Superman’s Controversial Origin Change Explained (and DCU Storylines It May Set Up)

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Warning! Major Changes Ahead! James Gunn’s version of Superman brings about a significant and contentious alteration to the House of El, which is Superman’s biological family. Superman has been a part of popular culture for almost a century now, and his emblem, red cape, and vibrant colors are instantly recognizable, even to those unfamiliar with the character. For decades, Superman has served as a symbol of hope, often perceived as an unyielding figure. Although stories like Injustice and Zack Snyder’s DCEU Films have explored the idea of a fallible Superman, the ideal portrayal of the character is that of an unwavering hero.

Superman places great importance on preserving life; he’s always ready to lend a hand to those in need and isn’t hesitant to utilize his abilities to safeguard creatures as tiny as squirrels from harm. He’s an admirable character, but this altruism is often manipulated for more complex and emotional storytelling. In the brighter, more hopeful films directed by James Gunn, Superman still faces a struggle with self-doubt.

In James Gunns’ Superman, Jor-El Has a Dark Plan For Humanity

In the opening scene of Superman, we find the main character returning to the Fortress of Solitude following his initial defeat. His mechanical helpers examine and mend his wounds using beams from the sun. Since this treatment is quite uncomfortable, the robots play a message previously stored for Superman, spoken by his parents Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara (Angela Sarafyan). This recording was placed in Superman’s spacecraft when he was sent to Earth as an infant; however, part of it became damaged during transportation, leaving Kal-El unaware of its conclusion.

The seemingly heartfelt and optimistic message, which had inspired Superman to carry out good deeds on Earth, was eventually discovered by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) in Superman’s fortress. With the help of the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), he hacked into the computers and managed to retrieve the complete message from Superman’s parents. After a fierce battle with a kaiju, Superman saw Lex broadcasting his parents’ message on the news, only to find out that the second part of it was instructions for Superman to dominate Earth and rule over humanity as an all-powerful ruler. This shocking revelation caused public opinion towards Superman to quickly shift against him.

Despite some doubts about its authenticity, Lex Luthor maintains that the video was confirmed genuine by professionals, and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) vouches for their credibility. It’s not a case of Lex Luthor manipulating videos: it seems that Superman’s parents intended him to rule Earth, not protect it. This is a significant shift in the storyline, and as far as we know, it doesn’t stem from any major event in the comics. However, it could draw inspiration from “Superman: Birthright”, where Lex Luthor orchestrates a false Kryptonian invasion of Earth, but that’s essentially all.

Regardless of the outcome, Superman distanced himself from his Kryptonian heritage by the film’s end, as he chose to view his Earth parents as his true family due to their hostility towards Earth. This change was brought about when Pa Kent advised Clark not to let his roots dictate who he is. The manner in which Clark internalized that cryptic message and its implications are a testament to his character and personal development. In a similar vein, Superman’s actions of exposing Lex as a mad plotter and cold-blooded killer, coupled with saving Metropolis from imminent destruction, led the Earth to embrace him once more. The final scene shows Superman requesting the Fortress of Solitude robots to play back his childhood memories on the Kent farm, instead of the message from his Kryptonian birth parents, demonstrating that he now identifies with his upbringing on Earth as his home.

Could Jor-El’s Message Be Setting Up General Zod in Superman 2?

James Gunn expresses a strong preference against retelling Superman’s origins, leaving us with only the knowledge that Krypton was destroyed. In the movie Superman, we join him three years into his superhero career without any prior history about General Zod or connections between them. This clean slate gives Gunn room for creative freedom in future developments. Could Jor-El’s instructions to Kal-El be part of General Zod’s scheme for dominance and colonization? If so, what implications does this have for the future?

It’s possible that a clue sets off General Zod’s return to Earth, as he emerges from his secret hideout to fulfill a mission that Superman couldn’t complete. Previously, we saw Zod in several Superman movies, attempting to annihilate humanity and revive Krypton. However, what if this time around, instead of destruction, Zod comes to Earth with aspirations of ruling it as a king or emperor (or high-ranking commander)? We’ll have to wait and see, but it’s an interesting thought. This first Superman film might mark the start and finish of this specific DCU plotline, but we know from the end of the movie that Kal-El isn’t the only Kryptonian in existence. Whether more conflicts arise due to this fact remains uncertain.

Superman is playing in theaters now.

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2025-07-11 02:10