{"id":4555,"date":"2025-07-12T15:40:03","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T15:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/4555\/"},"modified":"2025-07-12T15:40:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T15:40:03","slug":"the-right-wants-to-claim-superman-while-tearing-him-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/4555\/","title":{"rendered":"The Right Wants to Claim Superman While Tearing Him Down"},"content":{"rendered":"

The release of\u00a0Superman<\/a>\u00a0this weekend has naturally led to a culture war it\u2019s largely managed to avoid before now. But come it has, and the occurrence speaks to how much grifters<\/a> refuse to engage with art on its actual terms, instead trying to twist it to their own ends.<\/p>\n

After Fox News and other prominent alt-right figures tried pretending the DC hero wasn\u2019t an immigrant earlier this week, the White House\u2019s Twittter<\/a> posted a photoshopped poster of the film with President Donald Trump flying in the air, and the poster\u2019s text was tweaked in support of him. \u201cA Trump presidency: Truth, Justice, and the American Way,\u201d it reads.<\/p>\n

THE SYMBOL OF HOPE.<\/p>\n

TRUTH. JUSTICE. THE AMERICAN WAY.<\/p>\n

SUPERMAN TRUMP. \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 pic.twitter.com\/fwFWeYonAq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

That the White House is trying to embrace Superman isn\u2019t particularly surprising; it\u2019s the film\u2019s opening weekend, Superman is the mightiest hero in all of DC, and part of Trump\u2019s perceived appeal is how he speaks to the fantasy of a powerful, masculine\u00a0man the right wing (and America at large) are constantly in search of.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also not the first time this particular sect has tried to co-opt a specific fictional character<\/a> or person, either for real or just a quick hit of virality. During the 2018 midterms, the first Trump administration used Game of Thrones memes<\/a> to sway voters. Before the 2024 election, many musicians<\/a> asked Trump to stop using their songs for his campaign and eventual win, even going so far as to take matters to court. And whether intended or not, it could be easy to read this as a direct, petty swipe at writer\/director James Gunn, who\u2019s had no issue making his feelings on this particular president<\/a> and white supremacy known through his works.<\/p>\n

And yet, this instance carries more significance due to factors such as parallels audiences have made between the film and the continued real-world attacks on Gaza\u2014something Gunn recently claimed was an unintentional move<\/a>\u2014and coming straight from the White House\u2019s mouth. For as much as this administration and its defenders have complained about the \u201cwoke<\/a>\u201d media plaguing the country, they can\u2019t find it in themselves to not be drawn to the very things that fall under that purview. To them, Superman is a godlike being who cuts a figure in the clouds with menacing laser eyes, the type of figure feared by his enemies and otherwise populated by acolytes.<\/p>\n

But DC fans have spent the past decade soured on portrayals like Man of Steel and the one-two video game punch of Injustice and Suicide Squad. Now, they want a version of the hero that radiates hope and optimism<\/a>, which has since been gradually brought back to the character via Gunn\u2019s movie and Adult Swim\u2019s My Adventures with Superman. From those who\u2019ve come out of the film and liked it, their big takeaway is how Gunn and Warner Bros. finally got him right again and charted a brighter path forward for the burgeoning DC movie universe. That momentum looks like it\u2019ll keep the film in discussion in the weeks and months ahead while likely leaving the White House\u2019s attempt to ride the current wave far behind in the dust.<\/p>\n

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel<\/a>, Star Wars<\/a>, and Star Trek<\/a> releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV<\/a>, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who<\/a>.<\/p>\n