The White House has shared a bizarre image of Donald Trump as Clark Kent, amid the continued backlash against the new Superman movie spearheaded by MAGA supporters.
For those not across the lore, James Gunn’s Superman officially landed in cinemas worldwide this week, but despite the impossible good looks of lead star David Corenswet, the superhero flick has caused a bit of a commotion among conservative fans in the US.
Why, you ask?
Well, like much of the backlash launched by Trump supporters in the wake of his election win, Superman has ignited a culture war in which its story of an alien (Kent) travelling to Earth has been labelled ‘too woke’, particularly against a backdrop of political and social unrest regarding Trump’s immigration policies.
The controversy was only amplified last week when Gunn, who helmed DC’s latest iteration of Superman, told The Times of London that the film encompasses “the story of America”.
“Yes, it’s about politics,” Gunn said.
“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.”
Among those opposed to that very basic yet somehow pearl clutch-worthy message was Dean Cain, the actor who portrayed Superman in the 1990s TV series, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
“How woke is Hollywood going to make this character?”, Cain told TMZ earlier this week.
“Why are they going to change these characters [to] exist for the times?”
Cain went on to say that while “The ‘American way’ is immigrant friendly”, there has to be “limits because we can’t have everybody in the United States”.
It’s at this point I’d like to stop and remind everyone that this is a film about a flying man who has a sidekick dog with superpowers… so, yeah.
In any case, the commentary progressed on Friday, when the official social media accounts of the White House stirred up the furore by posting a meme in which the president is depicted as Superman.
Yep.
The image shows a notably bulkier Trump levitating while sporting the hero’s iconic suit, alongside text with Superman’s original mantra of “Truth, justice and the American way”.
“THE SYMBOL OF HOPE,” the accompanying caption adds, “#SUPERMAN TRUMP.”
I’d say I’m surprised, but the move feels like the natural next step for Trump’s social media team, which has previously depicted him as everything from a king to the Pope.
Between a monarch, the Bishop of Rome and a superhero, you’d think Trump’s faux resumé is getting a little overstuffed, but Gunn seemed unconcerned with such reactions when responding to the backlash against his comments last week.
Speaking to Variety, Gunn said Superman is for “everyone”, adding that he doesn’t have “anything to say to anybody” who is spreading negativity around the movie.
“I think this is a movie about kindness and I think that’s something everyone can relate to.”
Elsewhere in Trump-land, the president hasn’t yet responded to *those* MAGA hats seen in Aussie stores, but at this rate I half-expect him to rock up to a Big W with his social media team in tow.
Lead images: YouTube and White House/Instagram
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