Dean Cain claims that his “woke” Superman comments were misconstrued
Dean Cain, who played Superman in the TV show Lois & Clarke: The New Adventures of Superman during the 1990s, has now said his comments that the new Superman movie is “woke” have been misconstrued.
Earlier this month, it was revealed, to the upset of the internet, that Cain had branded the new Superman film directed by James Gunn as “woke.” His comments included a rumination on Gunn “changing” the titular character: “I don’t think it’s a great idea. I think if you wanna create a new character, go ahead and do that, but for me, Superman has always stood for truth, justice and the American way. And the American way is immigrant-friendly — tremendously immigrant-friendly, but there are rules.”
Cain has now clarified with Collider that he was only reacting to a question he’d been asked in an interview: “They were asking the question ‘How woke will this be or will it be woke?’ So they took that quote, stuck it in a headline and had me going ‘How woke this movie is.'”
Instead, sources originally suggested that Cain was reacting to a recent interview James Gunn had done with The Times, in which he stated, “Superman is the story of America. An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”
Speaking with Collider, Cain was sure to stress his respect for Gunn. He added, “I think James Gunn makes funny movies. I love the first Guardians of the Galaxy. In truth, I think the film will be phenomenal, but that wouldn’t be a headline… It’s crazy how this industry works.”
He also added that his experience playing Superman wasn’t the easiest, as he faced prejudice for the 1990s casting choice. Cain, who was born Dean Tanaka, is Japanese. When he was first cast, he was often called “Sushiman.” The implication is that Cain cannot consider the new offering “too woke,” as he has faced the full brunt of discrimination for his previous take on the character.
Superman is out in cinemas now. Watch the trailer below.
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