Dean Cain slams decision to make Superman bisexual

Superman actor Dean Cain has criticised the decision to make the superhero bisexual in an upcoming comic book.

During an interview on Fox & Friends, the 55-year-old actor, who starred in the '90s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, weighed in on the news that the latest iteration of Superman, Jonathan Kent - the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane - falls for a male reporter in DC Comics' upcoming comic book Superman: Son of Kal-El.

"They said it's a bold new direction, I say they're bandwagoning," Cain began. "(Batman's sidekick) Robin just came out as bi, who's really shocked about that one? The new Captain America is gay. My daughter in (the TV series) Supergirl, where I played the father, was gay. So I don't think it's bold or brave or some crazy new direction. If they had done this 20 years ago, perhaps that would be bold or brave."

Cain suggested that if the comics wanted to be brave, they "would be having him fighting for the rights of gay people in Iran where they'll throw you off a building for the offence of being gay."

He also criticised the company's decision to have the series focus on fighting issues such as climate change and refugee deportation.

"Why don't they have him fight the injustices that created the refugees whose deportation he's protesting?" the actor continued. "That would be brave, I'd read that. Or fighting for the rights of women to attend school and have the ability to work and live and boys not to be raped by men under the new warm and fuzzy Taliban - that would be brave."

The latest issue of Superman: Son of Kal-El will be released on 9 November.