The new Superman movie was never meant to be a political statement. Yet, despite avoiding any mention of Gaza or Israel, it has ignited a firestorm of online outrage, sparking calls for boycotts and accusations of propaganda.
What’s unsettling is that the resemblance to current events wasn’t intentional, yet for millions, it was obvious. Audiences are watching a fictional story of invasion, resistance, and abandonment and seeing uncomfortable parallels to the real world. The controversy exposes Hollywood’s long-standing tendency to explore themes of oppression and justice in fictional worlds while often ignoring the real ones. The movie accidentally held up a mirror, and now, audiences are finally seeing what’s there.
The Plot That Struck a Nerve
To understand the controversy, you first need to understand the plot. The story unfolds between two fictional nations: Baravia and Jahanpur. The conflict is straightforward:
- Baravia, a powerful nation, launches a brutal invasion of Jahanpur.
- Baravian forces are shown bombing civilians and committing atrocities.
- Jahanpur is portrayed as completely defenceless and abandoned by the international community.
On the surface, it’s a classic tale of good versus evil. But viewers quickly picked up on visual and thematic cues that felt uncomfortably familiar in today’s geopolitical climate.
Unintentional Visual Cues and Their Impact
The core of the controversy lies in the film’s character and military design. While the names are fictional, the imagery resonates with real-world events:
- Baravia: The invading force is depicted as a dominant, technologically advanced military with Eastern European aesthetics and accents. For many, this portrayal resembled the modern, organised military of Israel.
- Jahanpur: The victims of the invasion are styled to resemble Arab or South Asian people, with brown skin, beards, and cultural attire.
Whether by design or by sheer coincidence, the imagery created a powerful and immediate connection for viewers. It didn’t take long for audiences to draw a line between the fictional struggle of Jahanpur and the real-world crisis unfolding in Gaza.
A Fictional Villain, A Real-World Defence
What makes the situation particularly striking is that the film never mentions Israel or Palestine. The conflict is taken straight from the pages of a 1939 comic book, created by Superman’s Jewish creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. In fact, the fictional nation of Baravia predates the state of Israel itself.
Despite this, the perceived parallels were so strong that Israeli officials and social media influencers felt the need to respond. In a bizarre turn of events, an official Israeli social media account released an AI-generated image claiming the “real superheroes” are the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). A fictional movie about a fictional country prompted a real-world nation to defend itself against the perception that it was the villain.
This reaction only amplified the conversation, pulling the film’s narrative out of Hollywood’s control and into the global discourse, where people are beginning to see things more clearly.
Hollywood’s Blind Spot: A Pattern of Fictional Resistance
While the Superman controversy feels unique, it reveals a long-standing pattern in Hollywood: studios are far more comfortable exploring themes of rebellion, colonisation, and justice in fantasy or sci-fi settings than they are in addressing real-world events head-on.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. Consider these iconic examples:
- Star Wars: At its heart, it’s a story about a scrappy rebellion fighting against a violent, technologically superior empire.
- Avatar: The highest-grossing film of all time tells the story of an indigenous people defending their land and culture from resource-hungry colonisers.
Director James Gunn has said the story’s parallels to real events were unintentional, and there’s every reason to believe him. Yet, this is precisely what makes the conversation so important. The real concern isn’t just about who Superman fights; it’s that Hollywood continually draws inspiration from real-world pain without always acknowledging its source. When the same story of oppression plays out in reality, we often fail to recognise it. Perhaps the problem isn’t the story, but how we’ve been conditioned to see it.
Did You Know? George Lucas has openly stated that the Rebel Alliance’s struggle against the Empire in Star Wars was inspired by the Viet Cong’s resistance against the United States during the Vietnam War. This is a clear example of a real-world conflict being reframed into a fictional, more palatable narrative.
Why Now? A Shift in Global Consciousness
If this exact Superman movie had been released five years ago, would it have landed the same way? Probably not. The conflict in Palestine has been ongoing for decades, but the heightened global awareness in recent times has made these parallels impossible to ignore.
The resemblance is now so obvious that even casual viewers are walking out of theatres feeling that the story was “uncomfortably familiar.” This reflects a significant shift in how mainstream audiences interpret media. It’s no longer just a small group of activists connecting the dots; it’s families and blockbuster movie-goers.
With the film on track to cross $500 million at the box office, its reach is immense. At this scale, the reaction isn’t a niche observation; it’s a cultural moment. When the public, and even the nation, some see as the villain’s parallel, recognises itself in the story, it signals a powerful change in global perspective.
Actionable Takeaway: How to Watch Films Critically
This moment encourages us to be more active viewers. Here’s how you can engage more deeply with the media you consume:
- Look for Themes, Not Just Plots: Ask yourself what the underlying message is. Is it about oppression, justice, rebellion, or colonisation?
- Question Character Design: Who are the heroes and villains? How are they visually represented? Do these designs rely on real-world stereotypes?
- Consider the Context: Think about what is happening in the world when a film is released. Art never exists in a vacuum, and current events will always shape how an audience interprets a story.
The Story Beyond the Screen
The new Superman movie may not have been created to be political, but it has become a powerful reflection of our times. The controversy isn’t really about a superhero; it’s about a collective awakening. Audiences are no longer passively consuming stories of fictional oppression while ignoring the real thing.
For the first time on such a massive scale, the picture is coming into focus. Viewers are becoming more aware, and for many, this film is an unexpected catalyst for understanding not just the story on the screen, but the one unfolding in the real world.
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