We've seen quite a few interpretations of Clark Kent's adoptive parents over the years in live-action and animation, on the big and small screens, but James Gunn's Superman is the first time Jonathan and Martha Kent have been depicted with strong accents.
When Clark is chatting to his parents on the phone, we learn that Ma and Pa Kent speak with pronounced (some might say slightly exaggerated) southern accents, whereas their son has a more neutral, metropolitan accent despite being raised in Smallville.
It's not exactly a huge deal, but some fans have been wondering why the Man of Steel doesn't have the same "redneck" accent as his folks.
Gunn has now taken to Threads to explain.
"Although I resent the term redneck it's the same reason I don't have the same accent my parents do. You go to college in a different city, you get mocked for it, and you train yourself out of it little by little."
Fair enough! Clark probably would have retained at least a slight midwestern twang, but this is a movie at the end of the day, and we're not sure if the world is ready for a "country bumpkin" Man of Tomorrow.
Superman was released on Digital platforms over the weekend, and has flown to the top spot on iTunes Top 10 Movies in the United States. The DCU reboot is also still playing in theaters, and is currently sitting at around $595 million worldwide.
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."