James Gunn’s Superman trailer has set the Internet on fire and like all big comic book movie releases, the opinions about this first teaser were far from unanimous. One of the biggest criticisms of Gunn’s take on Superman and his world was that that world was overpopulated with other characters from the DC Universe franchise. The Superman trailer gave us looks at Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, The Authority’s Engineer, and Metamorpho – each connected to other corners of the DCU that will be explored in future projects.
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The initial concern from fans is that DC Studios is making a Marvel Studios-style mistake by trying to build out a shared universe at the expense of a focused character story. However, James Gunny has both said – and now demonstrated – that he’s taking a different approach. And, when you look at what Bunn is doing, there’s clear potential his Superman to be distinct from all previous movie versions of the character – precisely because he exists within a world of other superheroes.
What Is A Hero?
Moviegoers are familiar with the idea of a Superman movie examining the idea of a god-like being living among men, and/or a godly being trying to fit in amongst everyday humans – core themes of the character that resonate with all kinds of people. One thing that no live-action Superman movie has explored yet, however, is how Superman stands as an example to other superheroes.
Ideally, Superman is the archetype that other superheroes aspire to be. That said, we already know that DCU characters like Batman will have different opinions about what crime-fighting should be; other heroes like Guy Gardner will be doing hero work under contract; and Gunn including a team like The Authority in the DCU suggests that there will likely be a new age of heroes who see Superman as naive and outdated (a la DC’s famous “Kingdom Come” storyline). That’s a complicated new layer of story Gunn is adding to his Superman film – but done right, it could be a powerful piece of the larger thematic puzzle.
The World’s Finest
Avengers: Endgame delivered one of the most iconic moments in comic book history when Captain America thought he was the last man standing against Thanos, only to have his own army of Marvel heroes return from the dead in time to join him on the battlefield. A big part of the gravitas in that scene comes from seeing Cap, battered and bloodied, still willing to face insurmountable odds in an act of pure (if not naive) heroism. The cathartic payoff of Captain America’s bravery and purity of heart rewarded by other heroes standing at his side was epic for Marvel – and it’s the kind of thing James Gunn’s DCU needs to establish for its version of Superman.
This first Superman movie doesn’t need to rush to the finish of Superman being revered by his fellow superheroes: it simply needs to capitalize on the opportunity of introducing the debate, so that’s Superman’s scenes with other DCU heroes are as meaningful as his interactions with everyday humans.
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The Hierarchy of Power (& Friendship) in the DCU
The DCU is a particularly tricky shared universe to build – precisely because a character like Superman exists within it. As a force of god-like power, it’s easy for Supes to overshadow virtually any other hero, thereby creating all kinds of logistical hangups. Gunn and co. don’t want fans watching other DCU projects asking “Wouldn’t Superman show up?” or “Wouldn’t they call Superman to handle that threat?” and it’s an issue he can deal with decisively and concisely, in this Superman movie.
Gunn will clearly be investing story time into examining the boundary lines between Superman’s self-motivated actions as a hero how those actions impact geopolitics. However, there also hints the story of Superman will address how his image and goals as a hero may conflict with other heroes operating around the globe. Early leaks from the Superman set indicated that characters seen in the trailer like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) could be working for evil tycoon Maxwell Lord – possibly as a DCU version of the Justice League International group. That’s already a meta-rich thematic arc pitting Superman’s ‘pure-hearted’ heroism against figures operating on a corporate-sponsored agenda: it’s also a great way of establishing why Superman (for all his godly power) can’t step on the proverbial toes of other heroes without possibly causing major issues.
On a less cynical note: Superman could also end its story by giving Clark Kent his own mini-version of Steve Rogers’ climatic moment: i.e., realizing that he has friends there to help him carry the burden of saving the world. Having Superman go from a place of operating solo to earning his place as the core figure of a big, organized, team of heroes would firmly establish his importance across the modern-day DCU, while also creating a good reason for why the Man of Steel doesn’t always swoop in and end all the threats other heroes face: he trusts them to handle their part.
If nothing else, Gunn is attempting to tell a definitive Superman cinematic story on a scale no one else (besides maybe Lois & Clark) has attempted. Dismissing it out of hand as another example of franchise-building fluff ignores the potential for Superman to make more relevant – and resonant – use of its shared universe format than any has before.
Superman will be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.
