Arroyo rips DC comics for cutting Superman’s ‘fight for American way’: ‘Disservice to fans’
‘The Big Sunday Show’ panelists reacts to Superman’s classic motto abandoning ‘the American way.’
Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo said on Sunday that DC Comics removing Superman’s motto, "Fight for the American Way," is a "disservice to fans" because the company would rather "politically grandstand than respect the audience that built" the character.
"This is clearly a distortion and a disservice to anyone who loved Superman that read the comic books and watched those movies," Arroyo told "The Big Sunday Show."
"Here’s why, remember, this was about an alien from another planet, a dying planet that comes and lands in the heartland of America and embodies the American ideals of freedom, justice. He wears red, white and blue for goodness sake," Arroyo added.
NEW SUPERMAN WILL BE REVEALED AS BISEXUAL IN AN UPCOMING DC COMICS ISSUE
The iconic comic-book character Superman has stood for "truth, justice and the American way" for over 80 years.
DC Comics, the longtime publisher of Superman comics, now says the Man of Steel stands for "truth, justice … and a better tomorrow," according to a report. The change reflects a broader, more global vision for the world of Superman, Jim Lee, DC’s chief creative officer and publisher, said Saturday during the company’s virtual DC FanDome event, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"To better reflect the storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor Superman’s incredible legacy over 80 years of building a better world, Superman’s motto is evolving," Lee said.
"Superman has long been a symbol of hope who inspires people, and it is that optimism and hope that powers him forward with this new mission statement."
Lee declined to elaborate on why "the American way" was being discontinued. It has been linked to the character since the 1940s radio program "Adventures of Superman," according to the Hollywood Reporter.
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Arroyo argued that the "multinational corporation" now behind the character is more interested in political grandstanding and building a foreign audience.
"Now you have a multinational corporation, D.C. Comics, that decided it would rather politically grandstand and build foreign markets than respect their character and the audience that built him. You don’t need Kryptonite to kill Superman when you have D.C. Comics doing a great job. This is a huge disservice to fans and I’m waiting for Superman to turn up in a red costume and we will just call him Super Person."
"Lex Luthor should send DC Comics a thank you card for sidelining and killing Superman."
Co-panelist Leo Terrell agreed, asking what country would be more inspirational than the United States.
"That's what Superman is all about. Freedom, liberty and justice for all. That's the American way," he added.
The motto change was the second half of a recent 1-2 punch for fans of the traditional Superman. Last week came news that an upcoming Superman comic book will feature Jon Kent – son of Superman’s alter-ego, newspaper reporter Clark Kent – as a bisexual Superman.
Burbank, California-based DC Comics is a division of the entertainment company Warner Brothers.
FOX Business' Dom Calicchio contributed to this report.