a trailer full of strong symbolism, James Gunn explains his choices

If we do the math, the last film dedicated entirely to Superman dates back to Man of Steel, in 2013, so 11 years ago. The rest was just appearances in the Snyderverse with sometimes successes, sometimes failures and with hindsight, I realize to what extent Zack Snyder did a lot of harm to the character of Superman. Because yes, you will have understood, this first trailer divided the public, and on social networks, everyone is screaming at each other about who will be right: between Zack Snyder fans who absolutely want to find Henry Cavill in this version dark of the Man of Steel and the readers of the comic books who are finally happy to find the real Superman, bright, kind, savior of a world in distress and above all closer to Humans, it’s total war. I personally loved Henry Cavill, I loved Man of Steel too, but it’s high time to turn the page and make way for David Corenswet and James Gunn, so they can finally tell us their version.

With this new Superman arriving in the summer of 2025, the pressure is double for James Gunn. Not only must he come after Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel and Henry Cavill’s almost perfect performance, but above all he must relaunch the DC Universe, completely adrift and often the subject of mockery on the Internet. I remind you that James Gunn was named President of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran and that he came up with a 10-year plan to boost DC’s cinematic side and fight on equal terms with Marvel. Well, since the MCU is also in the process of collapsing, we will say that the task is less complicated lately, but one thing is certain, if this Superman fails, artistically as well as commercially, it is his head that he puts a price on this James Gunn. I wouldn’t like to be in his place right now, especially since his ears must be ringing since the publication of this first Superman trailer, a trending topic on Twitter and social networks, with some of the fans who are won over and others who are pissed off. And the first thing that makes some fans angry is that Henry Cavill was replaced by David Corenswet, very little known to the general public, who mainly played TV series and who we could see in a whole small role in the rebooted remake of Twisters released this summer in theaters. For pro Zack Snyder, David Corenswet is a wish version of Henry Cavill, he does not have the presence of the latter, but I think it is much too early to judge him, his performance. Yes, it’s true that he looks a lot like Henry Cavill, but with 10 years younger, he’s 31, and above all almost 10 cm taller, since David Corenswet is still 1.93… Very sincerely , I think that his physique will be a great asset for the future, especially since the sequences that we see in the trailer are reassuring.

DO YOU BLEED?

And yet, the trailer starts with a fall, that of Superman. A badly damaged, bleeding Superman, which means he’s already been exposed to Kryptonite. According to James Gunn, it should be seen as a metaphor for America today. The United States is in decline, and I would even say that the entire West is experiencing a dizzying fall, the complete opposite of the dynamism and rise in power of Asia. We can go further in this analogy by also seeing a parallel with the state of health of the DC Universe, and even superhero films in general. James Gunn always had different treatment when he was at Marvel, almost free to make the films he wanted, this famous carte blanche other filmmakers, however renowned, never had. And it is therefore up to him to bring Superman “home”, something that our superhero asks of his dog Krypto. In the trailer, we hear the wheezing of a Superman in agony and which punctuates the few images which are then shown to us, where we see a left-looking Clark Kent, a little clumsy and which corresponds perfectly to the character that I want to get used to. It is above all a Clark Kent closer to the comics, far from the very serious side that Zack Snyder had instilled 10 years ago, and which was at that time a very interesting treatment too.

MORE HUMAN, MORE MOVING

Speaking of Krypto, know that this is also a subject that upsets a lot of people on the Internet. Because yes, indeed, it’s a hassle to integrate Superman’s dog into a live-action film, he who has the same powers as his master in the comics and the various animated series and even animated films which have already been done. Will James Gunn give him the power to fly? Well despite the fact that Krypto arrives running and that he also brings his master back on foot, I can tell you that yes, Krypto will fly in the film, James Gunn confirmed this during the roundtable. I don’t know if James Gunn will go so far as to give him ultimate powers, but that he will be a good assistant, and undoubtedly the comic relief of the film, with cute passages. This is also the reason why this Krypto looks more like a stray dog ​​than the Labrador we are used to seeing in representation. Moreover, during the press conference, James Gunn explained that the trailer lies about Krypto’s character, because he is far from being the top dog that he seems to be here. And the reality is that this Krypto is none other than Ozu, the dog that James Gunn adopted just before starting writing the Superman screenplay. A dog that he had difficulty taming, who didn’t listen, who destroyed everything in his house and that’s how he wants to show this side of the dog and the relationship he will maintain with Superman, a more human relationship in fact.

James Gunn has also confirmed that it will not be yet another origin story, that the film will begin its story in a world where the existence of Superman is a given. We’ll start at the heart of the action, with a Superman who already exists. Lois and Clark already know each other, have a perfect romance as we can see in the images of the trailer, and Lex Luthor already has a visceral hatred for Superman from the start, although they do not know each other personally. James Gunn also explained that the relationship between Lois and Clark Kent/Superman will be one of the themes of the film, with this desire to reconnect with the romance that unites the two characters, something that Zack Snyder had reduced to a fairly minor relationship. James Gunn talks about a complicated relationship, with the aim of showing how someone as intelligent, determined, stubborn and skeptical as Lois Lane can maintain a relationship with a man who can lift buildings. It is Nicholas Hoult who embodies this Lex Luthor 2025 and this is a very good thing because Nicholas Hoult has a truly extensible range of acting, capable of playing very serious and touching roles as we saw recently in Juré Numéro 2 by Clint Eastwood to a crazier register like Mad Max Furiosa. In any case, we are going to move away from the completely broken Lex Luthor of Jesse Eisenberg who was inspired by the Joker to make him an absolutely not credible character, both in his personality and in his awful look with long hair.

KINDNESS ACCORDING TO GUNN

In making this new Superman, James Gunn not only wanted to stick to the comic book character, but also to offer a story that stimulates him, moves him and seems authentic to him. He wanted a Superman who remained true to his origins as the ultimate good guy and he made a film about kindness, about goodness and these are themes that accompanied the film crew during the 6 months of filming. James Gunn believes in the goodness of human beings, he believes that most people in the United States, despite their ideological or political beliefs, do their best to get by and try to be good people, despite the impression that this can give when seen from the other side. And the Superman movie is about that. There is a more human relationship between this Superman and that of Henry Cavill, who had precisely distanced himself from Humanity. In Zack Snyder’s version, we were dealing with God who was both revered and feared by Men, a Superman who didn’t care much about fighting among buildings, blowing them up and multiplying deaths, which will be d elsewhere the starting point of the hatred that Batman will have for him.

In this Superman of 2025, there will be a lot of humans, real people who have lives, but also superheroes, a dog that flies, a giant fortress that springs from the ground, kaijus and a lot of elements that refer to the mythology of Superman. This is also why the trailer reveals the presence of the Green Lantern Guy Gardner, played by Nathan Fillion, with a cut which has also caused a lot of ink to flow, but which is totally comic accurate. There will also be Hawkgirl played by Isabela Merced, who we saw in Madame Web, Alien Romulus and who will be Dina in Season 2 of The Last of Us by HBO. Finally, there will also be Mr. Terrific, played by Edi Gathegi and who is in a way the Taskmaster of the DCU with this ability to learn quickly. During the press conference, David Corenswet admitted that he was advised to read the comic book “All Star Superman”, especially for Clark Kent.

NOSTALGEEK

Regarding the musical theme, it’s something that went into a lot of thought. We know that James Gunn takes particular care in the choice of music in his films and this Superman will be no exception to the rule. The soundtrack to 1978’s Superman is one of his favorites, and he asked John Murphy, a composer he worked with on Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Suicide Squad, to use a version of John’s theme Williams, but to make their own version of it. The passage to the electric guitar at the beginning recalls the American anthem which was played by Jimi Hendrix at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, and therefore refers to what Superman represents to the American people. The film deals with the fundamental monotheism of human beings throughout the world. Superman will provide a first glimpse of the world James Gunn wants to build, and what awaits fans in the future. At the moment, people are divided, as they are on almost every subject, but I want to get your opinion, so please let me know what you thought at the bottom of the video.