James Gunn’s Superman costume had clear direction behind its design

Today marks the moment when one phase of the DC Universe ends, while another officially begins. All eyes were intently on DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, and specifically, the big reveal of his latest Man of Steel remake with “Superman.” Our first look at the film’s poster Earlier this week, he went a long way toward teasing a new tone and style in Gunn’s approach to the material, particularly with the deceptively effective tagline “Look for.” These phrases are not limited to the world-famous phrase, “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 it is this version of the character that will inspire humanity to symbolically look at the superhero as an aspirational figure. now, We have a brand new trailer To devour and over-analyze for the foreseeable future… along with a collection of exciting new quotes from the cast and crew of Superman.

On Monday evening in Los Angeles, Warner Bros. called Selected journalists attended a “Superman” press event — including the film’s own Bel Brea — where Gunn premiered the new footage, followed by a question-and-answer session afterward. Among the many great topics covered (which you’ll be able to find on our homepage all morning), there was one topic that revolved around one of the biggest points of contention of all: The look of the actual Superman costume for this movie. Not surprisingly, the discussion mostly focused on that age-old issue of luggage or lack of trunks.

But what we didn’t expect was that star David Corensweet played the biggest role in setting the direction behind his character’s clothing. This, as it turns out, was to make sure that the colors, the atmosphere, and yes, the red boxes all made Superman look as appealing to kids as possible. Read on for more!

In traditional portrayals of Superman, whether it’s the comics or Richard Donner’s films, the Big Blue Boy Scout usually lives up to his reputation as the most family-friendly hero ever. That doesn’t mean things can’t get a little dark (or weird, like when The much-hated “Superman III” turned its protagonist into a vicious drunkard). But, mostly, there’s something inherently idealistic and hopeful about the way audiences have come to embrace a Superman that feels welcoming to the most innocent and vulnerable of us all.

Speaking at the Superman press event, James Gunn talked about the thought process behind it Superman’s divisive look in the film And how David Corenswet was able to determine exactly why the light directed behind the costume was reaching the children. After admitting that he decided early on to move away from making Superman’s suit look like he had “tight abs” (he specifically cited the “wet shirt” look with rippling muscles underneath as the look he wanted to avoid), Gunn pinpointed the exact moment when it all clicked In his place. He remembers a day when he, Cornsuit, 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, likely during preliminary fittings. While Gunn expressed his concerns — “Oh, I don’t know,” he said — his lead actor perfectly expressed why the suit’s bright colors and red trunks were the right decision. According to Gunn, Corenswet dropped the following simple yet profound remark:

“Yes, he’s an alien from outer space who’s very powerful. He doesn’t want kids to be afraid of him.”

Yes, this is the part where we finally address the neck-slitting elephant in the room and point out how different this new version of Superman looks, especially compared to Zack Snyder’s darker, more adult version in The now defunct “DC Extended Universe”. The promotional footage alone sets a whole new tone, evoking more upbeat images involving a wounded Superman showing his human side, the sweet and wholesome romance between him and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and especially the moment when Krypto the super-dog arrives to help. Save the day.

But all of that pales in comparison to the way James Gunn conceived the Clark Kent/Kal-El characterization this time around. He went on to describe how Cornsuit’s words about Superman’s costume seemed very poignant and poignant. As he explained:

“(What) touched me in that moment, and touches me now as I say, is that this is who he is and that’s where the costume comes from. This is in keeping with the original vision (of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster) with the encouraging return to the wrestlers and the circus and these other things, and this is Superman has a reason why his costume is so colorful – because he doesn’t want to scare him. He has red beams coming out of his eyes, he can blow on things with his breath, and he wants to not be scary to kids.

At this point, co-star Nicholas Hoult spoke in his own voice. Describing his reaction as “awe” when he first spotted Cornsuit in full costume, the Lex Luthor actor added: “I hate to admit it, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy and inside. It made me feel like a kid again.” He was far from alone, as he detailed the experience One during filming where Cornsuit pounced on the set. Unable to stop himself from smiling, Holt turned toward the crew and noticed something strange: “I saw everyone else in the room with the same look on their faces watching him. That’s the effect he’s having on everyone. I think it’s really special.”

“Superman” hits theaters on July 11, 2025.