'As anti-Zionist as a Hollywood film can get': Fans praise 'anti-Israel' Superman, draw parallels with Gaza war

The latest installment of the DC Comics franchise Superman has drawn parallels with Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, and has garnered praise for appearing to take an anti-war, anti-Israel stance.

The film’s plot, which is centered on a US-backed country's invasion of a neighbouring one which Superman tries to save, has been lauded by the likes of Mia Khalifa, the Lebanese-American former adult film actress who has used her celebrity status for pro-Palestinian solidarity. 

"Kindness is punk. Superman that freed Palestine is my fav[ourite] movie of the year so far," she said.

American podcast host Krystal Ball drew parallels with how the film portrayed the fictional country of Boravia, has been compared to Israel.

"Feels like a major cultural movement that Israel is quite clearly the bad guy villain country in a big budget Hollywood movie. Going in I thought it would be subtle, but it was not subtle. My mind is blown," she said.

The plot centres on how Superman stops Boravia from invading Jarhanpur -- a storyline fans say mirrors Israel's war on Gaza.

Boravia is portrayed as a fictional Eastern European country and staunch ally of the US, and has a disproportionate military arsenal armed with tanks, Humvees and soldiers armed with assault rifles - much like Israel. Jarhanpur is a much weaker, impoverished country depicted as potentially Middle Eastern or South Asian.

Lex Luthor, the franchise's villain and billionaire, is seen as a possible nod to Donald Trump as he supplies Boravia with an endless stream of weapons.

Jahanpur’s residents are unable to defend themselves, using what they can find to counter the Boravia military attacks.

The film shows the US government "angry" with Superman for seeking to stop Boravia’s invasion of Jarhanpur, in a possible reference to Washington’s continuous support for its ally during the war in Gaza.

As a result, fans and film critics have dubbed the film to be among the most explicit "anti-Israel movie yet" and as "anti-Zionist as a major Hollywood production can be without getting its cast and crew blacklisted".

Fans also praised the film for not pandering to "both sides-ism" and for not churning another US propaganda superhero film, like many others in the past, such as Captain America.

The film’s ending also bears similarities to the 2018-2019 Gaza border protests, also known as The Great March of Return, in which Palestinians demanded the right of return and an end to the Israeli occupation.

The film's ending scene showed children and men hoisting up the flag of Superman after he saves the inhabitants of Jarhanpur in the film - reminiscent of Gazans doing the same with the Palestinian flag during the Great March of Return protests.

Other scenes alluding to Israel's war in Gaza include the desert-like nature of Jarhanpur’s location and Vasil Ghurkos, the president of Boravia, widely interpreted as a mock "stand-in" for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who bears a similar accent to the premier.

Other allusions include when Lois Lane, a reporter and the love interest of Superman’s real identity, Clark Kent, goes on to state that Jahanpur’s residents "aren’t innocent", echoing dehumanising narratives in Israeli and Western media about the Palestinian people.

Film enthusiasts also praised the film’s statements calling out the military industrial complex, billionaires and oligarchies.

Naturally, the film’s pro-Palestine stance has naturally triggered negative reactions from Zionists and pro-Israel individuals.

On Israel’s reddit page, one member said it was "disrespectful and distressing" that two Jewish creators made a film "promoting anti-Israel messages" to the world.

The same user said they "couldn’t understand how the film was green-lit with global antisemitism on the rise", despite no mention of Israel, Judaism or anything pertaining to either in the film.

The film, directed by James Gunn, stars David Corenswet as the titular superhero. Corenswet is of Jewish heritage.

The film has received rave reviews, and is predicted to have the third-biggest Box Office opening weekend of 2025.

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