The new Ma and Pa Kent will be alive and well in this version, the choice could pose a major challenge, according to one of the comic industry's most respected writers.

The importance of Jonathan and Martha Kent in the creation of Superman goes without saying, as the love and 'small town morals' of the couple are the source of Clark's sense of justice. While audiences might be used to seeing Ma and Pa Kent help their adopted son through adolescence in Smallville, Man of Steel, or other live action adaptations, Clark becoming a superhero before losing either parent is rare. According to DC and Marvel legend Mark Waid, there is a very good reason. And one that James Gunn's movie will have to face.

Superman's Parents Work Better Dead, According To Comic Legend Mark Waid

The Veteran Writer Wasn't Fond of Man of Steel, But Approves of Pa Kent's Death

It should be pointed out that while Pa Kent's death is expected on screen, the actual comics have been far more non-commital. Jonathan or Martha Kent may die, but typically only in one-off stories or "Elseworlds," not the main DC continuity. This very discrepancy was raised to legendary comic writer Mark Waid (Superman: Birthright, Kingdom Come) during his appearance on The Word Balloon Podcast in 2023, who had an immediate answer to the question of whether it's better for Superman's parents to be alive or dead:

"Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead. Deader than dead. Again, nothing I would undo. Because again, they've been alive for forty years in the comics, what are you going to do. But the idea that... I don't know, it just makes Clark feel less like an adult to me. That he gets to fly home every weekend, and have huckleberry pie with his parents. And talk about the problems, and Pa Kent dispenses some wise advice. And yes, I understand there are a lot of families like that, but it just makes Superman feel like less of an adult to me.

"And also, heroes are defined by tragedy. Heroes are defined by tragedy. The idea that he loses his parents because there are just some things that Superman can not do, is an important lesson for Superman to learn. They did it beautifully in the movie, they've done it beauitfully in the comics. I totally get it. Dead. Dead, dead, dead, dead."

Waid was clear about speaking of his own opinions, not begrudging or criticizing any other storytellers who might disagree. But placing these comments, offered by an award-winning writers credited with penning some of the industry's best stories, should be closely considered in the wake of the full trailer for James Gunn's Superman movie.

James Gunn's Superman is Already Proving Waid's Danger of Living Kents

Waid's Concerns Can All Be Seen in James Gunn's Recent Superman Trailer

With Waid's opinions expressed long before the world saw any glimpse of James Gunn's Superman, it's surprising to see that the hypothetical examples offered in his comments seem direcltly in line with the film's marketing. Clark being held and hugged by his parents conveys warmth in the trailer, and Clark removing his bathrobe while Ma Kent fetches his cleaned boots is played for humor. These moments scream 'son' more than 'adult,' and that seems entirely in keeping with Gunn's tone.

Fans will have to wait and see if a weekly plate of Martha Kent's huckleberry pie makes the final cut of the movie, but the "Pa Kent wisdom" scene seems guaranteed already. That isn't to say that Gunn's depiction of the Kents or their famous son will inherently encounter problems, since a younger, less mature, more 'advice-seeking' Superman might be exactly what Gunn and star David Corenswet are intending. But the risk of connecting with an older audience may be less concerning than Waid's belief that the loss of his parent is the tragedy which helps define Superman as a hero.

Does Superman Need To Be 'Defined By Tragedy' or Not?

Is Superman Driven By His Tragic Kryptonian Roots, or The Loss of A Parent?

When Man of Steel made the controversial decision to have Jonathan Kent's death teach a different lesson, many fans argued that Clark Kent's father dying from a heart attack (or other natural cause), not a disaster, was the entire point. The lesson, they argued, was exactly the same one Waid points to as an "important" one for Superman to take with him. Sure, losing your entire people and being sent across the universe is tragic, but it was the essentially human loss of Pa Kent that helped to define Clark as an adult.

It's still possible that James Gunn's version of Pa Kent (played by Pruitt Taylor Vince) will face the same fate in the film, but if that's the case, the loss still won't be able to "define" Superman as Waid describes. Will those fans who demanded a natural death still be heard, or shift their concerns elsewhere in favor of heartwarming scenes on the Kent farm? Either way, Waid's words will be ones to revisit once Superman arrives in theaters.

Source: The Word Balloon Podcast