Just hours after the new Superman film by James Gunn hit cinemas worldwide, the White House sparked widespread reaction online by posting an image of President Donald Trump dressed as Superman.

On Friday, its official X account shared a striking image of President Donald Trump portrayed as Superman, with the bold caption, “The symbol of hope. Truth. Justice. The American way. Superman Trump.”

The poster shows a bulked-up Trump soaring through the sky in Superman’s iconic costume and unsurprisingly, the internet wasted no time reacting.

Users call out the irony

The post quickly went viral, attracting an avalanche of sharp reactions and sarcastic takes.

One user commented, “‘Superman Trump’ is insane. Superman's from Krypton, fights fascists, and stands for truth.

Trump's from tax fraud, incites coups, and can't spell honesty. You've mistaken Lex Luthor for Clark Kent.”

Another chimed in with a pointed jab: “Superman was an illegal immigrant growing up on a farm.”

Adding to the global ridicule, someone wrote, “To the non-Americans who are seeing this post, what does your country think about the USA right now?”

The Epstein controversy also resurfaced in the replies, with one person asking, “Truth? Where is the Epstein list? Justice? Where is the justice for Epstein's victims?”

Superman film director weighs in on the character’s values

All this came as director James Gunn was doing the rounds discussing his own take on Superman. The film, which hit theatres on 11 July, delves deep into the character’s values and cultural symbolism.

Calling Superman “an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country,” Gunn told The Times of London, “For me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”

The origins of Superman: From villain to refugee icon

Superman’s backstory is rooted in immigration and social justice. Created in 1933 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two teenage sons of Jewish immigrants from Cleveland, the superhero originally started out as a villain in a short story titled The Reign of the Superman. A year later, they flipped the script, turning him into a justice-fighting hero who officially debuted in Action Comics #1 in April 1938.

The latest film explores Superman’s internal conflicts through a grown-up lens. One scene in particular has people talking a ten-minute exchange between Clark Kent and Lois Lane discussing the ethical grey zones of geopolitics and war.

“It is definitely the most unusual thing that we put in the movie,” Gunn said.

“Yes, it's about politics,” he explained.

“But on another level, it's about morality. Do you never kill no matter what, which is what Superman believes, or do you find some balance, as Lois believes?”

The real Superman: A refugee, not a nationalist

Superman’s identity as an outsider has long been celebrated by humanitarian organisations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees once released a book in Italy titled Superman Was a Refugee Too, emphasising his journey as someone who fled a dying planet and found a new home on Earth.

DC Comics also joined the conversation nearly a decade ago, backing World Refugee Day with the line: “The Man of Steel’s story is the ultimate example of a refugee who makes his new home better.”

Trump's immigration track record draws contrast

In stark contrast, Trump’s own immigration policies tell a different story. His administration raised Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding by $75 billion, expanding detention capacity from 41,500 to 116,000 beds. In June, more than 70 percent of those detained had no criminal record.