Yahoo Movies Superman's James Gunn shares 'paradoxical' challenge of mixing old and new
The Superman director shares his thoughts on the film's first trailer, and how his new take on the Man of Steel is unlike anything fans have seen before.
James Gunn is launching the new DC Universe film franchise with Superman, his new take on the Man of Steel's origin story, and the director has said that it felt like a "paradoxical" challenge to create something completely new for the character whilst still honouring the original comics.
The director spoke about the film at a press event celebrating the first trailer for the movie, which gave a glimpse of David Corenswet as Clark Kent, aka Superman, and characters like Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). While the trailer gives little away in terms of the plot what we do see is Superman battered and bruised from a fight and calling to his dog Krypto for help, while we also see moments from his work at the Daily Planet and his encounters with Lex and other heroes.
Reflecting on the film and how it is meant to innovate Superman while also continue to have a traditional feel, Gunn said: "The film is optimistic yet not without its darker moments, it's a big science fiction movie but at the same time incredibly grounded in the way we treat the characters and everything else. So I wanted it to be something that was the essence of Superman, that was the Superman that I grew up with, that I loved, but also something new at the same time.
"I think taking on Superman for me has been paradoxical in all of those things, because you're wanting to do something totally new, and yet you're wanting to do something that is traditional. It ended up being in some ways easier than I thought —both with the movie and the trailer to some degree— because the traditional aspects of Superman, the hope, and the honesty, and the goodness, and the gung-ho qualities of Superman in this day and age end up being pretty wild and alternative, almost.
"I think that that's really the heart of what the movie is, getting some semblance of the big science fiction moments, being able to catch a glimpse of Krypto who's an important character, and of course seeing the relationship between Clark and Lois, which I think is unlike anything we've ever seen in any media for Lois and Superman."
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The Suicide Squad director explained that with this new movie he was keen to find the balance between "what was classic and what was completely new" for Superman. Gunn puts a lot of emphasis on the new movie being unlike anything viewers have seen before, despite the familiar sights of The Daily Planet, Lex Luthor and Superman's iconic suit.
"I love the Silver Age comics in terms of the aesthetics of it, but I think it isn't completely that," Gunn reflected. "It's also taking the character of Superman and really getting into who he is as an individual and what his personal obstacles are in this film. I think that's a really big difference from not only other Superman movies, but other superhero films.
"This is a story about a man, both his external and internal obstacles, and what he's facing in life, and that's what the film is about. So although some of the imagery is very Silver Age, I don't think that's a very Silver Age-y plot. So it has elements of both the traditional and the new, and I think that's where we find our balance."
Gunn also spoke of how Superman's heritage will be an important part of the narrative in the new movie, saying that his genealogy and "how he incorporates that into his life" is key: "At the end of the day, Superman's a very human character despite his alienness, that's what makes him special in a way and that's what makes him important beyond what his powers are, where he came from, what's important os his character, what's important is who he is, his choices, and I think we see that in in the film.
"I also love that we've never, ever seen a trailer for a Superman movie open with him at his most vulnerable, Superman also gets his a** kicked a little bit in this movie too. I think that was important to be able to see that he's up against, something which can hurt him so to see him in a vulnerable moment there we go, 'wow, oh, yeah'.
"That is something that a lot of people who've seen the trailer they're like, 'oh, my gosh, I haven't seen that before. I mean a little blood is coming out of his mouth. What the heck? Where's that coming from?'"
Commenting on the opening of the trailer, which sees Superman ask Krypto to help him return home, the Guardians of the Galaxy auteur went on: "I think that this is a place where we can all go home to, a character that we love to the simplicity of the morals, and goodness, and love that Superman embodies as a character. We can all go home this summer to Superman."
Superman premieres in UK cinemas on 11 July, 2025.
