With over 80 years of lore, honestly, there’s no such thing as a “comic-accurate” Superman. What would that even look like? No, it seems like fans like their Superman like they like their coffee: Some like it with sugar, others with milk, others want it to be as dark and strong as it can be. And so, the character has been everything from a clean-cut boy scout to a misunderstood alien messiah or Kryptonian god. Sometimes he’s the cool kid at Smallville High, but other times, he’s the awkward farm boy who gets shoved into lockers by bullies. His origin story has been rebooted and changed more than Warner Bros’ DC cinematic universe. But there’s one thing about Superman that’s always been consistent—something that James Gunn seems to understand deeply in Superman (2025), and Zack Snyder completely missed in Man of Steel (2013): Pa Kent actually matters.
In Snyder’s version, Jonathan Kent (played by Kevin Costner) is weirdly conflicted about Clark using his powers. Should he save a bus full of drowning kids? “Maybe.” Should he reveal himself to the world? Shrug. Should he let a tornado eat his dad alive to protect the secret? Apparently, yes.
Honestly, that version of Jonathan Kent didn’t shape a hero. He shaped a guy with trust issues.
Now contrast that with the more classic versions of Pa Kent—especially the one we see in Superman: Red & Blue by Daniel Warren Johnson. That Pa Kent is all heart. He hugs Clark and tells him he loves him when he’s a baby, when he walks, and when he first flies. He tells him he’s loved, not because of what he can do, but because of who he is. It’s honest. It’s warm. It’s everything Man of Steel was missing.
It’s also the same emotional thread we’ve seen make other superheroes work. Peter Parker has Uncle Ben. Tony Stark had Ho Yinsen. Clark Kent has Pa Kent. These men don’t just inspire greatness—they remind our heroes that the point of having power is to use it for others, not just themselves.
Arguing about whether or not Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel or James Gunn’s Superman is comic book accurate is a little silly, especially considering all the material and all the different takes on Superman. However, from what we’ve seen in the Superman trailers, James Gunn seems to be steering back to the core idea that Superman is a beacon of hope, not existential dread in a cape.
Yes, Henry Cavill’s Superman was brooding and burdened—because 2013 was, well, a brooding and burdened time. But we’re in 2025 now, and the world’s had enough darkness. What we need is a Superman raised by a man who believed in people, not paranoia.
And that’s the difference. That’s the one thing James Gunn’s getting right with his version of Superman.
But all of that love and hope comes from one place: His Pa Kent. It’s not from Jor-El. It’s not from Lois Lane. It’s not from Ma Kent. It’s always been from a father figure who loved him and reminded him of it every day.
It’s this journey with Jonathan that leads Superman to say “I love you” as he stands out in space overlooking the Earth. He wants to make his Pa proud. He wants to be the man he was. And he does this by being Superman. By saving kids. By saving cats from trees. By putting himself in danger. By risking his life for the world. By being a beacon of hope.
Right now, the world needs Jonathan Kent’s point of view. Desperately. The world needs Superman.
