Up, Up, and Away! Truth, Justice, and The American Way. These immediately cause comic fans to conjure up one specific character, The Big Blue Boy Scout. Superman. Heralded as the one that started the superhero boom in comics way back in 1938, there have been a lot of live-action versions over the years. Last year’s Flash movie highlighted some of the more popular ones and even one that had never actually been put on film. With James Gunn taking over the DCU and using a new Superman film as the starting line, what can we expect from the upcoming film?
It’s always interesting to see who will get the chance to put on the suit. Will they go more for the look of Superman, or will they find an actor who can convey the wholesomeness of the character? Sometimes, they get both. The characters surrounding him are just as crucial as the Man of Steel himself. Something past films have failed to nail. So, who is playing our favorite characters?
Corenswet will be donning the S this time around. Most film fans will have seen him in such films as Pearl and the upcoming Twisters. He made a quick stop for one episode of House Of Cards. Hopefully, he didn’t run afoul of Kevin Spacey’s diva behavior. With Superman, Corenswet will be pushed into the Hollywood spotlight. Fans online had pointed out his resemblance to the last actor to play the character on the big screen. When asked about possibly playing the character before he was confirmed for the role, he stated, ” I would love to see somebody do an upbeat, throwback [take on Superman].” Here’s hoping he gets his wish.
Lois is always a tough character to cast. She has to be tough as nails but still soft enough to fall for Superman. Margot Kidder hit it out of the park in the 1978 film, and everyone else has been trying to play catch up ever since. With Rachel Brosnahan, they may have a winner on their hands. Her turn on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel shows she can portray someone who can hold her own but knows when she can’t do it alone. I’m excited to see what she brings to the role.
Many fans say that no one has really nailed the comic book version of Lex Luthor. Those of us who grew up in the 80s still have a soft spot for the Gene Hackman version, but they may be right. The closest version we may have gotten was with Michael Rosenbaum on Smallville, but he had a lot more time to develop the character than most. Hopefully, Nicholas Hoult will give us what we’ve been wanting. He’s no stranger to comic book films after playing Beast in the throwback X-Men films starting with First Class. He even talked with Rosenbaum on his podcast about playing the character. Here’s hoping we get a great version of Luthor this time around. We should be okay if he’s not the sniveling version of Snyder’s Luthor.
Gunn has filled out some of the other characters with some interesting choices. Jimmy Olson will be played by Skyler Gisondo, who will be pretty spot-on. Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince will play Ma and Pa Kent. That last one seems to be a head-scratcher, but we’ll have to see what Gunn has in mind. Playing Perry White will be Wendell Pierce. He is a good choice, as many have enjoyed his turns in shows like The Wire and Treme.
Interestingly, we already know the film will have more superheroes than just Superman. Some confirmed characters are Guy Gardner, played by regular Gunn collaborator Nathan Fillion, and Kara Zor-El is being played by Milly Alcock. Edi Gathegi is listed as playing Mister Terrific, which is a pretty deep pull for casual moviegoers. Barry’s Anthony Carrigan will be playing Metamorpho, which is a great casting choice. Then there’s Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, and Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen. We’ll have to see what other surprises the film will have in store.
Of course, we don’t know yet. With superheroes being big money makers at the box office, they tend to get pretty tightlipped about the films’ plots until they get closer to release. As long as it’s not about Lex Luthor trying to pull off a real estate scheme or another origin story. We have gotten both done over and over again in the past. Even Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns ended up with Luthor creating an entire island of Kryptonite. When will that guy have enough land?
For years, comic fans have been clamoring to see Lex Luthor in his battle armor and for Brainiac to make an appearance. Both have happened in the TV shows that were on the CW for years, but maybe it’s finally time to happen in James Gunn’s Superman. Hopefully, James Gunn will listen, as both things are way overdue. The recent photo of David Corenswet in the new Superman suit shows something big happening in the background that could indicate a Braniac appearance.
The hope for the film is to show that Superman’s old-school morals are still relevant to a modern audience. One thing Snyder’s Man Of Steel was dinged for was throwing out his old values for a contemporary sensibility. He even kills Zod at the end. Many said his old values didn’t work anymore, but Marvel then showed that was false in Captain America: Winter Soldier. I hope Gunn keeps this in mind and brings us a throwback to what Superman used to stand for.
An interesting thing about the new Superman suit is the biggest reappearance in the franchise. The red trunks are back! As time passed, DC Comics started to phase out the trunks of their characters. They said it was from a bygone era that had been irrelevant for decades. Strong Men in the circus were shown to wear trunks over their tights, and the characters’ original designs used this. Most don’t even know why that was a thing, and they were eliminated across the board. They have come back in the comics for Superman, and now it looks like they are back in James Gunn’s Superman.
Of course, James Gunn’s Superman hasn’t been without controversy. Shortly after production began, the internet started getting flooded with unofficial pictures taken on-set. While some didn’t like the way Corenswet’s supersuit looked, the most controversial aspect – by far – is how Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern looks:
Fan reaction on Twitter got pretty heated, but many also thought those who are skeptical about how the character looks should give James Gunn the benefit of the doubt considering how well he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
It’s going to be a while. Production started in March and won’t hit screens until July 11th, 2025. To mark the release date, Gunn unveiled the film’s official, retro-style Superman logo online:
This year, the only DC movie we are getting in the theater is the follow-up to the Joker film. If you’re craving superhero action, head to your favorite streaming service and rent the animated Crisis On Infinite Earths films. The three-part animated film has lots of Superman action and is a fun adaptation of the classic comic story.
Are you excited for James Gunn’s Superman? Let us know in the comments.