Dean Cain reveals racist slur he was called after being cast as Superman

Dean Cain has opened up about a racist slur used against him after he won the role as the lead in the popular 1990s show Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

The actor, 58, who trashed the current Superman film starring David Corenswet as ‘woke’  before seeing it, revealed the nasty way a fan of the show once criticized him for being cast as the Man of Steel. 

‘It was 1993 and I remember a fan going, “We wanted Superman, not Sushi Man,”‘ he told Variety in a story published on Tuesday. 

Cain, whose biological father was a Japanese American serviceman, told the publication he was not offended by the comment.

‘For the love of God, he’s a Kryptonian. He could be green. Does it matter?’ he asked after sharing his dismay over Hollywood’s focus on firsts i.e., his being the first Japanese American to wear the red cape, Henry Cavill was the first British Superman and Corenswet as the first Jewish Man of Steel. 

‘For Superman, it was “truth, justice in the American way.” Well, they dropped that … I don’t think is a great idea,’ Cain complained to TMZ prior to the film’s theatrical debut.

Dean Cain has revealed a racist slur used against him after he won the lead role in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman; seen with Teri Hatcher in 1994

‘I think if you want to create a new character, go ahead and do that. But for me, Superman has always stood for “truth, justice, and the American way.”’ 

The actor who is a Trump supporter, and has been friends with the President since he was a judge at the Miss Universe pageant in 2009, said he also took issue with writer and director James Gunn’s description of the plot as an immigrant story. 

‘We know Superman is an immigrant — he’s a freaking alien,’ he said.  

Despite criticism from Cain and other conservative commentators, Superman has done quite well at the box office. 

The action-adventure written and directed by James Gunn had has earned more than $503.5 million globally, although it did not fare as well in international markets as it did domestically, according to Box Office Mojo. 

‘Superman has always been identified as an American character, and in some parts of the world, America is currently not enjoying its greatest popularity,’ David A. Gross, of the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe told Variety after it opened at number one. 

Cain who has moved to Las Vegas after selling his Malibu home in May 2023 has opened up for the first time about being sexually harassed while starring in Lois & Clark. 

‘I could have had the biggest sexual harassment lawsuit in Hollywood history,’ he claimed, but did not say who had harassed him or how.

‘It was 1993 and I remember a fan going, “We wanted Superman, not Sushi Man,”‘ he told Variety. Cain, whose biological father was a Japanese American serviceman, said he was not offended by the comment

‘For the love of God, he’s a Kryptonian. He could be green. Does it matter?’ he said of the beloved superhero; pictured in Burbank, CA in October 2024

Lois & Clark came to an abrupt end in in 1997 after season four although he had already written several for a season five with plans for him to direct as well 

Lois & Clark came to an abrupt end in in 1997 after season four although he had already written several for a season five with plans for him to direct as well. 

Cain has spent the better part of his post-Superman career starring in faith based films.

Most had small budgets, but they allowed the actor the opportunity to be a hands-on parent for his son, Christopher, now 25, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend, former Playboy model Samantha Torres. 

‘If you’re making shows like The Chosen, or you’re making a lot of these faith-based movies that I make, you’re putting out content that affects people in what I would consider a very positive way, with good, strong morals and values,’ he said.