'Superman' Is Great, But Its Message for the Next Generation Is Even Better

James Gunn's 'Superman' is comic-book excellence, but its simple message is what truly sets it apart from the rest of the genre.

James Gunn’s Superman doesn’t have much interest in trying to mask its message to the audience. To this version of the Man of Steel, empathy really is punk rock and, truly, the greatest superpower you could wield.

Before catching the reboot, I was watching the original 1978 Superman for the first time (yeah, I know) in anticipation of the new release, and I realized I hadn’t really watched anything Superman-related since my kids were born six years ago.

So as I was watching Gunn’s take on the iconic character, I was caught off-guard a bit when I started welling up at Superman making it clear he would simply never sacrifice the kindness he embodies. “Truth, justice, and the American way” has always felt more nebulous in scope (and kind of nefarious these days), but that tweaked ethos in this movie, that simple dedication to kindness towards others really hit me as a parent of young kids just beginning to make their own way in the world.

To be fair, many things have caused me to tear up since I became a dad. By having kids, I’ve now let all my emotions rise to the surface, and pretty much anything I watch can unleash them at any given time (nothing is safe; I might start bawling during Predator: Badlands).

But I think it’s important to consider how our kids might engage with this latest iteration of Superman. The world right now is a cynical, dark place. I know how plenty of other adults talk and view the world, and that trickles down to the children. I want my kids to think differently; I want them to view kindness as being the coolest possible thing they could do.

If Superman can help show them the way, even better.

Even now as I write this, I can feel the emotions welling to the surface. No, I’m not necessarily crying at how much I loved the movie, though it’s excellent, the best Superman film since the original no doubt.

I feel myself getting emotional because I know, just like Clark Kent, they’ll have to go out into the world and make their own choices. I can only hope to give them the right tools to succeed and be the best people they can be. I’ll admit that it feels harder than ever to do that given the climate of American society. It often feels like there’s no place left for empathy here - cruelty hasn’t just taken over, it’s celebrated.

But there has to be a better path forward for our next generation. When I was growing up, Superman felt like that for me (even though I really was more of a Batman kid). As I was watching the Christopher Reeve original, I was giggling like a schoolboy the first time he appears in that suit to save Lois.

It’s our job as parents to give our children the tools necessary to make this world a better place than how we left it. It doesn’t take much. They don’t have to be Superman, but they can sure use him as inspiration.