73 Years Later, James Gunn Revived DC’s First-Ever TV Catchphrase

While the rise of James Gunn's DCU will see a lot of change from what we have experienced previously with these beloved characters of the DC Universe, but Superman proved how Gunn can connect to the past. The DCU is in a tough spot as it tries to shake off a divisive recent history with the hot and cold experience that was the DCEU, while also trying to create and maintain a thriving new comic book shared universe.

Add to that the fact that Gunn has intentions to not only connect continuities between TV and film, but also animation, and video games, in addition to setting up the closely related DC Elseworlds universe of spin-off projects, and this is proving to be an enormous task. With so many changes, it could be easy to lose sight of what came before.

Thankfully, Gunn's passion and love for storytelling, and specifically DC Comics and the characters born out of those projects, appears to have strongly influenced these early building blocks of the DCU, and brought back Easter Eggs that showcase the real and vast potential for everything else still to come. In Superman, we witnessed one of the first and best examples of this in a simple exchange of dialogue that happens in the background.

Perry White First Says “Don’t Call Me Chief!” In The Adventures Of Superman

While the character of Superman first appeared in comics back in 1938, the character grew rapidly and vastly in popularity over the next few decades thanks in large part to adaptations of the stories. From the 1948 Superman serial that played out in theaters with Kirk Alyn donning the iconic tights in this classic black-and-white adventure series, down to Christopher Reeve cementing the hero as a global icon in the 1970s and 1980s films.

However, some of the most influential adaptations that helped to shape the wider universe of Superman stories beyond the pages of the comics were The Adventures of Superman TV show that ran from 1952 to 1958 starring George Reeves, and a radio show. Both of which added new characters, villains, and popular elements that would forever shape the character and his world.

In fact, The Adventures of Superman laid the foundation for a tradition that was just recently brought back around in James Gunn's Superman, where the line "Don't call me chief" became a catchphrase of Perry White's, which he most frequently repeated to Jimmy Olsen, who would often slip up and fail to follow that simple instruction.

James Gunn’s Superman Subtly Revives This Classic Catchphrase

During one scene in Gunn's Superman, Perry White can be seen in what appears to be a fairly heated exchange with Jimmy Olsen that happens in the background. The conversation wraps up with Jimmy referring to his boss as "Chief," to which Perry responds emphatically, saying, "Don't call me chief!"

While this exchange appears to be a bit of set decoration, and it really isn't pivotal to everything else happening with the central cast of characters at that moment, it speaks to an attention to detail from Gunn, and an effort to intentionally connect this story in 2025 to the rich and expansive history of the character.

It's subtle and easy to miss, but it plays an important role in highlighting just how much history exists around the character of Superman, and how many creatives influenced what we get to experience today. While many people who sat down to watch Superman in theaters may have no memory or experience of The Adventures of Superman, the show's legacy lives on in this catchphrase, and other essential details.

As the DCU continues to expand and new characters build out this shared universe, there will no doubt be many more moments that bind the past to the present, but as it stands, this moment holds a special spot for being one of the first, and creating one of the most broad connections to effectively reveal despite the DCU's youthful nature, these stories are far from new.