James Gunn has no time for moviegoers would take offense to him embracing the political themes in Superman’s story for his upcoming film heading to theaters next week.

The David Corenswet-led flick encompasses the DC comic’s origins — akin to “the story of America” — and at a basic level, is about a man searching for a better life after leaving his original home (planet), the 58-year-old director and co-head of DC Studios said in a new interview with The Times.

“I mean, Superman is the story of America,” Gunn told the publication. “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.”

It isn’t as if the idea of Clark Kent/Superman being political is a novel concept; the superhero was created by sons of Jewish immigrants, Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. And any comic book reader worth their salt can understand that the Krypton-born alien’s origins mean he’s a refugee sent to Earth by parents wanting him to live a better life than he would have on an imploding planet.

And if they see reason to protest that fact, they can take it up with DC Comics, which used the hero’s visage to back World Refugee Day in 2018.

In a political climate in which Donald Trump has enforced an immigration crackdown, allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in cities including Los Angeles and New York that have sparked protests nationwide, Superman’s type of messaging can lead to massive backlash.

But Gunn isn’t concerned.

“Yes, it plays differently,” Gunn told the Times. “But it’s about human kindness and obviously there will be jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness. But screw them.”

Superman marks the official theatrical launch of Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe (DCU). Set three years into Clark Kent’s tenure as the Man of Steel, the story follows the superhero’s fight to balance his Kryptonian heritage with his upbringing in Smallville, Kan.; meanwhile, he’s pulled into a personal battle with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), who, as Gunn told Entertainment Weekly, is driven by an obsessive need to outshine the superhero.

The cast is massive, but rather than slowly building the DCU hero-by-hero, Gunn drops audiences into a fully-formed world. Leading the way are Corenswet’s Superman, Hoult’s Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and they’re backed by a sprawling ensemble of heroes, villains, and frequent Gunn collaborators.

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The director shared with the Times that he has big expectations for the film’s release — but not related to the box office.

“This Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people’s goodness,” Gunn explained. “I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.”

“And I include myself in this,” he continued. “It is ad infinitum, millions of people having tantrums online. How are we supposed to get anywhere as a culture? We don’t know what’s real, and that is a really difficult place for the human brain to be. If I could press a button to make the internet disappear I’d consider it. And, no, I don’t make films to change the world, but if a few people could be just a bit nicer after this it would make me happy.”

Corenswet recently opened up to Entertainment Weekly about his approach to Superman’s personality and how closely it aligned with Gunn’s take on the character.

“I had the same ideas about Superman, that he’s quite reserved and has ultimate control over his emotions and his reactions to things,” he shared. “I was very excited when James said all of that is true about Superman, but we get to meet him in this moment where those things are least true. That’s where he’s a little bit of Superman, he’s a little bit of Clark — because the only other person in the room knows who he is and holds all the cards.”

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