James Gunn Explains Why He Powered Down Superman (And It’s for the Best)

In the early scenes of the Superman preview, viewers were left puzzled. The Man of Steel lay on the ground, battered and injured from a fierce battle with an unknown adversary. His call for help to his friend Krypto to escape the danger didn’t portray him as invincible as his comic book version. However, later parts of the trailer and peeks at the movie dispel this notion, showing Superman soaring through Metropolis skies and standing tall against giant monsters like Ultraman and the Engineer. Yet, director James Gunn is careful not to present his hero as invulnerable.

In an exclusive chat with Rolling Stone before the premiere of “Superman,” Gunn shared his transformation in crafting Kal-El due to online discussions. “There are certain aspects that I choose not to verbalize, yet I felt it crucial for Superman to be vulnerable,” he expressed. “The online chatter about ‘Who would win?’ – Homelander versus Superman, or any other character like Adam Warlock or Brightburn, leaves me perplexed. It’s as if the winner of these hypothetical battles somehow determines supremacy. So I thought, if I simply create a being I call God Man, who can obliterate you with a mere wink, then I would always win every fight.

Gunn also shared that his concept for the DC Universe necessitated a reduction in Superman’s might. “I didn’t want a Superman who could destroy planets,” he explained. “Since we’re building an entire universe now, what place does a girl with wings have against such power? Therefore, he’s slightly less potent. Guy Gardner is extremely powerful. They all are. In conversations with others, many express a preference for Batman because he can be defeated, and I understand that sentiment. So we have a Superman who can be defeated.

In Gunn’s interpretation of Superman, it seems that he might need to adopt some strategies from Batman in order to thrive within the DC Universe. This is because one of the challenges Superman often encounters, particularly on the big screen, is his reliability – a factor which allows villains like Steppenwolf to progress in films such as “Justice League”. The intrigue lies in observing Batman confronting Steppenwolf since he cannot defeat him physically and must resort to using his intellect. Therefore, it appears that Superman may need to employ more cunning tactics to prevail.

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Superman Will Have to Rise to the Occasion in the DCU

Based on Gunn’s remarks, it seems clear that Superman will experience his share of defeats within the DC Universe. This doesn’t mean he won’t stand up to Lex Luthor or other adversaries, but the solutions to global issues may require more than just physical confrontation. It might take some time for fans to adjust, considering the DC Extended Universe portrayed Superman as the sole answer to catastrophic threats. However, this new approach opens up the possibility for a captivating character development, one that explores a perspective in superhero narratives that hasn’t been seen before.

Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.

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2025-06-16 20:09