According to DC Comics, Jonathan Kent, the new Superman, is a bisexual man named Jonathan Kent.
In a new comic book series, the traditionally heterosexual superhero will embark on a same-sex relationship with a close friend. Kent, who is the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, began his tenure as Superman in July of this year.
Tom Taylor, the series’ writer, said in an interview with the New York Times that the idea of replacing Clark Kent with another straight white savior “felt like a missed opportunity.”
His new love interest is Jay Nakamura, a reporter who cares for him after he “mentally and physically burns out from trying to save everyone that he can” in an issue of Superman: Son of Kal-El #5, to be released in November. Nakamura is also revealed to have special powers.
There are several other ways in which Kent has been updated for a new generation of viewers and for a new generation of time. In recent issues, he has been seen protesting against the deportation of refugees, intervening in a high school shooting, and attempting to extinguish wildfires that are contributing to the climate crisis, among other things.
in a statement, Taylor said, “I’ve always believed that everyone needs heroes and that everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes, and I’m extremely grateful that DC and Warner Bros. share this belief.” “From the beginning, Superman’s symbol represented hope, truth, and justice. Today, however, that symbol represents something else entirely. “Today, more people can identify with the most powerful superhero in comics,” says the author.
The announcement comes on the heels of other recent attempts to bring queerness into the world of comics. In August, it was revealed that the most recent version of Robin would have a boyfriend, and in March, Marvel announced that the mantle of Captain America would be passed to a gay character.
However, the Marvel and DC universes on the big screen continue to be less progressive. Tessa Thompson’s character in Thor: Ragnarok was only recently revealed to be bisexual through a tweet, whereas Deadpool’s sexual fluidity has yet to be fully explored in the film. The upcoming Marvel Studios film Eternals, which will be released in November, will feature the first LGBTQ+ kiss in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, between Brian Tyree Henry’s Phaistos, who will be the first openly gay superhero in a Marvel film, and Haaz Sleiman, who will play his husband.
