Summary
- Superman’s dedication to comic book accuracy promises to avoid the DCEU’s past mistakes and divisive decisions.
- The film’s set photo and updates show a clear commitment to the source material, laying the groundwork for a successful new franchise.
- James Gunn’s Superman sets the stage for a DCU that honors the characters’ roots, providing hope for fans of authentic comic book adaptations.
The latest set photo from Superman provides hope that the DCU will rectify one of the bigger issues with the DCEU’s many movies. As the first official upcoming DCU movie, Superman faces a lot of pressure. The film not only has to successfully begin the main story of a new franchise by laying the groundwork for James Gunn’s DCU movie and TV slate, but it also needs to put minds at ease that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated.
The former part of these responsibilities certainly looks promising, with the many actors cast in Superman thus far attached to characters like Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Metamorpho to name a few. What makes Superman even more exciting, however, is that the film is already providing hope that it will rectify the errors of the DCEU. The primary way in which the franchise will do so has been hinted at ever since James Gunn’s first slate announcement in January 2023, with the latest Superman set photo reiterating this.
Superman: Release Date, Plot Details & Everything We Know
Superman is the first entry in James Gunn’s much anticipated new DCU, and here is everything we know from cast to story and release date.
James Gunn’s Superman Has Been Making It’s Love Of The Source Material Clear
The recent Superman set photo, and many other James Gunn updates, prove the film’s dedication to the comics.
The set photo posted on Superman Day in 2024 featured James Gunn alongside Superman and Lois Lane stars David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan. In the image, the three are shown reading various comic books featuring Superman, with DC’s official Instagram account even alerting viewers about which comics are which in the comments. This proves how much dedication there is to the source material on the set of Superman and, hopefully, how that will translate to the film itself.
While many may think this is simply a gimmick to pay homage to the comics, showing authenticity to the source material has been a common trend in Gunn’s DCU. The official Superman X/Twitter account posted the comics that inspired the film and how to read them via DC Universe Infinite in July 2023. Upon the first announcement of the DCU slate in January 2023, Gunn gave specific shout-outs to comic creators and issues that will inspire the various films, such as Grant Morrison’s Batman and Son run for Batman or Tom King’s Woman of Tomorrow for Supergirl.
Each of these instances proves how important the source material is to Gunn and the other creatives of the DCU, though there have been many more callouts of comic book inspiration.
Superman’s Comic Accuracy Means The DCEU’s Biggest Issues Are Already Being Avoided
The DCEU’s mistakes with comic book fidelity show no signs of continuing in the DCU.
While the credit being attributed to the source material of DCU projects is exciting in and of itself, another benefit is that it promises to fix the DCEU’s issues. Concerning the DCEU’s Superman and Batman specifically, Zack Snyder’s handling of the characters faced a lot of criticism. Snyder is a filmmaker who likes to subvert expectations, challenging audiences with new ways for their favorite heroes to be explored. This led to divisive decisions in the DCEU’s early movies, such as Henry Cavill’s Superman killing General Zod or Ben Affleck’s Batman using guns and taking lives.
The DCU’s dedication to accurate comic book adaptations is a welcome return to form after how divisive the DCEU was overall.
Despite Snyder having plans to turn Cavill’s Superman into a more classic iteration of the character that never materialized, these early decisions still sparked controversy. While not all of these choices were bad, and some DCEU movies rank highly among their peers, the DCU’s dedication to accurate comic book adaptations is a welcome return to form after how divisive the DCEU was overall. It seems this return to form will properly begin with 2025’s Superman, with Gunn once again showcasing the film’s comic book inspirations.
Superman (2025)
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.’ rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
- Cast
- David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , María Gabriela De Faría