Dean Cain slams DC Comics over new Superman coming out: 'I say they're bandwagoning'
Dean Cain says there's nothing "bold or brave" about the current Superman coming out as bisexual. The actor, best known for playing Superman in the '90s, appeared on Fox & Friends where he criticized the types of issues tackled in the new comic book series.
"It's hard for me to keep track of all the different Supermen and the different worlds and adventures that he has in the comics," he began on Tuesday's show. "They said it's a bold new direction, I say they're bandwagoning."
Cain continued, "Robin just came out as bi — who's really shocked about that one? The new Captain America is gay. My daughter in Supergirl, where I played the father, was gay. So I don't think it's bold or brave or some crazy new direction. If they had done this 20 years ago, perhaps that would be bold or brave."
The 55-year-old actor starred on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman alongside Teri Hatcher from 1993 to 1997. He also appeared in a handful of episodes of CW's Supergirl series.
"Brave would be having him fighting for the rights of gay people in Iran where they'll throw you off a building for the offense of being gay," Cain continued. "They're talking about having him fight climate change and the deportation of refugees and he's dating a hacktivist — whatever a hactivist is."
The new Superman is 17-year-old Jon Kent, son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane. He will be coming out as bisexual in the Nov. 9 issue of Superman: Son of Kal-El. Since the series was released in July, Jon has fought wildfires caused by climate change, stopped a school shooting and protested the deportation of refugees in Metropolis.
"Why don't they have him fight the injustices that created the refugees whose deportation he's protesting?" Cain asked. "That would be brave, I'd read that. Or fighting for the rights of women to attend school and have the ability to work and live and boys not to be raped by men under the new warm and fuzzy Taliban — that would be brave. There's real evil in this world today, real corruption and government overreach, plenty of things to fight against. Human trafficking — real and actual slavery going on … It'd be great to tackle those issues."
DC Comics made the announcement about Jon's sexuality on Monday, which was National Coming Out Day.
"I've always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes and I'm very grateful DC and Warner Bros. share this idea," writer Tom Taylor said in a press release. "Superman's symbol has always stood for hope, for truth and for justice. Today, that symbol represents something more. Today, more people can see themselves in the most powerful superhero in comics."
Taylor defended the "real world problems" new Superman faces in an interview to the New York Times, explaining that "the idea of replacing Clark Kent with another straight white savior felt like a missed opportunity."
