There Was One Clear Directive Driving James Gunn For Superman's New Costume

Todays marks the moment when one phase of the DC universe has come to an end, while another officially begins. All eyes have been trained intently on DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn and, specifically, the grand unveiling of his newest reboot of the Man of Steel with "Superman." Our first look at the poster for the film earlier this week went a long way towards teasing the new tone and style in Gunn's approach to the material, particularly with the deceptively effective tagline of "Look up." Not only does this riff on the world-famous, "Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!" quote but, to state the obvious, it also strongly implies that this version of the character is one who will inspire humanity to symbolically look up to the superhero as an aspirational figure. Now, we have a whole new trailer to devour and overanalyze for the foreseeable future ... along with a batch of new and exciting quotes from the "Superman" cast and crew.

On Monday evening in Los Angeles, Warner Bros. invited select journalists to a "Superman" press event — /Film's own Bill Bria included — where Gunn debuted the new footage, followed by a question and answer session afterwards. Of the many, many fascinating subjects covered (which you'll be able to find on our main page throughout the morning), one topic revolved around one of the biggest points of contention of all: the look of Superman's actual costume for this movie. And, to nobody's surprise, the debate mostly centers on that age-old question of trunks or no trunks.

What we may not have seen coming, however, is that star David Corenswet played the largest role in defining the directive behind his character's outfit. That, as it turns out, was making sure that the colors, the overall vibe, and, yes, the red trunks all made this Superman look as appealing to children as possible. Read on for more!

In traditional depictions of Superman, whether it be the comics or the Richard Donner films, the Big Blue Boy Scout typically lives up to his reputation as the most family-friendly hero of them all. That's not to say that things can't get a little dark (or weird, like when the wildly-disliked "Superman III" turned its protagonist into an evil drunk). But, for the most part, there's something inherently idealistic and hopeful about the way that audiences have come to embrace a Superman who feels welcoming to the most innocent and vulnerable of us all.

While talking at the "Superman" press event, James Gunn expanded on the thought process behind Superman's divisive throwback look in the film and how David Corenswet managed to pinpoint exactly why the guiding light behind the costume ought to come down to the kids. After admitting that he resolved early on to stay away from making Superman's suit look like it had "airbrushed abs" (he specifically cited the "wet T-shirt" look with rippling muscles underneath as one that he wanted to avoid), Gunn pinpointed the exact moment when everything clicked into place. He recalled a day when he, Corenswet, and costume designer Judianna Makovsky (who also worked on previous Gunn films like the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy and "The Suicide Squad") were in a room together looking at the costume, presumably during initial fittings. While Gunn expressed misgivings — "Ugh, I don't know," as he put it — his lead actor perfectly verbalized what made the suit's bright colors and red trunks the right decision. According to Gunn, Corenswet dropped the following simple yet profound observation:

"Yeah, he's an alien from outer space who's super powerful, who doesn't want children to be afraid of him." 

Yes, this is the part where we finally address the neck-snapping elephant in the room and point out just how different this new take on Superman feels, particularly compared to Zack Snyder's darker and more adult version in the now-defunct "DC Extended Universe." The trailer footage alone sets a whole new tone, teasing more hopeful imagery involving a wounded Superman showing his more human side, the sweet and wholesome romance between himself and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and especially the moment when Krypto the Superdog arrives to help save the day.

But all of that pales in comparison to how James Gunn envisioned the characterization of Clark Kent/Kal-El this time around. He went on to describe how Corenswet's words about Superman's costume felt so poignant and moving. As he explained:

"[What] touched me in the moment, and it touches me now as I say it, is that is who he is and that's where the costume comes from. And that goes along with [Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's] original vision with the heartening back to wrestlers and the circus and these other things. And that's who Superman is. And he has a reason for why his costume is so colorful — it's because he doesn't want to scare children. He's got red beams that come out of his eyes. He can blow over things with his breath. He wants to not be scary to children."

At this point, co-star Nicholas Hoult chimed in with his own two cents. Describing his reaction as one of "awe" when he first glimpsed Corenswet in the full costume, the Lex Luthor actor added that, "I hate to admit, it made me feel warm and fuzzy and inside. Made me feel like a kid again." He was far from alone, detailing one experience during filming where Corenswet swoops down onto the set. Unable to stop himself from smiling, Hoult turned around at the crew and noticed something peculiar: "I saw everyone else in the room with the same look on their face watching him. And that's the effect that he's talking of that it has on everyone. I think it's really special."

"Superman" flies into theaters July 11, 2025.