Some people watched the new Superman trailer, smiled and got excited for its July release date. But others zoomed in, paused, rewatched, and decided that Clark Kent rubbing his knuckles while talking to Lois Lane is a major red flag.
A viral post on X (with nearly 200k views) has quickly sparked a controversial debate online with one comment: “Is he rubbing his knuckles while being questioned by girlfriend?!?” And just like that, there’s a wave of discourse that suggests that Superman needs couples therapy instead of a new red cape.
See, in the first full trailer for James Gunn’s Superman, there’s a brief scene where Clark is having what looks like a heated conversation with Lois Lane. His temperature is clearly rising, he’s fidgeting, and he’s rubbing his knuckles. Some fans saw that as a nervous tic. Others took it way further:
“… would be 100% fine if the conversation didn’t continue with him storming up and screaming at Lois,” one user wrote. Another chimed in with, “So you do agree with me that this is childish, un-Superman-like behaviour?”
Someone else was quick to defend the Man of Steel, saying, “It’s kinda like an early years Superman who has never interacted with the media in any meaningful capacity.”
That might actually be a fair point. As you can see from the trailer footage, Gunn’s Superman is young and inexperienced – maybe a little green and still finding his way in the world. He’s not the seasoned, stoic boy scout from Superman II. He’s a 30-something alien trying to justify stopping an international war and explain it to the woman he loves. That could be stressful even without the superpowers.
And yes, Lois Lane is also his colleague. She’s not just mad because she’s his girlfriend — she’s grilling him like any Pulitzer-winning journalist would. “To be fair, she’s asking him some not so easy questions. Doesn’t matter if it’s his gf or not,” one user reminded the thread.
Now, others weren’t so forgiving. “He’s just so smug and arrogant. He’s literally clenching his jaw and rolling his eyes like he’s fighting back, telling her to shut up,” someone argued. That’s a heavy read for a short trailer clip.
This is drama. Relationships aren’t perfect. Especially when one half of the couple is an alien who just stopped a war, and the other is the most relentless reporter in Metropolis.
Let’s not forget that Lois and Clark have been butting heads since the ’30s. It’s their thing. You really think she’s going to be intimidated because he clenched his jaw or rubbed his knuckles? Never! Lois would rather use Kryptonite on Superman before letting things turn toxic.
Chances are this scene ends with Clark cooling off and Lois saying something like, “You know I still believe in you, Smallville.” And we’ll all feel silly for assuming the worst about Clark Kent.
It’s Superman, not Love Is Blind. He loves Lois Lane, whether he is rubbing his knuckles or not.
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