#23 Superman and the Spiritual Battle for Masculinity

In this episode, I critique the 2025 version of Superman directed by James Gunn, focusing on the portrayal of masculinity and the cultural implications of the film. I argue that the character of Superman has been diminished, reflecting a broader agenda in Hollywood to undermine traditional masculinity. I draw parallels between Superman's character and biblical themes, emphasizing the importance of strong male figures in society and the spiritual battle against cultural narratives that seek to redefine manhood.

Takeaways

• Superman's character in the new film lacks traditional strength.
• Hollywood is diminishing traditional masculinity in storytelling.
• The portrayal of Superman reflects a cultural agenda.
• Superman symbolizes truth, justice, and American values.
• The film undermines the moral foundation of Superman's character.
• Cultural narratives are attacking the roots of masculinity.
• Men today are portrayed as passive and confused in media.
• The relationship dynamics in the film lack traditional gender roles.
• Hollywood's agenda distorts both masculinity and femininity.
• There is hope for reclaiming Godly masculinity through faith.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Intro to James Gunn's Superman Critique
• 2:40 Superman's Character and Cultural Observations
• 10:00 The Attack on Traditional Masculinity
• 16:25 The Spiritual Battle Behind the Narrative
• 20:27 Conclusion and Call to Action

Transcript

Pedro Espinoza (00:00)
How's it going everyone? Welcome back to Carry Your Cross episode 23. This is coming off the back of episode 22 where I discussed the question, are the Jews still chosen? It was an academic approach to an episode, so pretty lengthy. A lot of notes were taken and read. So I would suggest that you go back and listen.

and sort of decide for yourself on which side of that debate or ⁓ question you land on. So again, that's episode 22. Welcome to episode 23, where today we'll do a movie critique of the 2025 version of Superman. So this movie is directed by James Gunn.

And for those of you who don't know who James Gunn is, he is also the director of the Guardian of the Galaxy's movies. So just to kind of give you a bit of an idea of who directed this film. So if you're familiar with some of his work, you have an idea now of what he produced in this 2025 Superman.

⁓ Full disclosure, I have not seen the movie myself, so my thoughts on this may change if I do eventually see the movie. But my conclusions are based off of verified sources that have done a movie review of Superman. ⁓ These sources are reliable and I'm pairing that with

the content from this movie that I've seen thus far. And I believe my conclusions are pretty accurate. I'm going to be mixing the reviews of this movie with cultural observations that I've made through a biblical lens. So just keep that in mind as the episode progresses.

With that said, in this movie, every man, including Superman, is portrayed as weak, overly emotional, and dependent on others. Hollywood has spent the last decade diminishing traditional masculinity, despite audiences still craving strong, classic male leads. Superman?

A symbol of truth, justice, and American values is shown as defensive, uncertain, and lacking the commanding presence that should inspire awe. Instead, he feels like a clueless high school jock who needs constant help. The film also undermines traditional gender roles and authentic relationships, de-sexualizing both men and women.

and key figures like Ma and Paul Kent, who embody small-town American values and shape Superman's character.

are depicted as foolish, stripping away the moral foundation that defines him. Overall, Superman comes off as far from super and fails to live up to his iconic legacy.

So folks with that in mind, the character himself in this film doesn't feel like Superman, right? So sort of what I've already touched on, ⁓ let me explain to you why I feel this way.

In this film, he's unsure. He's defensive, always second guessing himself. And yes, he cries a lot. Now, I'm not against emotion. Christ himself wept, but Superman isn't just any character. He's a symbol of strength, clarity, restraint, and order. He's the Rock, the moral north star.

the one who stays strong so others don't have to. Right? But in this movie, he's a passenger in his own story, constantly relying on others for validation. Whether that's Lois, coworkers, or random side characters, Superman is reactive instead of proactive. He doesn't command

the moment. He doesn't lead.

And this isn't just a writing failure, it's cultural. Because the removal of strong, decisive men from stories mirrors the enemy's agenda. From the Garden of Eden, Satan's strategy was to neutralize the man, to make him silent, passive, and complicit. For example, when Eve offered the fruit, Adam didn't lead.

He didn't speak, he didn't protect. He complicity accepted what God had commanded him to reject.

that same spiritual passivity is on full display in this new Superman. He's strong, but clueless, powerful, dependent, talented, but not trustworthy. That's not just a downgrade. That's a message.

Superman isn't just a guy in a cape. He's always represented truth, justice, and the American way. Not nationalism or jingoism, but principle.

personal responsibility, family, faith, sacrifice, the idea that some things are worth standing for even when it's unpopular. For example, being shunned or prosecuted for claiming Jesus.

bring that example up because for things that are unpopular or just seen as as inconvenient, when believers talk about and proclaim the name of Jesus, it is often met with ridicule, ⁓ negative remarks.

And Jesus said it himself that in this life we'll face many trials and we would be persecuted for name's sake. Amen. So that is why I brought this in here, because of the relevancy. And funny enough, the character of Superman actually does have some, well, not some, plenty of parallels with Jesus Christ and what he did on this earth.

but also what he stands for as a whole. Just a little side note.

In this new version of Superman, all of that that I just discussed is missing. The family, faith, the sacrifice, the personal responsibility, just a principled man, that's all missing from this film. The phrase, the American way is gone. The spirit behind it is stripped down. Ma and Pa Kent,

once the moral compass of the story are hollowed out, almost ridiculed. is the small town wisdom. Gone is the spiritual backbone. Gone is the sense that Clark was formed by something greater than himself.

And here's the spiritual connection. The enemy always attacks the root.

When Satan came into the garden, he didn't just lie. He attacked the source of Adam's identity. God's word, order, God's design.

So when Hollywood cuts Superman off from his moral foundation, it's more than just poor storytelling. It's a reenactment of Genesis 3. Question the truth, discard the roles, plant confusion.

Without roots, Superman becomes just another man in spandex. And without spiritual roots, men today are left the same way, confused, directionless, and easy prey for the lies of this age.

And so I want to transition to the attack on traditional masculinity. And I really want to harp on this because whether you like it or not, whether you see it or not, this is truly happening men. There has been a, a, an effort to tear down the masculine man and that is Hollywood's agenda. So

Here's where it gets painfully clear, right? This isn't just a Superman problem. Like I said, it's a Hollywood wide agenda. And more importantly, it's a spiritual attack.

Traditional masculinity defined not by bravado, but by restraint, responsibility, sacrifice, courage, and clarity has been systematically dismantled.

Men in film today are emotionally unstable, passive, mocked, or simply sidelined. Strong men are labeled toxic. Leadership is rebranded as oppression. Masculinity itself is painted as inherently dangerous. Do you see where I'm going with this, folks? And does this sound familiar?

It should sound familiar because that's the same lie the serpent whispered to Eve. Did God really say the enemy questioned God's design and it worked?

So fast forward to today, the serpent still speaks just through different channels. He uses media, culture, even church platforms to redefine manhood and confuse Identity. He promises fulfillment outside of God's and leaves men empty, spiritually hollow,

and culturally despised.

Superman used to be a role model. Now he's a mirror of what happens when men lose their purpose and power. Just a couple of notes on that. So in this context, serpent is the enemy, aka Satan. So when you hear serpents, I'm referring to Satan.

Number two, Superman is the man of steel for crying out loud. And he shouldn't be mirroring what's happened to men in this modern age where men now are losing their purpose and their power. Now, I don't blame this 100 % on Hollywood, but

Hollywood is aggressively pushing this agenda and it's all a tactic from the enemy.

additionally, this trend doesn't stop at men. It also distorts women and the beauty of complimentary design. Lois Lane in this film is capable and competent, but stripped of femininity. no dynamic chemistry, no romantic tension, no celebration.

of masculine slash feminine contrast. So their relationship feels sanitized, emotionless, sterile. This is part of a broader movement to erase traditional gender roles altogether. Feminine women are deemed regressive. Masculine men are vilified.

Romantic polarity is replaced with androgynous sameness,

heels, and romance are out.

Stoic men and soft women are taboo, but again, this isn't new. In the garden, God created as a helper fit for Adam, and Satan showed up immediately after. Why is that? Because the union of man and woman in godly order was good.

It was good, folks. It was powerful. And anything God calls good, Satan will try to distort.

It was good guys. I mean, this was God's complimentary design. And Sane went right in, destroyed it soon after. And again, we fast forward to now. This is Hollywood's agenda.

they reflect, by they I mean Hollywood, that same corruption, Flattening gender, removing distinctions, and leaving us with bland, neutered relationships that don't inspire or model anything worth emulating.

It's true, you guys. mean, if, whether you like what I'm saying or not, it's hard to deny evidence.

don't need deconstruction. We need inspiration. And now we arrive at the core issue. So Hollywood doesn't know how to build heroes anymore. It only knows how to break them.

And sometimes, yes, deconstruction can be good, but it's become a lazy habit, a cultural reflex. And in Superman's case, it's a failure. Superman isn't Batman. He's not supposed to be dark, gritty, or broken. He's not an anti-hero. He's the standard. what we aspire to.

not what we relate to.

But the serpent's whisper echoes in our media. Strong men are dangerous. Truth is offensive. Authority is oppressive. Leadership is outdated. It's not just boring, it's spiritually destructive.

need heroes again. Men who know who they are, who stand on principle, who lead by conviction, who fight for others even when it's not cool, popular, or profitable.

You guys, that's so important. Men fight for others, even when it's not cool, popular, or profitable.

Oftentimes we're always seeking cultural validation and we don't always put ourselves in vulnerable situations to fight for others or to do what's right. Because again, cultural validation, right? Or it's just simply inconvenient. But real men sacrifice, real men fight.

And in this movie, Superman was supposed to be that. afraid of it.

The serpent still speaks, guys. What happened to Superman? He was hollowed out by a culture that's uncomfortable with real leadership, allergic to masculinity, and terrified of moral clarity. However, beneath the politics and the pop culture, this isn't just a creative failure, it's a spiritual battle.

The serpent is still whispering, still questioning, still corrupting what God made good.

The enemy's haven't changed since Eden. Confuse the man, remove the structure, reverse the roles, and then mock what remains. But here's the hope. The battle has already been won.

Jesus Christ is the true man of steel. The sinless second Adam. The one who stood where Adam fell. The one who didn't flinch, didn't fold, and didn't fail. And in him,

men today can reclaim what the culture has tried to erase. Godly masculinity, holy leadership, clear identity, courageous love. Superman may be lost in this film, but that doesn't mean we have to lose what he was supposed to represent.

And that's what I got for you, ladies and gentlemen. The movie's out in theaters. It's been out for about a week. and watch the film and make your own conclusions. But if you do, keep this episode in mind. Really listen to the words in this episode, the cultural tie-in and the Hollywood agenda that has made its mark with

dismantling traditional man.

I'm a huge Superman fan, but these types of films are made the traditional man and

Unfairly.

Weaken a- ⁓

powerful superhero then that's when Bothered and Defensive about my perspectives my beliefs and What Hollywood has been trying to do for

at least the past decade.

That's all I got for you all today.

I'll see you guys next time. Take care.