James Gunn took over the reins of Superman from Zack Snyder after the latter’s tenure with DC ended with Justice League. Gunn moved over from the MCU to head the newly formed DC Studios along with his creative partner Peter Safran to craft a compelling interconnected DC universe. The shared franchise is set to begin on the big screen with Gunn’s Superman.
The upcoming film will be the first solo film on the Kryptonian superhero since 2013’s Man of Steel by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill. The DCEU’s iteration of Kal-El has been divisive, for lack of a kinder term, and though Cavill has been accepted as Superman, Snyder’s take only has a few takers. Gunn also seemed to throw shade at his iteration.
James Gunn explained Superman’s general guiding philosophy
Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel saw a Superman who was not the typical all-American hero. Henry Cavill’s iteration of the character was grittier and more philosophical than Christopher Reeve’s or Brandon Routh’s versions. Snyder expanded on how the nature of such God-like heroes would affect humanity in the real world in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
While Cavill’s performance and persona as Kal-El have been accepted by the fans since the film’s release (especially after David Corenswet’s casting), Snyder’s take on the character has been divisive at best. Many have criticized the filmmaker for straying away from Superman’s generally hopeful and positive persona.
The end of Man of Steel also sees Cavill’s Superman kill General Zod to stop him from killing a family. James Gunn, who will be helming the upcoming Superman, seemed to throw shade at the filmmaker’s decision to make Kal-El kill and spoke about his philosophy in life.
Speaking about the philosophical difference between Lois and Clark, Gunn said to Fandango,
I think it comes down to a basic philosophical difference. He believes that the sanctity of life is of the utmost importance. No matter what, you do not let anyone die ever. She is a utilitarian. She believes that you want to do the most good for the most people, no matter how you do that.
Snyder’s take seemed to explore this morality question through the ending of Man of Steel, but he may have fumbled with how he chose to explore it. In subsequent films, the focus shifted to a more nuanced exploration of absolute power (with the introduction of Batman and Lex Luthor).
How does James Gunn’s Superman differ from Zack Snyder’s?
On paper, both Zack Snyder and James Gunn seemed to be exploring similar themes in their iterations of Superman. Gunn’s DCU will be exploring ‘Gods and Monsters’ in the first chapter of the franchise, with Superman possibly exploring how one can justify the existence of an overpowered God like Kal-El in a world where other superheroes already exist.
The upcoming film is set to feature other heroes like Mr. Terrific, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, Metamorpho, and more. Snyder’s Man of Steel and, more importantly, Batman V Superman, explored similar themes of how humanity would react to an overpowered God among them, especially when his powers could be weaponized.
However, the fundamental difference seems to be the visual treatment of the films. While Snyder went with his typical dark and high-contrast images and gritty treatment, Gunn seems to be going with a brighter look and tone for the film. Snyder’s Superman is basically alone (even with the Justice League), but Corenswet seems to have many helpers who make him appreciate humanity a bit more.
Superman is set to be released on July 11, 2025.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
