Quentin Tarantino’s Famous Superman Critique Is Completely Wrong

Toward the end of Kill Bill: Vol. 2, legendary film director Quentin Tarantino provides a famous critique of Superman. According to the titular antagonist, Bill, Superman is the character’s real identity while Clark Kent is "the costume," helping the alien appear as someone who is "weak, unsure of himself, a coward." Tarantino believes that "Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race," but this take is entirely wrong. James Gunn’s Superman (which took editing inspiration from Tarantino) drives that point home in spectacular fashion by emphasizing that the Kryptonian character’s real strength is his adopted humanity.

Tarantino’s take on Superman and his secret identity quickly became famous among comics nerds and film buffs alike. It makes plenty of sense on the surface: Superman could make himself look and act like anyone, and he chose to present himself to the world as a clumsy, bumbling reporter. The clumsiness ensures that nobody will suspect he is secretly a godlike alien, but blending in with Earthlings by embodying our most overt flaws does make it seem like a criticism, one his parents would agree with (read more about Gunn's depiction of Superman's parents here).

However, as James Gunn’s Superman makes clear, the fake, outward flaws of Clark Kent are just manifestations of the inner struggles of the Man of Steel. Near the movie's end, actor David Corenswet’s Superman lectures Lex Luthor (who might return sooner than you think) about the importance of his own humanity. "I love, I get scared, but that is being human," he says, "and that's my greatest strength."

The quote makes for a nice, crowd-pleasing moment. Superman finding the time to give a feel-good speech in the middle of a city-shattering apocalypse is in-character, and there will hopefully be more of this kind of thing in the upcoming DCU sequel. 

Look deeper, though, and this quote is the perfect counterpoint to Tarantino’s famous critique of Superman. That’s because it shows how Kal-El processes fear, and this helps fans further understand his Clark Kent persona.

In his critique, Tarantino focused on the idea that the Clark Kent character helps Superman embody flaws that he doesn’t actually have: he is weak, though Superman is strong. Kent is uncertain, though Superman is confident. Despite Kent being a coward, Superman is brave. 

But these are reflected manifestations of Superman’s actual flaws, including his fear of failing. If the Man of Steel weren’t worried about letting humanity down, he wouldn’t be skilled at portraying Clark’s more down-to-earth fears. And those fears help set him apart from villains and even fellow heroes like Batman, who will soon join the DCU.

Plus, while this isn’t spelled out in the movie, Superman bumbling around as Clark Kent is one of the best ways for him to understand what humans are scared of and how they react to threats. 

Part of the character’s appeal has always been that Superman is a kind of reverse power fantasy where someone given godlike abilities would never be corrupted and always use them for good. How, though, can Superman help a humanity he doesn’t really understand? 

With the Clark Kent persona, he can channel his surprising weakness and learn more about the people he has sworn to protect by putting on some glasses and walking out the door.

None of this makes Kill Bill: Vol. 2 less of an iconic film, of course, nor does it make Quentin Tarantino any less of a genius director. However, his Superman critique has been part of the dominant cultural discourse on the Man of Steel for over two decades. 

Now, with James Gunn’s more empathetic Superman taking the world by storm, it’s time to leave Tarantino’s memorable bit of character assassination in the past where it belongs.