Yes, I think that controversial Krypton change in Superman was the right choice. James Gunn’s Superman movie has been the topic of discourse since it was announced. On one hand, there were those willing to see what the new era of DC will look like, which Superman‘s ending adequately teased. On the other hand were fans of the DCEU’s version.

This caused a lot of controversy surrounding the Man of Steel, with half of the online fanbase wanting Henry Cavill to resume his role and the others excited for David Corenswet’s future. Regardless of the division, Superman has been released to rave reviews, though that does not mean the film’s story is without its controversial elements.

A big retcon to Superman’s origin story is included in the DCU’s first film, which is proving to be something audiences are split on. Regardless of the ways in which this retcon, linked to Kal-El’s home planet of Krypton, has caused controversy, I stand by that I think it was the correct choice for this new era of DC and the franchise’s Man of Tomorrow.

Superman’s Controversial Krypton Change Explained

Jor-El & Lara Have A Very Different Role In James Gunn’s Superman

One of the first Easter eggs found in Superman is a reference to the тιтular hero’s home planet, Krypton. After losing a fight against the Hammer of Boravia, Superman returns to the Fortress of Solitude to recuperate. While he is being tended to, his robot helpers play the message that was sent to Earth with Kal-El by Jor-El and Lara, Superman’s biological parents.

This message is initially one of hope, with Jor-El and Lara confirming that they sent Kal-El to Earth to survive and that he is a beacon of hope. Kal-El, now more Clark than anything, took this to mean he was a beacon of hope for the people of Earth, leading him to become Superman and use his kindness for the better.

However, herein lies Superman‘s controversial twist. The second half of the message, initially thought to be damaged, is recovered by one of Superman‘s villains: the Engineer. This part of the message contains dark ulterior motives, with Jor-El and Lara telling Kal-El to enslave Earth, take multiple wives, and repopulate the Kryptonian race in the universe.

This is a big departure from most iterations of Superman, which have often depicted the Kryptonians as more benevolent beings. The reveal sends Clark into a crisis of faith, believing everything he fought for was a lie. He then realizes it is his actions that make him who he is, not what he was sent to Earth to do.

Naturally, this decision to depart from the comics in such a big way has caused issues among some. Jor-El and Lara’s message to their son is admittedly dark and more akin to a character like Invincible‘s Omni-Man than Superman. That said, I think the change works perfectly for this version of Superman.

I Think Superman’s Krypton Change Was Perfect For The DCU’s Version Of The Character

The Themes Of The DCU’s Superman Needed This Krypton Reveal To Work

The primary reason as to why I think this change worked was due to Superman‘s central message. Since a new Superman movie written by James Gunn was announced as part of the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, the filmmaker has been overly clear about its message: Superman is kind in a world that thinks kindness is old-fashioned.

The movie adequately portrays this by beating Superman down every chance it gets, from Lex Luthor’s petty, evil schemes to warmongering dictators and superheroes who think he is a “wuss.” This message is a beautiful one to have in a Superman movie, and the Krypton change, divisive as it may be, only deepens it and drives it home.

Superman is not only kind in a world that thinks kindness is old-fashioned, but a universe that does. A planet like Krypton, which allows people to be superhuman, also views kindness as a secondary priority, with the first being preservation by any means necessary.

Clark needed to realize that it was not just a great portion of Earth that disagreed with him, but the people of his home planet whom he idolized, too. This way, when he chooses to stay kind, good, and decent as Superman in the film’s third act, it only hits harder.

The message is driven home deeper by the Krypton change, allowing the true strength of the DCU’s new Superman to shine through.

Superman’s Krypton Change Is An Improvement On Past Superman Movies

Moreover, I think Superman‘s Krypton change is good as it improves past Superman movies. In the past, Krypton has been important thematically, but the planet has never been too crucial to Clark’s stories, as it no longer exists. In every iteration of Superman, it is he who is important, not the planet.

Changing the Kryptonian view of humanity for Superman only reinforces that. Superman, had he been raised on Krypton, were it not destroyed, would have been raised with a similar mindset as Jor-El and Lara. However, in being raised by loving parents on Earth, he became more important than the planet or its ideals.

Not only does this make Superman feel more important as a character, but it also gives Ma and Pa Kent a beautiful role in his hero journey. It was their choices when raising him that allowed Clark to become the good, kind-hearted Superman he is, not Krypton. The lore retcon in Superman typifies that, proving why it was actually a perfect choice.