Superman showrunner furious: Bisexual Superman is pandering pose, would be brave to fight for gay rights in Iran
In the world of comics, the talk of the moment is all about the new Superman. His story continues with a new series by writer Tom Taylor and artist John Timms. But this time, the next generation of superheroes will be at the centre of the action. The reins of the original Man of Steel, the legendary Clark Kent, will be taken over by his son Jonathan. He will not only breathe new life into the character, but also a new sexual orientation. The new Superman will be bisexual.
Most fans were surprised by the current take on the Man of Steel, but many were pleasantly so. In fact, the creators themselves let it be known that this is exactly what they wanted to do - their main intention was to make the character of the famous superhero more accessible to other audiences. According to creator Tom Taylor, more people will now be able to identify with Superman. "I've always said that everyone needs their heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in them. So I'm grateful that DC Comics and Warner Bros share that idea. Superman as a symbol has always stood for hope, truth and justice. But today he symbolizes so much more, as more and more people now have the opportunity to see themselves in even the most powerful comic book superheroes," Taylor described.
Actor Dean Cain, who portrayed the character of Superman in the 1990s TV series of the same name, also commented on the new look of the comic book Man of Steel. But his reviews have not been very positive. "The creators of the comic say they have decided to go in a bold new direction. But I think they're just following current trends," said Cain, whose allusion is clear. But the actor himself is particularly bothered by the supposed drabness that the comic's creators are coming up with. Cain feels that they need to go much further already. "I wouldn't say it's anything bold or extraordinary. If they had resorted to something like this 20 years ago, maybe they would have been talking about it. But nowadays I think it would be much more courageous and beneficial if Superman fought for gay rights in Iran," the actor added.
Dean Cain is right about at least one thing: a bisexual Superman doesn't bring that much new to the table. There have been other queer superheroes long before him under the DC Comics banner. These include Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Batwoman, and most recently, in August of this year, Tim Drake, aka the third Robin.
Given that DC Comics comics usually get movie or TV series adaptations, the logical question is what will happen with the new Superman. But his comic book concept may be diametrically opposed to that of the film or TV series. After all, that's what we saw with Lucifer, for example. The dark-haired British actor Tom Ellis is far from being a comic book blond. However, the fact that sometimes the film and TV series creators stick to the original template only marginally is what the audience welcomes. One can expect a similar thing to happen with the eventual filming of the bisexual Man of Steel. Indeed, some fans would welcome a superhero seen through new eyes instead of a retread of the same superhero's stories.
