Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman star Dean Cain has become a divisive figure in recent years, and when the MAGA contingent came for Superman following James Gunn's immigrant comments, he was first in line to tear into the "woke" reboot.
Talking to Variety, the actor was a little more level-headed and admitted that, "Seeing Krypto in the trailer gave me goose bumps. He saves a squirrel. He saves a little girl. I respect that."
It's unclear whether the actor has actually sat down to watch Superman, though he doesn't sound overly enthused by some of the creative decisions made in Gunn's first DC Studios movie.
"James Gunn and his decision to make Ma and Pa Kent the stupid rednecks. That’s a choice," Cain pondered. "And Superman has to be saved, like, repeatedly? On a movie this size, every decision is a choice made carefully. And [DC Studios co-head] Peter Safran is a Princeton guy, too, a year ahead of me, but he’s never hired me."
That last part was seemingly meant to be a joke rather than an example of sour grapes on Cain's part. Still, it doesn't seem likely that he'll be showing up in the DCU for a cameo anytime soon (Superman Returns star Brandon Routh has spoken far more positively about Superman).
Reflecting on his time as the character, he did appear grateful when he recalled, "My buddy turns to me and goes, 'Man, for the rest of your life, people are going to call you Superman.' I couldn’t fathom that being the case at the time, but it changed my life insanely."
"It was 1993 and I remember a fan going, 'We wanted Superman, not Sushi Man,'" Cain said of the backlash to his casting (his father was Japanese American). "For the love of God, he’s a Kryptonian. He could be green. Does it matter?" he continued, noting that he'd like to see Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan play the hero because he "has all the qualities of Superman — that humility, that kindness, that openness, that earnestness."
There's also a particularly intriguing part of this profile which may shed some light on why his time as the Man of Steel reached such a sudden conclusion:
"As the day wears on, Cain reveals something that he has never before told a reporter. 'I could have had the biggest sexual harassment lawsuit in Hollywood history,' he says."
"When pressed for details, he declines to name the person who harassed him or provide any further comment on the matter."
"There were always murmurs. 'Lois & Clark' ended abruptly. The Season 4 cliffhanger was never resolved. Cain, who wrote two episodes for Seasons 2 and 3, had already written scripts for Season 5. His plans to direct several episodes evaporated. The harassment took its toll on his relationship at the time with volleyball star Gabrielle Reece."
The whole piece is worth a read. Interestingly, Cain doubled down on his political leanings, regardless of how it's changed the way he's viewed by some Superman fans.
"I love President Trump. I’ve been friends with him forever," he stated. "Trump is actually one of the most empathetic, wonderful, generous people you’ll ever meet."
Do you agree with Cain's complaints about Superman? How about the positives he shared? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section.