Why James Gunn Changed THAT Piece of Superman Lore

Superman is one of the greatest characters in all of fiction. He's an immigrant to Earth who comes here and becomes the most powerful being on its surface.

His enduring mythos has lasted almost 100 years, and we've seen countless adaptations from movies to TV. All have given the hero their own personal spin to talk about the times he exists in and his place in this world.

What I loved so much about James Gunn's version is that he truly felt like a hero for today, and that took some small tweaks and a few big ones.

Today, I want to unpack one of those big changes.

Spoilers for Superman to follow.

Let's dive in.

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For decades, we've known the story: the dying planet Krypton, the noble Jor-El and Lara, and their infant son sent to Earth as a beacon of hope.

But in Gunn's Superman, that narrative is being turned on its head.

The film reveals that Superman's parents sent him to our planet not just for survival, but with a mission: to conquer it and establish a new Krypton.

Gunn spoke with IGN about why he made that change, saying:

“I’m a huge Superman fan, so first of all I had to trust myself that I was going to honor the pieces of Superman that we needed to keep the same, and also allow myself to make changes where changes might work and wouldn’t go against the integrity of who the character is. And so I think that was simply dealing with allowing ourselves to change part of the story in a way that was interesting for the DCU, but that wasn’t something that went against who Superman was. And is has been something that’s been played with in the comics before.”

This particular twist, while controversial, is not without precedent, having been explored in some comic book storylines before.

It recasts Jor-El and Lara as figures with far more complex and potentially sinister motivations. For Superman himself, this discovery triggers a profound identity crisis, forcing him to question everything he thought he knew about his heritage and his purpose.

Is he here to be good?

Is the nurture he got from his earth parents stronger than the nature he got from Krypton?

The fan community, as expected, is abuzz with discussion and debate. Some have criticized the change, with suggestions that it would have been a more classic villain move if Lex Luthor had fabricated the Kryptonian message. Others have embraced the twist, seeing it as a powerful way to explore the theme of identity at the center of the movie.

I liked the choice; it gives Superman a real internal crisis that makes sense to me and makes him more identifiable. He's constantly searching for what it means to do the right thing.

This new origin story has the potential to add layers of complexity and emotional depth to the Man of Steel, making his journey of self-discovery and his ultimate choice to protect humanity all the more meaningful.

And it can open up new parts of the DC Universe for when they expand the world into more movies.

Let me know what you think in the comments.