Superman: Symbol of Hope

The Resurrection of the Real Superman

If you’ve been following these Chronicles this year, you’ve probably noticed there are a few subjects I’m absolutely obsessed with — and these obsessions tend to fuel much of what I write about: sustainability, fascia and the spine, the flow state, tantra, Christ Consciousness, and of course... Superman ( I swear they're all connected somehow!). And so, when the new Superman movie came out last Friday, I was one of the first people to watch it, before any spoilers reached the surface. Yes, I am a hippie at heart, but deeper down, I'm a superhero nerd - I deeply crave for a world where people discover their latent powers and use them to help the world. (Disclaimer: I will not spoil any important scenes of the new Superman movie that just came out, but I will add spoilers of the Man of Steel movie that came out over 10 years ago).

Around 2010, a wave of superhero movies began flooding out of Hollywood — a clear reflection of the collective craving for modern-day heroes. We longed for individuals with extraordinary abilities, willing to sacrifice their personal desires to protect humanity. Marvel and DC went head-to-head in building expansive cinematic universes, but while Marvel soared, DC struggled to find its footing — despite having icons like Superman and Batman in its corner. There are countless theories as to why, but as a lifelong Superman fangirl, I believe it comes down to this: they reimagined their brightest hero through a darker lens, in the hopes of becoming more relatable to modern viewers — and that just didn’t sit right with those of us who grew up believing Superman stood for hope, not as judge and executioner.

Superman is not meant to be this unapproachable, brooding, dark character - he's loving, maybe a little dorky, and just a shining light for those that see it in him. Here's a clip showing the energy behind this new movie, and I'm all for it:

I grew up watching Smallville — a show that didn’t just tell the story of Superman, but showed us the slow, deliberate formation of a hero with unshakable values. Over ten seasons, we watched Clark Kent struggle with his human emotions — his anger, his desire for justice — but ultimately choose compassion, restraint, and integrity because of the moral foundation laid by his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent. What made him a hero was not the fact that he was this bullet-proof superbeing, but rather, the human values that he was raised with. That is what made him Superman.

One of the core principles he carried was never to kill — always to find a way to save people, no matter who they were. That’s why watching Man of Steel was so jarring for fans like me. The moment Superman snapped Zod’s neck wasn’t just a plot twist — it felt like the shattering of everything Superman stood for. It marked a shift in the genre, where darkness took center stage. Soon, audiences began to empathize more with characters like The Joker, cheering for chaos and vengeance instead of hope and virtue.

Over the years, it’s clear that audiences have been drawn toward darker, grittier films and shows — and the studios ran with it. We saw it in The Boys, Invincible, The Walking Dead, Squid Game, Watchmen, The Umbrella Academy... the list goes on. And don’t get me wrong — I’m a fan of many of these shows. But personally, I can feel how, as entertainment got darker, reality began to echo that same darkness.

That’s why this new Superman movie feels like a breath of fresh air — a return to the idea of a truly noble hero with unshakable values and a passion for saving everyone. It’s light-hearted, uplifting, and somehow manages to feel both nostalgic and modern — like a reminder of who we used to believe in, and who we still could be.

Is Superman Woke??

One of the biggest criticisms I’ve seen since the movie came out last week has come from those identifying with the far-right, calling the film “woke” — as if portraying a hero who saves everyone somehow betrays what Superman is supposed to stand for.

As a lifelong Superman fan, I can say with confidence: this is one of the most accurate portrayals of what Superman is truly meant to represent. A man who uses his powers to protect as many people as possible. A symbol not of one nation, but of higher values — choosing to do what’s right simply because it’s right. If that’s your definition of “woke,” and you're against it, then maybe it’s time to take a deeper look at what you actually stand for.

I remember when “woke” used to mean awake — aware of injustice, corruption, and systems of control that limit human freedom and sovereignty. But over the last five years, the meaning of that word has been hijacked — turned into a tool of division and outrage, used to pit people against each other instead of waking us up to our shared humanity.

Here’s a clip showing the evolution of Superman over the years — and honestly, it makes it pretty clear that Superman has always been one of the most "woke" heroes (in the best sense of the word) lol.

In fact, in the very first Superman film ever made in 1951, the enemy wasn’t a monster or a supervillain — it was fear itself. The plot centers around Superman protecting harmless aliens from another planet, while “everyday Americans” spiral into panic. The film boldly asked its audience: What makes someone worth protecting when they look nothing like us?

It’s powerful because it reframes heroism — not as brute strength, but as moral clarity. The narrator even says, “Superman uses his words to save when possible, saving his strength for when nothing else works.” That’s the version of Superman I fell in love with in Smallville too — the one who always tried to talk things out first, to connect, to understand — before throwing a single punch.

Maybe what we’re really longing for isn’t just Superman — it’s the symbol he represents. We’re tired of cynicism and nihilism. We’re tired of antiheroes. We want to believe again — that there are real heroes in the world that set aside their own personal desires to save humanity. We want to believe that a more harmonious and wholesome world can still exist.

Superman reminds us that strength doesn’t have to come from rage or dominance. True strength is found in restraint, in kindness, in holding onto your values even when it’s hard. He’s not the hero because he can fly or shoot lasers of of his eyes — he’s the hero because he chooses to rise above fear and do what is right, again and again.

And in a world that has grown darker, more divided, and often more indifferent... maybe that kind of hero is exactly what we need. Not to save us — but to inspire us to save each other.

So if being hopeful, compassionate, and unwilling to give up on humanity is now considered “woke” — then maybe it’s time we all wake up a little.

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Happy Superhero Monday, fam — may you find your cape, your center, and your reason to keep showing up for good. 💫🦸‍♀️💙 Stay tuned for the rest of the week, as I dive deeper into Superman...because, well, I feel called to! 😜