Warning: spoilers for Superman are in play. If you haven’t flown with the big blue Boy Scout yet, you may want to tread lightly.
A universe as vast as our own is so full of knowledge that unless you’re an alien supercomputer, one can’t begin to know everything there is to know. A 2025 movie that’s helped prove that point is James Gunn’s Superman, which mixed what we know about the Man of Steel in with some things we never could have imagined.
That leads me to one revelation that gives me pause, as Superman’s ending seemed to brush past what I think is a point of order for the future. Strangely enough, that whole bit about extraterrestrial computing power in my intro could also come in handy, as there’s one entity that I think could clear this supposed mystery up once and for all.
What Does Jor-El And Lara's Message Really Say?
The more I’ve read about the subject of Superman’s supposed heel turn for Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara-El (Angela Sarafyan), the more I question that moment in this new DC movie. I understand that comic canon is vast, and there are a bunch of characterizations for Kal-El/Superman (David Corenswet), as well as his parents. Even with that in mind, I would bet my HBO Max subscription that this isn’t the end of that piece of the story.
Yes, we have Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) swearing that the consensus of the world’s computing experts agrees that this message is authentic. At the same time, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) could have very easily paid off/threatened those experts to fall in line.
Much like a cinematic death, if you don’t see a body…don’t assume they’re dead. The “body” in this case would be showing us the untranslated message, which is something I think intrepid reporter Clark Kent would want to hear for himself. That’s going to take someone who knows Kryptonian linguistics, and I think an expert is waiting in the shadows to be asked to do just that.
Translating That Message Could Require The Help Of Brainiac
What happens when you have a being so intelligent that they rank several levels above the common person? Well, in the Superman universe, that’s how you get Brainac - a being that’s taken on as many organic and machine forms as he has backstories, since his introduction in 1958’s Action Comics #242.
He’d naturally be able to decipher Superman’s final message from Jor-El and Lara-El, and would probably do so for a favor. Or maybe he already has? You see, the version of Brainiac that’s always stuck with me is the one from Superman: The Animated Series, which sounds similar to My Adventures with Superman’s Season 2 Braniac.
Operating as Krypton’s supercomputer, this rogue A.I. allowed its home to be destroyed, only to find its way to Earth. That version already has two key attributes we’ve seen Lex Luthor use against his extraterrestrial foe: technology and misinformation.
Brainiac’s digital consciousness could already be on Earth, pulling a Skynet a la Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. With control over the entire internet, it could have convinced our experts that it's feeding them Kryptonian gospel. When really, it's serving Lex Luthor’s petty motto: brains beat brawn. Who has a mind sharper and is more able to defeat Superman than Brainiac?
No one but James Gunn and his team can really speak to what’s going on. At the same time, thanks to the recently released Supergirl teaser poster, we know that the good folks at DC Films aren’t above stoking the fires of the future.
In any case, Superman is still showing in theaters, and it’s very much worth the return trip. Doubly so if your local multiplex has Superman’s 3D/4DX variant on offer.
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