Waiting for Superman: The Hero We Need, the Hope We’ve Lost

When Cynicism Fails, Let Hope Be the Revolution

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This weekend, I finally saw James Gunn’s take on Superman. After nearly two decades of superhero films blending with repetitive plots and over-reliance on CGI, I found myself burnt out by the genre. So, when I heard that Gunn would be rebooting Superman, I wasn’t initially impressed. I was tired of the genre altogether. In their world, the heroes I grew up reading about in comics were Gods with little to no personalities, and fought for the sake of producing content for the masses to watch. There was nothing to root for. I longed for the early days, back when I was a child, before the world had colored my vision, and I was forced to cosplay manhood. For the days when anything seemed possible, and people didn’t seem so scary. Back in those days, Superman was my hero.

He was a beacon that represented truth, justice, and most importantly, hope. In modern times, that version of Superman feels ridiculous, even corny. And I get it, because consider for a second, what kind of character, or even real-life person, is kind with no ulterior motives, cares about people, even if he doesn’t always agree with them, values all life, and tries their hardest to live up to these ideals? These characters and people no longer exist, and even if they did, many of us would spend an unnecessary amount of time trying to show the world that they’re frauds. Many of us can no longer imagine the “Boy Scout” version of Superman, because we don’t believe the world can support that in others, or even ourselves.

Check out this post from one of my favorite writers

NJ Fiction

The Request

In the real world, there are makers and takers, and those with power are the best, brightest, and most ruthless. We celebrate the loss of humanity that comes with the collection of power. We have also seen what happens when people have an edge over others. Just look at the current state of affairs. Our country is run by a bunch of people whose power has grown from sowing hatred and anger.

Trump and his cronies have spent years spewing conspiracy theories, hate speech, and violent rhetoric to build their support base. He’s weaponized the hurt, pain, and anger of millions to make immigrants, people of color, and the LGBTQIA community living targets. And now, with the full force of the government at his beck and call, he’s lording that power over all of us. But what Trump is doing isn’t strange, it’s the American way. Power for self-service is as American as Apple Pie; some might argue it’s simply human nature, so no matter how much money, influence, or power one accumulates, there can never be enough, no matter how many people have to suffer.

The pursuit of power means nothing if there is a conclusion to that pursuit. And then there’s Superman. He’s all-powerful, faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a thousand Locomotives, and possesses x-ray vision, heat rays in his eyes, and everything else that comes with this power set. He could live on earth as a God, but more than anything, he desires to be one with people, to use the strength he was gifted with to help others. To make a slight difference in this world, with the hope that other people will carry that kindness to those around them. Everything about him contradicts what society is telling us. And maybe that’s the point? Perhaps we have all gotten to used to thinking the least of each other, refusing to engage in real-life, and resorting to attacks, assumptions, and separation, and because of that, we have lost a little bit of ourselves. Maybe Gunn’s Superman is a battle cry for goodness?

There’s a part in the movie where Superman battles a metahuman attacking the city. During the Meta-Humans' rampage, buildings are falling, putting people in danger. After saving one man, he dashes back into the fray and grabs a squirrel right before it’s crushed by debris. Zack Snyder’s Superman, while good in its own right, could never have pulled this off. His Superman was too self-obsessed, burdened by his endless power and the hero worship that comes with it, to care about much else besides himself.

To his credit, Snyder's Superman is likely what the Man of Steel would look like if he existed in the real world, but Gunn’s hero pulls at our wildest dreams. In this version, we get to see what the world would look like if someone with all of the power in the world chose to do good. Gunn’s Superman inspired people in that universe to stand up for what was right, and eventually led them to step out of their fear and speak up about injustice. I remember sitting in the theatre feeling pride and intrigue at the idea that we could be more than what a cynical world expects from us, and as a viewer, it reminded me of something that I haven’t experienced in a while. Hope.

I miss the hope I felt as a child, the belief that all people were good. The feeling that I, too, could help others if I tried my best and worked hard. That smiling at strangers and helping those in need was the natural thing to do, that hatred was insidious and something to stay away from. I’m no longer a child, and we are told that as we grow, we must put away childish things.

But this movie is telling me something different. Maybe it’s time to pick up the hope, the love, and the faith. Perhaps it’s time to embrace the idea that no matter what is happening, we all can be better. I want that for myself, and for us, and I think it’s possible, if only we’re willing to try. The current state of play in this world gives us so much to be angry, stressed, and resentful about, but if this movie taught me anything, it’s that if we want the world to be different, someone has to be willing to take a stand. I’m not going to keep waiting for Superman. Instead, I’ll aspire to be a version of him in the hopes that it will inspire others. I hope you will too.

Congratulations, you made it to the end. I would love to read your thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment!

1. Have you watched the movie? What did you think?

2. Did you have the same takeaway that I had from the movie, or did you see another message?

3. Do you think its possible to be a “Good person” in a world that makes it so easy to be “bad?”

4. What would it take to build a society that was more empathetic to others?