The Boy In The Cape And The War Outside The Frame

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On a dusty street in Gaza, a young boy walks ahead, wearing a bright blue Superman cape. Around him, adults push carts, ride bicycles, and navigate the broken road. The buildings are damaged, the sidewalks are cluttered with debris, and the sky hangs low.
This is not a scene from a film. It is a real place, scarred by war. And in the middle of it all, a child clutches the image of a hero who stands for strength, hope, and the defence of the innocent.
He does not walk alone, but his silhouette captures something solitary. Something defiant. In a place where the world has largely looked away, the symbol on his back carries more than nostalgia. It carries the question we must all answer: Who will stand up for those left behind?
That image set the tone for everything I felt when watching the new Superman film last week. I went with my wife expecting entertainment, action, and the familiar formula of comic book storytelling.
Instead, what I saw was one of the boldest and most politically charged Superman narratives ever put to screen. It was not escapism. It was a confrontation. And it could not have come at a more urgent time.
ADSIn this version, the enemy is not a mythical monster or alien overlord. He is a billionaire - powerful, well-connected, and deeply embedded within government systems. His influence shapes policy. His wealth buys silence.
The parallels with Elon Musk are striking, but so too are shades of Peter Thiel, Palantir, and every corporate figure who has traded ethics for control.
The billionaire does not act alone. He has formed an alliance with a brutal prime minister who speaks openly about displacing indigenous communities, stealing natural resources, and selling the land to foreign interests.
It is not subtle. The character bears a strong resemblance to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both in rhetoric and in policy.
In the film, Superman recognises the pattern. He sees what others deny. As the last survivor of a genocide himself, he understands the signs. He confronts power.
And for that, he is demonised. Accused falsely. Detained without trial. Targeted by troll farms and propaganda machines that twist public perception until truth is buried beneath fear.
The film’s antagonists use Islamophobic smears to turn the public against him. They accuse him of building a harem, of wanting to dominate society through culture and fear. But as in the real world, every accusation becomes a projection. The very people levelling these claims are the ones living them in private.
James Gunn did not need to go this far. The film could have worked on the surface alone. But instead, he chose to remind us what Superman was created for.
He was not born to entertain. He was born to stand between violence and the vulnerable. He was created to expose the machinery of oppression.
In a time when real children wear capes in warzones, not for fantasy but for strength, this story reminds us that heroism is not just about flying. It is about refusing to look away. - Mkini
MAHATHIR MOHD RAIS is a former Federal Territories Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional secretary.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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