138: A Theological Analysis of James Gunn's Superman

Welcome to the Theology & Ethics podcast! In this episode, the KC team discusses Superman 2025, a new comic book movie adaptation courtesy of director James Gunn. We’ll discuss the aesthetics of the film, and analyze it from a theological perspective. Anthony’s articles about the movie: https://kirkwood617.substack.com/p/james-gunns-superman-christus-or https://www.patheos.com/blogs/theologicalapologetics/2025/07/james-gunns-not-so-super-superman/ If you’d like to get in touch with us, give us a call or send us a text at (909) 493-7799, or send us an email at contact@kirkwoodcenter.org . Visit us on our website at kirkwoodcenter.org . Join the theology & ethics conversation & see more from The Kirkwood Center on our socials! Facebook: https://shorturl.at/R3NKg Instagram: https://shorturl.at/UNceb X/Twitter: https://t.ly/Gt8f8 YouTube: https://t.ly/LDbWO Substack: https://t.ly/wBABv Website: https://kirkwoodcenter.org/ If you enjoyed this episode, please take a second to leave us a review on your podcast app of choice. If this episode made you think of someone you know, shoot them a link! #anthonycostello #superman2025 #clarkkent #jamesgunn #davidcorenswet #DCuniverse #comics #aristotle #kierkegaard #theologyandethicspodcast #kirkwoodcenter #church #christianity #theology #ethics #bible CHAPTERS & TIMECODES 00:00:00-Introduction 00:02:35-Anthony’s Articles About Superman 00:05:50-The Challenge of Movie Adaptations 00:11:12-The Role of Comic Book Media in Culture 00:15:15-Aristotle’s Criteria for Good Drama 00:21:42-Superman’s Error of Trading Plot for Spectacle 00:47:44-The Importance of Objectivity in Defining Beauty 00:53:11-Kierkegaard and the Productive Use of Imagination 01:09:59-The Theological Implications of Gunn’s Clark Kent 01:27:31-Should Superman Stories Reflect the Gospel? 01:37:23-Do Bad Movies Still Have Redemptive Value? 01:47:13-Conclusion