The newly released Hollywood blockbuster Superman: Legacy, which premiered globally on 11 July, is drawing intense social media attention for what many viewers perceive as a bold “pro-Palestine” stance.
While director James Gunn has not publicly confirmed any references, online audiences are calling the film one of the most politically charged superhero stories in recent memory, with comparisons to Israel’s war on Gaza and the US immigration raids taking centre stage.
Set partly in the fictional country of Boravia, a high-tech military ally of the US, the film follows Superman as he confronts a regime accused of invasion, surveillance of dissenters and weapons-fuelled domination over a neighbouring population confined behind a border fence.
The plot has struck a nerve with many viewers who see parallels to the ongoing war in Gaza.
One of the most widely circulated Reddit posts under the subreddit “Israel” encapsulated the concern from pro-Israel audiences:
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“Have you all seen the new Superman movie? I find it so disrespectful and distressing that a superhero created by two Jewish artists is now being used to promote anti-Israeli messages to the world… I can’t understand how this was green-lit at a time like this with global antisemitism on a rise… Of course, the invaders are portrayed as white while the victims are predominantly brown. And of course, if Israel speaks out against the film, it would be seen as ‘well, if the shoe fits.'”
Users responding on Twitter wrote: “It’s so funny that they instantly recognize that the movie is about Israel’s genocide in Gaza without being told and yet still have the temerity to get offended and express their indignation in public. It’s like how come you know the evil murderous villains are Israel, guys?”
One user compared the concluding scene to images from the 2018 Great March of Return in Gaza.
At first during Superman I was like “this can’t be about Palestine” until it was revealed the invading country is a US ally receiving billions in weapons sales from Lex Luthor and the ending resembles the 2018 Gaza border protests
Go see this movie. It is SO good pic.twitter.com/UsBP01qRg0
— gregor samsung 𖢥 (@slimjosa) July 13, 2025
Political commentator Hasan Piker weighed in with his own theory, saying the film’s villain – the leader of Boravia – was “based on David Ben-Gurion”, Israel’s founding prime minister.
“A lot of people are saying it’s [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” the Twitch streamer said. “But I think it’s Ben-Gurion. It’s two hours and 10 minutes of fuck Israel.”
bringing this back—in real life, children of Gaza don’t have a superman so it was important to get the message and news out there through any means they could.
THE S STANDS FOR HOPE. THIS IS WHAT SUPERMAN IS FOR. https://t.co/2W5bhKiQP1
— honey (@saintpattinson) July 13, 2025
Alongside the film’s perceived messaging on Gaza, many viewers said the movie took a strong pro-immigration stance – one that landed during a critical moment in the US amid a wave of Ice deportation raids across the country.
Some fans drew a connection between these real-world events and the film’s portrayal of Superman, who has historically been depicted in comics and films as an alien from another planet raised in the US Midwest.
Viewers online interpreted this framing as a deliberate emphasis on immigrant identity.
Israeli ‘counter-advertising’
Still, not everyone was thrilled. Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro promised a critical review, posting simply: “Not. Good. Review coming soon.”
The Israeli consulate in Los Angeles also appeared to respond to the film with two stylised Facebook posts.
One used the hashtag #The_Real_Superheroes alongside a glossy, seemingly AI-generated image of Israeli soldiers posed like comic book characters.
The other was a trailer-style video declaring: “When evil rises in all its glory, that’s when the true superheroes are revealed”. It featured Israeli soldiers, captives and emergency workers.
A social media user summed up the general response to the posts: “Israel is so disturbed by Superman calling them out as genocidal racists they’re counter advertising.”
In a social media post following the film’s release, Gunn said he was proud to have made a version of Superman that emphasised “the ‘man’ part of the equation” – describing him as “a kind person always looking out for those in need”.
“That that resonates so powerfully with so many people across the world is in itself a hopeful testament to the kindness and quality of human beings.”
Landing and social media photo: Superman: Legacy poster (IMDB)
