'Superman' director claps back at immigrant criticism

James Gunn faced backlash for a comment that he made while promoting Superman, specifically perceived as dismissive towards the immigrant audience.

On July 4, speaking to Sunday Times, the director talked about the plot of the movie and said, “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," he added, his comments led to calls for a boycott of the movie.

Recently, Gunn appeared at Hollywood's TCL Chinese theater alongside Peter Safran to promote his upcoming movie.

The 58-year-old director responded to the criticism by saying that he doesn’t have “anything to say to anybody” about negative comments. He was not there to ‘judge people’.

“I think this is a movie about kindness and I think that’s something everyone can relate to,” he said, before adding. “My reaction to [the backlash] is that it is exactly what the movie is about.”

Before concluding, James Gunn explained, “We support our people; you know? We love our immigrants. Yes, Superman is an immigrant, and yes, the people that we support in this country are immigrants and if you don’t like that, you’re not American. People who say no to immigrants are against the American way.”

Superman is scheduled to be released in cinemas on July 11, 2025.