15 Things We Learned From James Gunn on the Set of Superman

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a study from the acceptable of James Gunn’s Superman. This past June, io9 was among respective outlets invited to Cleveland, Ohio to sojourn the acceptable of 1 of the most highly anticipated superhero films ever. The relaunch of the DC Universe, starring the world’s archetypal and astir celebrated superhero, each from the man who made Guardians of the Galaxy. And connected that beauteous summertime day, we learned a large galore things astir the film. And portion we can’t stock everything we learned conscionable yet, we tin stock immoderate very, very chill stuff.

In beforehand of the archetypal trailer for the movie this Thursday, we’re allowed to unleash into our on-set interrogation with Gunn, which took spot wrong the Daily Planet building. He talked astir however the movie starts, shooting the enactment scenes, what euphony you’ll hear, the costumes, supporting superheroes, the narration betwixt Clark Kent and Lois Lane, the rubric change, however the movie volition necktie into the larger DC Universe, and a full batch more.

Does that dependable similar thing you’d beryllium funny in? Then let’s get to it. Here are 15 things we learned from James Gunn connected the acceptable of Superman. Thanks to Warner Bros. for providing question and lodging.

This movie starts successful a unsocial way

We’ve agelong known that Gunn’s Superman isn’t going to beryllium an root communicative but, connected set, helium explained that the movie volition commencement successful the mediate of an enactment country and however agelong the communicative volition take.

“We conscionable commencement successful the mediate of the action,” Gunn said. “Superman already exists. Lois and Clark already cognize each other. Lex hates Superman’s guts from the beginning, though they don’t cognize each different personally. So we commencement close successful the mediate of the action.”

The communicative takes spot implicit a abbreviated period

After dropping Superman into the action, the main communicative of the movie volition instrumentality spot implicit “a abbreviated magnitude of time” Gunn said.

Superman is astir bequest but needed a rubric change

When Gunn’s Superman was archetypal announced, it was called Superman Legacy. However, earlier successful 2024 that changed and present it’s conscionable called Superman. Gunn explained wherefore that happened connected acceptable and however bequest remains.

“I thought possibly the rubric had a looking backmost feeling astir it,” helium said. “And this isn’t astir looking back. This is astir looking forward. So though erstwhile you spot the movie you’ll recognize wherever ‘Legacy’ comes from, due to the fact that it is astir Clark and his narration to his Kryptonian parents and his narration to his quality parents and whose bequest is helium really? And truthful it’s astir that. But I deliberation arsenic a rubric it felt excessively ‘looking back.'”

Image: Warner Bros.

Action scenes were filmed midair

Since Superman tin fly, Gunn wanted determination to beryllium unthinkable enactment not conscionable connected the ground, but successful the aerial too. To bash so, they took inspiration from immoderate precise chill movies and pushed different technologies forward.

“Being capable to sprout worldly successful the sky… is truly hard. So we took a batch from films similar Top Gun: Maverick,” Gunn said. “We sprout a batch of our enactment with existent drones flying successful and astir Superman and the radical that he’s flying with, The Engineer and whoever other that he’s warring up successful the air. And we did that connected dependable stages. We got these truly small, brainsick drones now. We’ve got immoderate of the champion flyers successful the satellite present who are moving with it.”

It’ll beryllium much superior than Guardians of the Galaxy

While Gunn’s erstwhile superhero films person leaned much heavy into comedy, that wasn’t the code helium was going for with Superman.

“I commencement with a spot that’s precise hopeful, fun… but incredibly grounded [and] incredibly superior each astatine the aforesaid time,” helium said. “It’s humorous, but it surely is not arsenic [comedic] arsenic either Suicide Squad oregon Guardians. There’s plentifulness of wit successful it. People similar Rachel [Brosnahan, who plays Lois Lane] are truthful comic and David [Corenswet, who plays Superman] is precise [funny arsenic well], truthful there’s wit successful it, but it’s trying to make thing that is grounded, but besides it’s an incredibly fanciful world. It’s fantasy, it’s taking from different things similar Game of Thrones wherever it’s this beingness wherever superheroes really exist. What are they like? There’s a magic determination that’s undeniable.”

The movie is score-driven, not song-driven (plus John Williams)

Gunn’s regular composer, John Murphy, is doing the people for Superman and Gunn confirmed that the movie volition beryllium overmuch much orchestral-driven than his Guardians of the Galaxy movies. But erstwhile you deliberation of Superman and music, you lone deliberation of 1 idiosyncratic and yes, he’s successful there.

“There’s nods to [John] Williams and past besides John Murphy’s created this incredibly beauteous score,” Gunn said. “But the 1 happening is it is simply a score, it’s not a soundtrack. So it’s not astir the songs. There’s a fewer songs successful it. And of course, I chose those songs beforehand, but it isn’t similar immoderate of my erstwhile movies truly successful presumption of the people is what drives it. It’s a much, overmuch much of a people film.”

Superman wears trunks for a bully reason

When Superman’s suit was revealed, galore discussions were had implicit the determination to springiness him trunks. That was not a prime Zack Snyder made and portion Gunn and his squad went backmost and forth, helium had a precise bully crushed for the decision. And it came from Superman himself.

“We were trying connected each these antithetic versions, and we screened tested with trunks and nary trunks,” Gunn explained. “And 1 of the things David said is that Superman wants kids to not beryllium acrophobic of him. He’s an alien. He’s got these unthinkable powers. He shoots beams retired of his eyes… He’s this incredibly powerful, could beryllium considered scary, idiosyncratic and helium wants radical to similar him. He wants to beryllium a awesome of anticipation and positivity. So helium dresses similar a nonrecreational wrestler. He dresses successful a mode that makes radical unafraid of him, that shows that anticipation that shows that positivity. And that truly clicked successful for me. And I deliberation trying to unreal that Superman’s costume doesn’t person immoderate frivolity to it astatine its base, trying to marque it look serious, is silly due to the fact that helium is simply a superhero. He’s the archetypal one, brightly colored and that’s who helium is.”

Photo: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage

Mister Terrific is crucial

One of the galore things that makes Gunn’s Superman antithetic is that it’ll person different superheroes successful it specified arsenic Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion). Among those, Gunn says Mister Terrific (For All Mankind‘s Edi Gathegi) is the leader.

“I emotion Mister Terrific,” Gunn said. “These characters each get their infinitesimal successful the sun. They each person their moments. They’re not conscionable cameos, these are the characters. They’re supporting cast, but Mister Terrific is the main quality of those characters. He really has a large portion of the plot. And truthful that was fun.”

Lex Luthor is astir a sorcerer

Not literally. But successful Gunn’s mind, his mentation of Lex Luthor is truthful smart, it makes him consciousness that way.

“All-Star Superman… influenced maine much than anything,” Gunn said. “Being capable to instrumentality that benignant of Silver Age feel, that benignant of subject fabrication attack to it with gadgets, Lex is truly a benignant of sorcerer successful a way. He’s a scientist, but he’s truthful bully astatine subject and I deliberation of him arsenic similar a sorcerer.

We’ve ne'er seen a Clark and Lois narration similar this

Gunn hesitated to accidental it, but helium said it. When talking astir the narration betwixt Clark Kent and Lois Lane successful the film, helium said “I don’t deliberation it’s thing we’ve ever seen successful immoderate superhero movie ever.” He past elaborated.

“It’s a analyzable narration and we truly get into it,” Gunn said. “There’s agelong scenes that are astir their narration and the mode they subordinate and what it would beryllium similar for a idiosyncratic who’s this incredibly intelligent, strong-headed, stubborn, skeptical journalist, to person a narration with idiosyncratic who tin assistance a skyscraper.”

Lois astir apt doesn’t know

Jumping disconnected the question of Lois and Clark’s relationship, Gunn was asked if Lois knew Clark was Superman. “Well, we’ll see,” helium said, “She knows who Superman is.”

Superman and his dog, Krypto. Image: Warner Bros.

Superman is mostly a standalone

Since Superman is the archetypal movie successful the caller DC Universe, it volition beryllium a mostly standalone affair. And, Gunn thinks, that volition beryllium however astir of the DC films are for the foreseeable future.

“Everything needs to basal by itself,” helium said. “I don’t privation idiosyncratic to person to spell spot this movie and beryllium relying connected thing else. Now listen, erstwhile we get down the line, that whitethorn alteration a small bit.”

He continued, “Are seeds being planted? Yes, there’s seeds being planted, but that is ne'er going to beryllium the predominant happening successful immoderate country for me. It’s ever astir getting to the adjacent scene. What’s successful the moment? How are we making this movie the champion we tin be? And it’s going to enactment similar that arsenic overmuch arsenic I tin perchance marque it similar that.”

One upcoming DC spot does get acceptable up

Gunn confirmed that the events of Superman volition interaction Peacemaker play 2 and that, maybe, determination volition beryllium 1 oregon 2 things astatine the extremity of this movie teasing toward the future, but admitted they mightiness get cut.

Not galore radical cognize the existent Superman

While talking astir casting, Gunn said that helium needed an histrion who could play some Clark Kent good and Superman good due to the fact that that duality is the halfway of the character.

“It’s not conscionable Clark. It’s not conscionable Superman. It’s Clark/Superman,” Gunn said. “And the lone radical that cognize Clark/Superman are his ma and his dada and a fewer others who cognize who helium is, and those are precise antithetic things. People accidental each sorts of antithetic things. They say, ‘Clark’s the existent one.’ They say, ‘Superman’s the existent 1 and Clark’s the concealed identity.’ But I don’t—and it says it successful my publication connected the 2nd page—I don’t judge either of those things. I don’t deliberation anybody knows Superman unless they cognize some of him. And erstwhile they cognize some of him, they cognize the existent guy.

It’s each riding connected this

When we spoke with Gunn connected the acceptable of Superman, a twelvemonth from release, helium was beauteous overwhelmed for a batch of reasons. “I’m miserable,” helium said. “Really I’m miserable. But hopefully it’s for the greater good.”

One of the reasons for that seemed to beryllium the unit he’s putting connected himself to marque definite his mentation of Superman is large due to the fact that if it’s not, there’s nary warrant we’ll spot much DC movies aft that. There’s a plan, 1 that involves Creature Commandos, Peacemaker, Supergirl, and others, but if Superman doesn’t work, well, things could alteration precise quickly. “A batch [is riding connected Superman]” helium said. “I mean, We’re not going to conscionable support making movies.” That is, unless Superman is great.

See the archetypal trailer for Superman Thursday and cheque backmost successful 2025 for the remainder of our study from the Cleveland acceptable of the film.

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