status as an immigrant character being a part of the movie. That's a bridge too [frick]ing far I guess. The American Way is not a real character trait. Dean Cain's a tool.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 7/10/2025, 12:14 PM
@Rexotron - These days I am not even 100% sure what the American Way is, and that is not a dig at America just more which America? The Obama one, The Raygun one, The Clinton one, The Bush's one or the Trump one? I mean the nation in general as in the people will stay similar, even if those in power and political priorities and how that alters global perceptions may chage a lot, but which people are we talking as in a places like New York or ones like Texas, rural or urban (again not a dig or saying any are better or worse just differ A LOT).

For good or for bad, at certain times in certain markets being TOO wrapped up in 'The American Way' could be an issue impacting reception including for the domestic market if REALY divisive times and can switch to what it was supposed to be in regard to 'The American Way' with the character without changing a damn thing about him and/or still having all the stories set in America.

I mean I get the recent woke/antiwoke stuff of the moment (which nobody seem to agree on what those mean) but that will likely be a short lived passing phase for a film if well recieved we will be watching decades after all have forgotten the culture wars of now.

Trying to pick a side will piss of the other, trying to go down the middle could piss of all the way things are currently.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 7/10/2025, 12:35 PM
"The critics score will be around 30% and the audience score will be around 60%" - @WalletsClosed 7/5 10:05 AM. Too bad I need a computer science degree to post pictures on here or else I would show the screenshot lmao. Stick to your day job sheesh! Time to move the goalposts teehee
WalletsClosed
WalletsClosed - 7/10/2025, 12:55 PM
@bobevanz - Wait by the 14th when the weekend is over. The audience score will plumet
SirReginald
SirReginald - 7/10/2025, 1:11 PM
@foreverintheway - The MAGA kosher-right see wokeness everywhere. Woke derangement syndrome.
Irregular
Irregular - 7/10/2025, 1:48 PM
@WalletsClosed - It would need an additional 415 negative reviews to get down to 30%.....and that's just if every single critic from here on out, gives it only negative reviews. And judging by the looks of it, that is a Snydercult wet fantasy and nothing more.
Dotanuki
Dotanuki - 7/10/2025, 11:18 AM
This guy is a nobody now. Loudmouth hasbeen. SAD!
WruceBayne
WruceBayne - 7/10/2025, 12:20 PM
@Dotanuki - there will be an article in a day or two where Cain says “…my comment about the Superman movie was misconstrued…”.
Dotanuki
Dotanuki - 7/10/2025, 12:52 PM
@WruceBayne -
MAGAts never apologize or express remorse. He will probably double down.
WruceBayne
WruceBayne - 7/10/2025, 1:13 PM
@Dotanuki - oh he’s definitely not apologizing, he’s going to let everyone know that they were wrong for misunderstanding him.
Humperdoo
Humperdoo - 7/10/2025, 11:21 AM
Republicans whine about everything. They are running America into the ground currently but still find time to whine about a movie.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 7/10/2025, 11:56 AM
@Humperdoo - Woke is the new N word. It's a way for them to mask what they really want to say which is "I don't want anything that makes Immigrants, gays, women, or people of color look like good strong people."
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 7/10/2025, 12:06 PM
@Humperdoo -

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LordCanterbury
LordCanterbury - 7/10/2025, 12:17 PM
@SonOfAGif - isn’t it ironic & embarrassing that the people who think they are what represents strong masculinity in America are the ones that constantly feel threatened by & lash out about anything that doesn’t look like them?

If things like a woman being the main character of a Star Wars movie bothers you that much, newsflash: you aren’t nearly as mentally or emotionally strong as you think you are.
Itwasme
Itwasme - 7/10/2025, 1:00 PM
@LordCanterbury - there's a lot of misunderstanding to the concepts touted. Like being an Alpha in nature means looking after the herd/group - especially the ones who are marginalized and need help the most.

The male virginity issue is another thing... do people think complaining about The Little Mermaid online is going to help them get some?!?!?!

Wildly misconstrued notions at play here and many people have benefited from making the problem worse, not helping it get better.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 7/10/2025, 2:29 PM
@LordCanterbury - I think the biggest bit of irony is the hate they have towards transgenders. They say "You are born one way and must accept the way God made you." Yet these same individuals need makeup, sun tan machines, dress in military fatigues but never served, engulf themselves in tattoos that are meaningless, and so on. They are the most fragile and insecure people in the country. Remember every accusation from them is a closet confession.
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 7/10/2025, 6:00 PM
@Humperdoo - Record Stock market, record low illegal immigration, the war in the Middle East over, record low yearly murder rate (I wonder if it had anything to do with getting rid of tens of thousands of violent criminals), cooling inflation and lower gas prices, tax breaks for all classes passed, and no tax on tips, SS, or overtime, and much more. Yes, America is being run into the ground. What reality do you live in?
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