DC Confirms Controversial Superman Origin Story Change Yet Again

Warning: Minor Spoilers Ahead for Supergirl!The most controversial change to Superman‘s origin story has once again been confirmed by DC. 2025’s Superman was a massive success with fans when it officially released last year. It got great reviews and was deemed a great start to DC’s new cinematic universe, dubbed the DCU.

However, despite the film’s praise, there was one element of the movie that many fans were divided over. When Lex Luthor manages to enter the Fortress of Solitude, he and the Engineer uncover the message made by Superman’s Kryptonian parents. They recover the second half, which was damaged when he landed on Earth, and reveal a horrifying truth to the public.

In a huge twist in Superman, it’s revealed that Jor-El never sent Clark to Earth to be a hero to humanity in this canon. Rather, he sent him to dominate the human race and rebuild Krypton using his godlike abilities. This leads to the world turning against Superman, kicking off the main plot.

Fans found this change to Superman’s origin incredibly divisive. After all, Jor-El had always been deemed as a kind figure that wanted the best for his son. In return to humanity raising his child, he told Clark to protect them in exchange. Shifting Jor-El to be a conqueror was a tough pill to swallow for many longtime fans.

Since the movie released, many fans began to theorize that this revelation would be overturned in a later film. However, the latest entry in the DCU, Supergirl, has only doubled down on this major change.

Supergirl Confirms Superman’s Parents Did Intend Him To Be A World Conqueror

In Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl, Kara tells Ruthye about the last moments of Krypton. As her father, Zor-El, and her mother rush to a section of Krypton that would become Argo City, they notice Superman’s escape pod taking off into the sky. Kara’s mother asks if that was Jor-El’s son. He confirms it and clearly states that Jor-El sent him to conquer worlds.

This small line of dialogue ultimately ends any hopes that the unearthed message for Superman was fabricated or misunderstood. Jor-El always intended for his son to rule over Earth, completely upending what fans knew about the character. Given how important this moment was in Superman‘s story, it’s great to see the DCU commit to such a major change. However, what it means for the future is even greater.

How This Reveal Could Play Into Man Of Tomorrow

David Corenswet suited up as Superman in the Supergirl movie

Now that the DCU is fully committing to its biggest change to Superman’s lore, it will be interesting to see how it will play in his next major movie. It’s already been hinted by DC that Kara and Clark will have more screentime together, allowing their characters to play off each other.

Given Kara knows this detail about Clark’s parents based on the story she tells Ruthye, it could play a huge role in how the two interact. She could see Clark as not living up to the potential that his parents expected, even if she agrees with his efforts to be a beacon of hope. After all, she’s shown that she’s willing to do anything to protect people, even if she has to get her hands dirty.

With Man of Tomorrow filming now, anything is possible. However, one thing is for certain: there’s no going back on this change to Superman‘s origin now. It may be controversial, but DC clearly sees just how effective this new direction can be.