James Gunn Admits 'Superman' Movie Plays Differently In Blue States Compared To Red States, Says Superman Is The Story Of America, Which Is About Immigration

James Gunn shared more details about what his upcoming Superman film is about and specifically noted it is a story about immigration.

Speaking to The Times (UK), director James Gunn stated, “I mean, Superman is the story of America. An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”

Gunn also confirmed that the movie plays differently in blue states than in red states, “Yes, it plays differently.”

He then reiterated the film is about kindness while expressing anything but kindness, “But it’s about human kindness and obviously there will be jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness. But screw them.”

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Gunn later shared, “This Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people’s goodness. I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.”

“And I include myself in this,” he added. “It is ad infinitum, millions of people having tantrums online. How are we supposed to get anywhere as a culture? We don’t know what’s real, and that is a really difficult place for the human brain to be. If I could press a button to make the internet disappear I’d consider it. And, no, I don’t make films to change the world, but if a few people could be just a bit nicer after this it would make me happy.”

Finally, while discussing one of the fictional conflicts in the film between Jarhanput and Boravia, Gunn shared that Superman “is a hero for the world.”

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Gunn’s comments about kindness have been well documented during his marketing campaign for the film. In an interview with Esquire Philippines last month, Gunn was asked, “How do you make a movie about the greatest superhero? One that doesn’t just entertain but inspires?”

He answered in part, “The fun in the movie is getting to the bottom of who Superman is as a person in the middle of all of that. We kind of see more of Superman’s complex personality. The fact that he is-. His flaws. We see a little bit more.”

“Even though this is a very kind, very good Superman, we see he can be a little bit stubborn,” Gunn shared. “He can be a little bit impulsive in what his actions are. And he has got a really incredibly complex personality as does Lois [Lane]. So that means their interaction is triply complex because of that.”

He was also asked, “How do superheroes operate in a world of social media and fake news where everything they do can be misrepresented?”

Gunn replied, “Well, I think the thing is you can’t concern yourself with the people that are negative. I think Superman is kind of new to superheroing. He’s only been doing it for three years and we learn that occasionally he looks online and he reads what people are saying about him. And because he’s only been doing it for three years, it probably gets to him a little bit.”

“Me? I’ve been doing this for a long time. You can’t let that kind of stuff get to. I think that’s true of Superman and I think that’s true of me,” he finished.

What do you make of Gunn’s comments?

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