Collider argues that the defining character arc in Brad Bird’s 1999 animated film The Iron Giant is expressed through the Giant’s rejection of his intended purpose: “I am not a gun.” The article says this matters because the film presents identity as a choice, with the Giant learning that being built for violence does not oblige him to become violent.

The Giant arrives on Earth without memory of his origins and is taught language, morality and death by Hogarth Hughes. His weapons activate instinctively when threatened, especially during the military confrontation, making his refusal of that programming significant; the article contrasts it with his final self-chosen identity, “Superman”.