X-Men: Last Stand (2006)
Ian McKellen

In an interview with UpRoxx, Sir Ian McKellen had the NERVE, the GALL, the UNMITIGATED CHEEK to say that Superman – OUR BELOVED NATIONAL HERO – is nothing but a joke. WHAT? You CAD. HOW DARE YOU, SIR!

‘Well, [director Bryan Singer] persuaded me. X-Men was about something. Superman isn’t really about anything. It’s a joke. The nerd changes his underpants and becomes a Superman. That’s James Bond: “Shaken, not stirred,” silly, stupid, British twit… and then, Action Man! But X-Men is about the problems of being a mutant. And we’ve all felt we’re mutants on occasion. So, that was the hook for me. And don’t forget, I didn’t have to sign to do any more than one; I’m just doing a movie.‘

Superman is more than a “nerd” in a pair of “underpants.” He is the ultimate hero. He is the best of us. He is (as Joey Esposito of IGN once pointed out) the incorruptible ideal by which we, as the human race, should strive to be.

He’s the icon that other superheroes look up to. He’s long since permeated the stories he stars in and has become an instantly recognizable symbol across the globe regardless of race, creed, gender, or sexuality. He’s a reminder that no matter how dire things look, no matter how dark and pessimistic things will get — and they will — there’s always something greater to strive towards. That there’s hope for tomorrow, and that we’re all strong enough to make it happen.

Chuck Osbourne of DC comics concurs. He writes:

Truth, Justice, and the American Way — I admit without shame that one of my earliest role models was Superman. Though I’m not Kryptonian, don’t exhibit super-human strength or flight, and am not a fictional character (I think), my personal value system has been directly influenced by the Man of Steel. Not because he has the power to leap tall buildings or alter the course of mighty rivers, but because of his incorruptible moral compass that exists beneath the impenetrable skin.

“I never lie,” he told Lois Lane in the first Superman movie… and he meant it. He is the unwavering light in a world of darkness; a man who can’t be bought, doesn’t cheat, and never betrays his values to win. (Injustice doesn’t count.) While I can’t pretend to match that high standard of excellence, I’d like to think that I’m a little bit better of a person (even without powers) thanks to Superman.

Superman is larger than life. He is incorruptible. He doesn’t have the grey areas that many Marvel characters do. That’s what made him so important to me growing up. My childhood was murky and disturbing and full of ambiguity and distrust and confusion. I needed the assurance that Supes presented. I liked knowing where I stood with him. I liked the security he provided. In a world that can often feel dark and depressing, Superman was my light.

Don’t take a dump on Superman, Ian. X-men might mean something to you, but that doesn’t mean that Superman is without meaning. That’s false equivalency. And you say that X-men are about being mutants, about being different, but don’t forget that Superman is the ULTIMATE outsider. The last Kryptonian. And the ultimate immigrant. So, he is many things to many people. And he is NO JOKE.