“I’m being serious when I say ever since I saw Superman I haven’t felt depressed even once.”

The new Superman film has sparked an sudden web motion, with viewers saying it’s making them really feel hopeful, healed, and punk. Is the brand new Superman hopecore?

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James Gunn’s Superman, launched this previous weekend, opened to robust field workplace numbers at $125 million within the US opening weekend and even stronger feelings. Yet as an alternative of leaning into the grittiness of previous superhero flicks, Superman delivered one thing else: kindness. And followers are saying that’s precisely what they wanted.

Superman is the brand new punk rock

On X and TikTok, persons are calling the film “hopecore,” a time period gaining traction to explain artwork that dares to be optimistic. The emotional tone of Superman stood out, not only for its honest storytelling but additionally for its message that kindness may be highly effective, and even radical.

One scene, now extensively quoted on-line, options Superman saying, “Kindness, maybe that’s the real punk rock.” He says this in response to Lois Lane declaring his compassion. That line alone launched tons of of memes and TikToks, all orbiting round the concept in 2025, revolt isn’t about rage, it’s about selecting goodness.

On X, @CQuill97 tweeted, “As a Superman fan, I can rest now. I got what I wanted, a love story about a badass reporter and a punk rock alien whose greatest power is his kindness.”

That sentiment resonated. “Guys, I’m being serious when I say ever since I saw Superman I haven’t felt depressed even once,” @Bleached_Melon posted. “I’ve been smiling for 2 days now, I think Superman might’ve cured my depression. All I feel is happiness and hope now.”

Another tweet from @lavfeysun learn, “‘I asked grok’ ‘I asked chatgpt’ well I asked Superman and he said kindness is the new punk rock.” These reactions weren’t outliers, however relatively captured a shift in tone throughout superhero fandom.

@dc_merchant This film was so good#foryoupage #fyp #superman #superman2025 #davidcorenswet #jamesgunn #lexluthor ♬ Punkrocker (feat. Iggy Pop) – Teddybears

A Superman for the fashionable day

On Reddit, a extensively shared submit by u/Astronomer_X broke it down: “We finally made it out of the ‘But WHAT IF Superman was a big asshole’ […] zeitgeist that swept the late 2010s of comic book media […] In a world where we are increasingly socialised and incentivised to act purely out of self-interest, Superman 2025 dares to tackle the rebellious act of being kind.”

The thread mirrored what many have been feeling. In a time outlined by division and outrage algorithms, Superman invited viewers to care once more. It requested them to see magnificence on the earth and one another.

James Gunn beforehand mentioned he needed Superman to make folks really feel hope once more. 

“I mean, Superman is the story of America,” Gunn mentioned in an interview with The Times of London. “An immigrant who came from other places […] but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”

Clearly, it labored. While superhero fatigue has been a rising concern in Hollywood, this movie provided one thing recent: sincerity.

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