(NEXSTAR) – Superman will now fight for “truth, justice and a better tomorrow.”
On Saturday at DC’s FanDome event, DC Comics officially announced that Superman’s longtime motto — “truth, justice and the American way” — was being updated to better reflect his international storylines and appeal.
“Superman’s new motto of ‘Truth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow’ will better reflect the global storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor the character’s incredible legacy of over 80 years of building a better world,” said Jim Lee, DC Chief Creative Officer, in a statement also shared to the DC Comics Blog. “Superman has long been a symbol of hope who inspires people from around the world, and it is that optimism and hope that powers him forward with this new mission statement.”
The DC blog post further confirmed that Superman’s new motto would be featured in not just the comics, but across “all mediums” including television, film and video games.
As noted in a 2006 article in The New York Times, Superman’s “truth, justice and the American way” motto did not originate in the comics, but rather during the “Adventures of Superman” radio series during World War II. It was dropped by 1944, but picked up again in various mediums, according to DC Comics editor Mark Waid, who was cited by the Times.
DC’s announcement comes only days after writer Tom Taylor announced that the latest iteration of Superman, Clark Kent’s son Jon Kent, was coming out as bisexual.
Taylor shared the news on Instagram, with an illustration showing Jon Kent kissing DC character Jay Nakamura.