Ex-Superman Actor Criticizes New DC Bisexual Hero 

Cain shared his thoughts on how the superhero’s characterisation should have been handled in the comic book industry

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

Dean Cain, an ex-Superman actor, has criticized DC Comics’ new Superman persona as neither “bold” nor “brave.”

“I don’t think it’s bold or brave or some crazy new direction. I say they’re bandwagoning,” the 55-year-old, who played Superman on TV in the late 1990s, said on the weekday morning news show, Fox & Friends.

Cain expressed his opinion on how the comic book industry should have handled the superhero’s characterization.

He said, “If they had done this 20 years ago, perhaps that would be bold or brave. But brave would be having him fight for the rights of gay people in Iran.”

DC Comics revealed on Tuesday that the new Superman character, Superman of Earth — son of the original Superman, Clark Kent, and Lois Lane — will be bisexual and in a love relationship with a male reporter, Jay Nakamura.

The move, according to Tom Taylor, who created the comic’s plot, was designed to promote diversity.

Taylor said, “I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes and I’m very grateful DC and Warner Bros. share this idea.”

Cain, who disagrees with the comic book writer’s objective, believes that having Superman “fight the injustices that generated the migrants whose deportation he’s opposing” would be a more meaningful story twist.

The refugee issue mentioned by Cain is a new plotline in the comic book series.

“That would be brave, I’d read that,” Cain said. “Or fighting for the rights of women to attend school and work and live and boys not to be raped by men under the new warm and fuzzy Taliban.”

He continued, “There’s real evil in this world today, real corruption and government overreach. It’d be great to tackle those issues. I’d like to see the character doing that.”

On November 9, a new issue of the comic book will be released.

Cain portrayed Superman in the television series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” in 1993. The show aired for four seasons, concluding in 1997.