DC Comics ditched the mention of 'The American Way' from Superman's motto in favor of the superhero fighting for a 'better tomorrow.'
The 83-year-old character's longstanding adage used to read 'Truth, Justice and the American Way,' but the company said that his new mission statement will be 'Truth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow.'
Though DC remained mum on why they chose to ditch the patriotic portion of the slogan, the company maintained that they were focused on 'evolving.'
Superman goes modern: DC Comics announced a departure from Superman's longstanding motto 'Truth, Justice and the American Way' on Saturday and replaced the patriotic portion with 'a Better Tomorrow'
'To better reflect the storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor Superman's incredible legacy of over 80 years of building a better world, Superman's motto is evolving,' said DC Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee said at the event.
'Superman has long been a symbol of hope who inspires people, and it is that optimism and hope that powers him forward with this new mission statement.'
The superhero's backstory is about as American as it gets — a boy raised in Kansas by two farmers who wears a costume in shades of red and blue that nod to the American flag.
The last time a Clark Kent centered film hit the big screen was 2013's Man Of Steel with Henry Cavill playing the titular character.
Superman: The last time a specifically Clark Kent centered film hit the big screen was 2013's Man Of Steel with Henry Cavill playing the titular character; pictured in Man Of Steel
He also appeared as Superman in 2017's Justice League and the 2021 extended cut: Zack Snyder's Justice League.
A nod to his American identity, in Justice League his character even says: 'I'm from Kansas. It's about as American as it gets,' but Snyder said he had to fight to keep the line in the movie as he strove to find portray 'that perfect mix of Americana,' he said.
History professor Julian Chambliss who specializes in superheroes and the American experience said in a statement to USA Today in 2013 that the 'US experience' as it the character's core.
'The core narrative in Superman has been and continues to be the values and belief about the US experience being strong enough and good enough to address the troubles facing the generation engaged with the character.'
'He's always been the ultimate immigrant story,' added comic book writer Mark Waid.
American hero: The decision to drop the American Way essentially denounces the character's fundamental core, which is about as American as it gets — a boy raised in Kansas by two farmers who wears a costume in shades of red and blue that nod to the American flag; character pictured on US postage stamps issued September 2021
However, fans are torn on the new motto, with some proud of the superhero's new motto and suggesting 'the American Way' isn't as 'American' as people thing, while others slam the notion that Superman is anything other than American.
One fan wrote: 'I’m a fan of #Superman ‘s new motto: “Truth, Justice, And a Better Tomorrow.” It fits the character really well, sounds impactful, and hopeful. Overall I think it’s something a lot of
