abiPhoto Credit: DC Studios
James Gunn’s DC Universe debut featured a fairly controversial change to Superman‘s origin story, a move that the director recently explained isn’t going to be altered or retconned.
What did James Gunn say about Superman’s origin story?
On the director’s commentary for Superman, Gunn explained his decision to tinker with Superman’s iconic origin. In the 2025 movie, Superman is sent to Earth with a message from his parents, Jor-El and Lara. Kal-El believes the message he was given was to be a kind protector of Earth.
However, it’s revealed that the real message Jor-El and Lara had was to task Kal-El with continuing the Kryptonian heritage and eventually rule the planet.
Gunn explained in the director’s commentary that the message wasn’t fake or planted by Lex Luthor, and that it won’t be changed in any future DCU project.
“Now this is probably the most controversial thing I did with Superman’s origin,” said Gunn. “I am a big Superman fan. I don’t want to change important, integral things about Superman. His goodness, his goodness of heart, the fact that he won’t kill, the fact that he’s in love with Lois Lane, even the curl on the head, all these things. I want to keep Superman Superman.”
“So the question is, what can you add to the mythos that’s a little bit different, that doesn’t really, essentially in any way, change who the character is? And although Clark’s parents usually in the comics, are benevolent, that isn’t always the case. There have been stories in which, even in canon . . . Jor-El is not always treated as a benevolent character.”
well here it is, james talking about the jor el message twist and doubles down on the fact that he will not retcon this in the future and why this change elevates clark’s character.oh some ppl aren’t gonna like this clip ? pic.twitter.com/pgiDPjjUbd— juan (@JuanEditzs) September 24, 2025
As for why he did it, Gunn said that he felt it helped Superman’s overall message by the end of the film.
“It is not something that is going to be retrofitted in the future,” Gunn said. “It is the fact of Superman’s life. He was sent by his parents to Earth, primarily, to save, but also they helped he would continue the Kryptonian heritage and take over Earth as its ruler. And that isn’t who Superman thinks of himself as being at all.”
