You know, Green Arrow’s highly-publicized snub of Stephen Amell at last year’s HeroCon got me thinking: most superheroes seem to really like their actors. Superman was known to consider Christopher Reeve a great friend and has stated that he picked up book series based on Henry Cavill’s recommendations. Batman spoke at the funerals of both Adam West and Kevin Conroy. Lynda Carter has a standing dinner invitation at the Themysciran Embassy. The Flash Family has requested that Grant Gustin and John Wesley Shipp get their own exhibits in the Flash Museum.
Are there any instances—aside from Arrow and Amell’s political disagreements—where the hero and their respective actor simply did not get along?
I truly do not know what the hell Amell thought was gonna happen.
Green Arrow is perhaps the most explicitly left wing superhero to ever live. Certainly the most explicit left winger of the Justice League generation. He takes his ties both moral and spiritual to the myth of Robin Hood VERY seriously and has always focused his heroic career on one hand with curtailing the moral and criminal excesses of society's one percent and on the other hand with offering help and protection to the most vulnerable among us. When Amell came out against the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023, calling it a "myopic" tactic among other things one can only imagine the disconnect it created with the hero he portrayed who has been credibly "accused" of being a socialist multiple times in life.
Probably because he is one!
But nothing. NOTHING could can compare to the falling out between superhero and portrayal that has surrounded one Dean Cain
(Cain in his personal garb as Superman during the airing of Lois and Clark)
Portraying Superman during the television drama Lois and Clark (which, to be clear, had him playing Superman as a supporting character. The show was mostly a journalistic drama about famous Planet reporters Clark Kent and Lois Lane in the years leading up to and beyond their marriage. Rather than positing that Clark and Superman were the same man as some people claim when talking about the show in retrospect). Cain was seen as an admirable actor to portray the Man of Steel. Having the boyish charm and handsomeness to fit the physical bill. As well as being likeable and empathetic enough for the series' extended storylines in relation to the ending of his public relationship with Lois lane so that she could instead pursue her real love in colleague Clark Kent which was minorly controversial in tabloid circles around that time.
It's been in the years since that Cain has fallen off the proverbial wagon. Leaning hard into right wing populist politics in the orbit of (unfortunately) current US president Donald Trump. Especially his violent rhetoric against immigrants and people of "unamerican" backgrounds. Deeply ironic considering Cain is himself the son of a Japanese immigrant, with his birth surname being Tanaka.
The first major row between the two came when Superman's son, also currently known as Superman revealed himself to be bisexual at a Metropolis pride parade several years ago. While other details were of course concealed for the sake of his secret identity Cain took to social media to decry the reveal as "woke" and "not brave". Saying that his portrayal of Superman had always been based around truth, justice and the American way which he equated with Christian values. While he stressed (as they so often do) that he "wasn't homophobic" and instead simply wished for it to not be "shoved down people's throats". As a bisexual man myself, on a personal note, he can blow me.
The elder Superman had a similar response on his person Twitter account where he said plainly.
"Cain seems to have forgotten that love, safety and kindness for ALL the people of the Earth are the foundational morals of my work. My son is accepted exactly how he is. With no hiding, sanding of edges or negotiation necessary."
"Tolerance is not up for negotiation, not in the Metropolis I know."
An ire that was doubled down upon when Cain not only performed a truly humiliating little stunt riding along like a mascot for the masked, criminal thugs of the current ICE organization. As well as calling out James Gunn's newest Superman movie for centering the narrative of Superman as an immigrant comparable to the current immigrants under attack by the presidential administration. I won't directly quote him here (mostly because I don't want to have to stink up my computer going to FIND them). But Superman was, for a second time, VERY clear in his condemnation.
"I am an immigrant. And an illegal one at that. The people that found an abandoned baby from a world far from here had no paperwork to give me, no certificates to sign."
"They saw a child in distress and acted with kindness, accepting me into their family, their community and their nation without reservation. It is an act of truly human bravery I work to repay every single day."
"Far from being unique my story is shared by millions of people who seek shelter, community and care from an uncertain world. Much as I once did."
"To hound these people, who commit a crime with no victim. In their homes, in shopping malls, at their places of work. To steal from them their rights to trial and fair treatment."
"It Is against not only everything I stand for. But everything people like me have stood for ever since the masked men in the street were called brownshirts."
When asked to clarify whether he was earnestly comparing modern ICE agents to fascist paramilitaries he responded succinctly.
"Our costumed tradition was born in a very particular time for society. I hope I am not asked to answer the same call as my forebears. But I fight their same battles."
Clark Kent, when asked to comment simply called Cain a "dishonest putz".
The half spelled screed that Lois Lane put in the same thread needs to be seen to be believed.
(Gwen Note: For those observers "from beyond", please remember that Sid lives in a different reality from most of "you". The TV show he's describing, and that he's familiar with, is SIMILAR to the Lois and Clark show know of in some aspects and radically different in others. I think it'd be interesting for you folks to try and guess which working actor in HIS version of 1993 plays Clark Kent. Remember, it has to be someone who would be cast in the role of crusading but bumbling reporter and fiance to the MUCH more prominent and spitfire Lois Lane but WITHOUT anyone being aware that Kent is also Superman as they do in your world. I think the answer might kill somebody >;3)
