James Gunn Says ‘Superman’ Has Nothing to Do with Gaza, but Hasan Piker, Ben Shapiro, and Others Keep the Debate Alive

The new “Superman” movie has only been out for a few days, but it’s already causing a lot of online arguments. The film is doing great at the box office, but people are divided about what the story really means.

Some say it’s about the Israel-Palestine conflict, while others think that’s not true. James Gunn, the director, insists the movie isn’t about the Middle East, but the debate just keeps growing.

Even before the movie came out, it faced criticism from right-wing groups, including the MAGA movement. This started after Gunn called Superman an immigrant. This upset some conservatives, and Fox News even called the movie “SuperWoke.”

Now that the movie is in theaters, a new controversy has taken center stage. The story is about two made-up countries called Boravia and Jarhanpur. Boravia says it wants to “free” the people of Jarhanpur, but there’s no real proof of that.

Boravia has better weapons and technology, which billionaire Lex Luthor is secretly supplying for almost free, so they can invade Jarhanpur. Superman steps in to stop the attack because Jarhanpur stands no chance. Lois Lane uncovers Luthor’s true plan and reveals it to the world.

Because of this plot, some people online say the movie is really about the Israel-Palestine conflict. Hasan Piker, a left-wing streamer, posted a viral YouTube video where he said the movie is “two hours and like 10 minutes of f–k Israel the entire time.” He also claimed that anyone who says the movie isn’t about Israel and Palestine is “lying.”

Piker’s video responded to conservative YouTuber Ben Shapiro, who said the film has nothing to do with the real conflict. Shapiro said, “Only those with ‘left-wing brain’ would attempt to view ‘Superman’ as a commentary on the Israel-Palestine conflict.” According to Shapiro, the movie doesn’t match the facts of the Gaza war and doesn’t have a political message.

Since then, many news articles have questioned whether the film is anti-Israel or secretly about the Israel-Hamas war. Many pro-Palestinian influencers on social media praised the movie as a clear criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

However, it’s been pointed out that the timeline doesn’t quite add up. James Gunn finished writing the script in May 2023, before the latest Gaza conflict began.

Just before the movie was released, Gunn told The Times of London, “When I wrote this the Middle Eastern conflict wasn’t happening. So I tried to do little things to move it away from that, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the Middle East.” He added, “It really is fictional. It’s an invasion by a much more powerful country run by a despot into a country that’s problematic in terms of its political history, but has totally no defense against the other country.”

Despite Gunn’s explanation, the arguments keep going. People online are still debating whether the film has a hidden political meaning. Some praise it as anti-Israel, while others insist it’s just a superhero story.

The politics around “Superman” started even before the film’s release. Gunn’s comment about Superman being an immigrant caused a conservative backlash. At the Los Angeles premiere, Gunn’s brother Sean defended him, telling Variety, “Yes, Superman is an immigrant, and yes, the people that we support in this country are immigrants and if you don’t like that, you’re not American. People who say no to immigrants are against the American way.”

Former Superman actor Dean Cain disagreed and told TMZ that Gunn “made a mistake” by calling Superman an immigrant.

The White House even joined in on the fun by photoshopping Donald Trump’s face onto Superman’s body in a fake movie poster, with the caption referring to “the American Way,” which is part of Superman’s classic slogan.

If you look closely, the fictional conflict in the movie, combined with the fact that Gunn wrote it before the Gaza events, seems to fit the Russia-Ukraine war more than anything else. But common sense rarely stops internet grifters. People are still upset that Superman told them to be kind and not commit war crimes.

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