“Somewhere, there’s a little kid who doesn’t think he can be a superhero because he's gay,” she said. “There is a little kid that has been told he is worthless and he’s awful because he’s gay, or she’s gay, or however they want to identify - they’ve been told that they are worthless because of how they identify. So it is important to have people - whether they be heroes or villains - that also identify as those things.”ĭean Cain, the actor who played Superman in the 90s television adaptation “Lois and Clark,' called the decision 'bandwagoning' on Fox & Friends. '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, referencing real-life, state-sponsored executions of gay people in Iran.īut while the idea of a leading member of the Superman universe taking up a same-sex love interest may be new, the concept - whether through innuendo or direct references - has been a part of the superhero universe for decades, in comic books and on the big screen. And with Hollywood increasingly mining comic books, the heroes who once inspired generations during the early 20th century have taken on a new role in modern American storytelling and with that comes a new focus on diversity.
