James Gunn Settles 2026’s Biggest Debate About Superman (And He Shouldn’t Have To)

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As a huge comic book movie fan, I’ve seen it all, and let me tell you, we can get intense about details. We spend hours online digging into every little thing in these superhero stories, and things often turn into heated debates. This week, James Gunn’s upcoming Superman movie is the hot topic again. Some DC fans are really focusing on what they see as a big mistake: Lex Luthor manages to clone Superman and even gets him access to the Fortress of Solitude, but never realizes the clone looks just like Clark Kent! It’s blown up online, with people saying it’s a major plot hole that could ruin Gunn’s whole vision for the DC Universe. Honestly, I appreciate that Gunn actually jumped on Threads to respond to the criticism directly. It’s cool to see a director engage with the fans like that.

James Gunn explained why Lex Luthor wouldn’t realize Clark Kent is Superman. He pointed out three things: first, Lex believes Superman is a hostile alien invader and wouldn’t expect him to have a hidden life. Second, the hypnotic disguise Clark uses is genuinely effective. And third, just because Lex is brilliant in fields like genetics and physics doesn’t mean he’s perceptive in all areas – he can still overlook simple things, just like many experts in other fields. Gunn noted that the explanation already existed within the DC Comics source material, so he didn’t need to elaborate further to resolve the fan debate.

James Gunn Is Right About Lex’s Limitations

I’ve always been fascinated by Lex Luthor, and James Gunn gets him. It’s clear Gunn understands the decades of comic book history that shaped the character, long before the movies came along. One of the most brilliant portrayals, in my opinion, comes from John Byrne’s 1986 Superman run. In that story, Lex is actually shown proof that Clark Kent is Superman, but he just refuses to believe it! Byrne explained that Lex’s problem isn’t a lack of evidence, but a lack of imagination. He simply can’t fathom why someone with such incredible power would choose to live a normal life. It’s Lex’s arrogance and belief that power is all that matters that truly define him, and Gunn’s version of Superman honors that perfectly. A man who thinks strength is the only truth can’t wrap his head around the idea that the most powerful being on Earth would willingly work at a newspaper.

As a lifelong movie fan, I was really intrigued by James Gunn’s decision to include the Hypno-Glasses in his Superman film. It’s a surprisingly deep cut for those who aren’t comic book historians! The idea actually comes from Superman #330 back in 1978 – a fan suggested it in a letter, and the writers ran with it. Turns out, Clark’s glasses aren’t just for looks; they’re made from Kryptonian stuff that boosts his natural ability to hypnotize people. So, when you look at Clark, your brain subtly sees someone completely different than Superman. It’s not that people are just not noticing the resemblance, it’s an active psychic effect! Gunn said he used them to address the biggest complaint about Clark’s disguise – why doesn’t anyone recognize him? – without asking us to believe everyone is just unbelievably clueless. The Hypno-Glasses are a bit of a weird Silver Age invention and didn’t stick around in the comics for long, but the idea behind them is actually pretty clever. Even Lex Luthor, with all his intelligence, would fall for it!

Superman is currently available to stream on HBO Max.

Do you think Gunn gave a good explanation for why Lex doesn’t seem to notice certain things? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-04-29 14:10