Did James Gunn make the wrong call with Jor-El? The director speaks out on the twist in Superman that set the internet completely on fire.
To many, Superman was like chicken noodle soup: a warm, feel-good adventure that speaks to the heart of the character. However, there is one twist in the film that rubbed many long-time fans of the hero the wrong way. That of course being, the reveal that Jor-El sent Superman to Earth to conquer it and build his own super-harem.
Despite how much some online were asking how they’d be able to join said harem, the twist sparked a lot of controversy. While prior adaptations have made Jor-El a flawed man, none have ever changed his reason for sending Superman off to anything but to find a better life beyond the destruction of Krypton. This left many to question if James Gunn actually made the right call with the change.
Will James Gunn Retcon The Superman Twist?
James Gunn actually addressed this viral controversy in the director’s commentary for Superman, many quotes from which have been collected by ComicBookMovie.com. When speaking on the film’s change to Jor-El, Gunn stands by the fact that sometimes adaptations need to take big swings when changing the character for a new film, and that he won’t be walking back his decision anytime soon.
“I am a big Superman fan. I don’t want to change important, integral things; his goodness of heart, the fact that he won’t kill, the fact that he’s in love with Lois Lane, even the curl on the head. So the question is, ‘What can you add to the mythos that’s a little bit different, that doesn’t really essentially change who the character is?'”
“I think it works .It is not something that is going to be retrofitted in the future. It is the fact of Superman’s life.”
Given how tenuous of a position DC Studios is in, even after the success of Superman, it’s good to see that James Gunn isn’t backing down from a twist that he truly believes in. It’s possible that the Man of Steel is able to confront Jor-El in a potential future installment in the franchise, with the character making his return as Dr. Oz like in the comics. However, as of now, the House of El will remain harem-less.
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