James Gunn Explains SUPERMAN’s Controversial Krypton Parents Twist
James Gunn’s new Superman gave fans a fresh start for the DC Universe and laid the foundation for future DC movies. The film opened strong at the box office, earned great reviews, and set a new tone for the franchise.
But, there was one creative choice that sparked debate among fans, and it has everything to do with Superman’s Kryptonian parents.
In Superman, Clark discovers that his birth parents, Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara, weren’t exactly the noble figures audiences have come to expect. While Clark first believes they sent him to Earth to be a savior for humanity, the truth revealed in their message is far more complicated. They wanted him to rule Earth’s people, not simply protect them.
Speaking during the Director’s Commentary on iTunes, James Gunn addressed the controversy and explained why he took this direction:
“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 you know Clark’s parents usually in the comics are benevolent, that isn’t always the case.
“It hasn’t always been the case. There have been stories in which, even in canon, that that hasn’t been the case, and Jor-El is not always treated as a benevolent character.”
Fans were split on this decision. While Gunn is right that not every version of Jor-El is purely noble, this marks the first time a live-action Superman film has leaned into a morally questionable take on his Kryptonian heritage.
The film also raises the question of whether Lex Luthor might have faked the message, but it’s made clear throughout the story that the message is genuine. That revelation becomes the heart of Superman’s inner conflict, forcing him to grapple with the truth about his family and what it means for his own identity.
To Gunn, this wasn’t about making Superman’s parents villains. Instead, he sees it as a twist that adds complexity without changing the hero’s core values:
“They’re benevolent to their son. They love their son obviously, but they aren’t necessarily benevolent in the way they think about human beings. They think of human beings as less than in this version.
“So that was the thing that was the twist. I think it works. It is not something that’s going to be retrofitted in the future. It is the fact of Superman’s life. He was sent by his parents to Earth to save him primarily, but also they hoped he would continue the Kryptonian heritage and sort of take over Earth as its ruler, and that isn’t who Superman thinks of himself as being at all.”
Rather than making Superman’s parents outright evil, Gunn frames them as self-interested. They love their son, they love Krypton, and they hope Clark will preserve that legacy, even if it comes at humanity’s expense.
This perspective challenges Superman to define himself on his own terms, not by the expectations of Krypton or Earth.
The creative choice may be divisive, but it opens the door to a more layered version of the character. Instead of the usual black-and-white morality, Gunn is giving fans a Superman whose past directly complicates his present, making him more compelling than ever.
This won’t be a temporary twist, either. Gunn has confirmed it’s here to stay, which means it will continue to shape Clark’s story moving forward.
The sequel, Man of Tomorrow, is already in development, with the script locked and ready to go. And now we know one thing for sure, Superman will still be wrestling with the shadow of his Kryptonian heritage in the next chapter of the DCU.