The newest ‘Superman’ film has now grossed over $406.8 million (€345.65 million) worldwide and has been a runaway box office hit.
The story follows the superhero to the fictional US-backed country of Boravia, which is attempting to occupy neighbouring impoverished Jarhanpur, which is also fictional.
Some posts online claim that the imagery in the film is highly reminiscent of images from Gaza. People making these claims reference scenes such as one where a child holds a flag in the face of an invasion, and elements such as a border fence against a landscape that looks like the Palestinian territory.
Boravia conducts a high-tech military operation against Jarhanpur, whose inhabitants are portrayed by Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Black actors. Meanwhile, the Boravians are played by white actors.
The Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles appeared to respond to the film with two Facebook posts reading “Real Superheroes” alongside images that seem to be of the Israeli army.
Production started before 7 October
However, production, costume design, and casting for ‘Superman’ actually began in April 2023. Meanwhile, storyboarding took place in May, and screen tests took place in June; all before Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023.
James Gunn, the American director of ‘Superman’, has also said in interviews that the script was completed before 7 October. He has insisted that there are no direct references to Israel and Palestine. Gunn did concede that the movie is “about politics”, but that the film is mainly about morality and kindness.
However, filming did begin on 29 February 2024, which was after the attacks on 7 October 2023.
Despite this uncertainty about the link between the film and what is happening in Gaza, viewers are sharing their thoughts on Reddit on the ways that the film has played a part in changing how they view what is taking place in Gaza.
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