Everything You Need to Know Before James Gunn’s “Superman” Takes Flight

“Eyes up here!” says Superman (David Corenswet) in one of the trailers for James Gunn’s Superman, pointing up to his face (perhaps getting an onlooker to stop staring at his red underpants), a moment before he bursts into flight at around zero to a hundred miles per hour. And now, Gunn’s feature is about to soar into theaters, and all that waiting will be over. Yet the opening act to the DC Universe is shaping up to be more than a simple superhero reboot—Gunn’s fresh, heartfelt reimaging of the character has Superman stepping out of the gritty antihero shadow he dabbled in during Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and The Justice League, and into the light of truth, justice, and hope. What makes this even more fun is that this more earnest, heartfelt take is coming from a man who became a household name putting misfits, oddballs, and anti-heroes through their paces in The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad. 

Yes, Superman will boast those big, cinematic moments that’ll live up to any in Gunn’s superhero oeuvre, but he’s gunning (pun, regretfully, intended) for real emotional depth. All the teasers, trailers, and reveals from Gunn and the cast speak to a story about identity, legacy, and what it means to be a symbol for good in a fractured world. David Corenswet’s portrayal brings a sense of charisma, humility, and strength to the character – it’s not just about flying faster than a speeding bullet, it’s about the heart behind the cape.

Gunn’s latest love letter to longtime fans is brought together by a supportive creative team that balances nostalgia and bold storytelling. Superman is back in a way that feels like exactly what we need in the world right now: a hero. Here’s a quick look primer to help get you up to speed before you take in James Gunn’s vision for Superman on July 11.

A Brief Primer About the New-Look DC Studios 

Superman marks DC Studios’ first feature film under the new leadership of Peter Safran and James Gunn, who are focused on a much more unified approach to storytelling, creating a proper DC Universe. Their ambitions aren’t merely to wrangle the existing DC superheroes and villains moviegoers have come to expect cycling through the cineplex into a more cohesive mega-narrative (save for those titles that fall under the DC Elseworlds banner, like Matt Reeves upcoming The Batman Part II), but expanding to introduce characters who have never appeared on the big (or small) screen before, like Clayface, or have been missing in action for generations, like Swamp Thing. They’re even rolling out their titles in chapters (yes, like Marvel’s vaunted Phases), with the first chapter called “Gods and Monsters.” While Gunn’s credits are well-known, Safran earned his chops developing The Conjuring franchise and films like Aquaman, The Suicide Squad, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Consider them two sides of the same coin: Safran handles the business side, and Gunn handles the creative side. Both are producers on Superman, with Gunn directing his own screenplay. Warner Bros. Pictures is distributing the film, both are under the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) umbrella, which will be split into two separate media companies in the near future.

Characters & Cameos

Superman is packed with characters. David Corenswet will be playing the title role, known as Kal-El on Krypton and Clark Kent on Earth, yet he’s hardly the only super-powered being in Gunn’s world. The first sneak peek also introduced us to Krypto the Superdog, Superman’s adorable four-legged friend, a beloved character from the comics. Krypto first appeared in Adventure Comics #210 in March 1955 and has made on-screen cameos in Smallville, HBO Max’s Titans, and the animated film DC League of Super-Pets, voiced by Dwayne Johnson.

Second billing goes to Rachel Brosnahan, playing Louis Lane. Brosnahan rose to stardom in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and she’s perfectly suited to play the smart, tough journalist who Clark/Superman falls head-over-cap with.

Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor, the brilliant, brutal CEO of LexCorp, which would be a choice piece of casting even if Hoult hadn’t first auditioned for the role of Superman.

How about the Justice Gang? Yeah, they’re not quite a Justice League (yet?), but Superman’s fellow DC heroes will be present—Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) will all have big moments. The trio has a backer in Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), a tech billionaire who has made previous appearances in Supergirl and Wonder Woman 1984, and will also appear in Season 2 of Peacemaker, set to premiere this August. Gunn has stated that the business tycoon is not shaped by references from any “live performances of the character,” but rather “from written materials,” so fans should expect a new portrayal.

Other confirmed characters include the shapeshifting Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), Angela Spica aka The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), who is another antagonist in the storyline, as well as Lex Luthor’s henchman Ultra Man. Gunn told Entertainment Weekly, “Ultra Man is sort of Lex’s thug, and is pretty powerful.” And we cannot forget Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, played by Milly Alcock from House of the Dragon. Alcock has already wrapped filming the standalone feature, Supergirl, which is scheduled for a 2026 release. What part will she have in Superman? She has been absent from all promotional materials, so this is going to be a fun surprise and a big hint at how Alcock will portray Superman’s cousin.

There are plenty of other characters making appearances like Clark’s adoptive parents, Pa and Martha, and Rick Flag Sr (Frank Grillo), of the Creature Commandos. But what about really big, unexpected cameos? Even with a film packed with characters, it’s safe to say there should be a shocking cameo or two. While nothing is confirmed, Superman’s Kryptonian father is rumored to be portrayed by…well, we won’t spoil that one (look it up at your own peril if you like your surprises.)

The Plot

When Gunn and Safran announced the first 10 projects emerging from DC Studios, also known as “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters,” the original title was Superman: Legacy. Later, Gunn told Rolling Stone, he was “sick of the superhero title, colon, other-name thing” and simplified it, saying the original title, “seemed to be looking back when we’re looking forward, even though it does have to do with legacy in the movie itself.” However, “legacy” offers a glimpse into potential themes such as hope, compassion, the goodness of humanity, and family.

As for the plot, details have slowly been taking shape. Safran told Variety that the story “focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing,” with Gunn confirming it would not be an origin story. The film jumps into the Superman world with Clark Kent already dating Lois Lane and Lex Luthor’s hatred of the Man of Steel established. Gunn has said the movie begins with an action sequence, a growing trend in modern movies. There have also been numerous rumors about what may transpire, including a theory about a Superman clone. One thing we do know is that Gunn drew inspiration from a number of comics: All-Star Superman, Superman for All Seasons, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? and Kingdom Come (available in a box set).

Tonally, Gunn said, “It’s humorous, but it certainly is not as comic or as much of a comedy as either Suicide Squad or Guardians. There’s plenty of humor in it…but it’s trying to create something that is grounded, but also it’s an incredibly fanciful world, it’s fantasy, it’s taking from other things like Game of Thrones, where it’s this universe where superheroes actually exist.”

What about a post-credit scene? Gunn has confirmed that, too. While it will most likely tie into the DCU or play into Supergirl, we’re hoping it might also include the only other DC superhero who could credibly claim to at least be in a tie for the top spot on fan favorites—Batman.

Behind the Scenes

It’s safe to assume James Gunn’s Superman will not carry a darker tone similar to Zack Snyder’s portrayals. In the behind-the-scenes feature above, Gunn said, “This character is noble, and he’s beautiful,” and recalled how much he “loved the purity of Superman” as a child. So expect the Kid from Krypton to be a savior with a heart. The footage also shares some insight into how they approached the production.

Production Design & Cinematography

Filming began in February of 2024 with stage work taking place at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Practical work included spots in the Georgia area, Ohio, and Svalbard, Norway, to shoot scenes for the Fortress of Solitude.

Cleveland locations included downtown, the Cleveland Greyhound Station, Public Square, and Progressive Field for a clash between Superman and Ultraman. The exterior of the Leader Building served as a stand-in for the Daily Planet, where Lois and Clark work, utilizing the exteriors of the Huntington Bank Building and Key Tower. Production also visited Cincinnati to take over the Union Terminal, Lytle Tunnel, and Cincinnati Museum Center. Blending the stage work with the practical was production designer Beth Mickle, who work includes Drive, The Suicide Squad, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3.

Cinematographer Henry Braham (Guardians Vol. 2, Vol. 3) re-teamed with Gunn to shoot the entire film in IMAX using RED V-Raptor digital cameras. Braham deployed a number of lenses, the most interesting choice being the Leica Tri-Elmar. Typically used for photography, the Tri-Elmar is a wide-angle lens that can be switched between 16mm, 18mm, and 21mm focal lengths without changing out the lens. The wider view reveals more of the world while still creating an intimate portrait of the characters. For action sequences, they took inspiration from Top Gun: Maverick by using drones to capture Superman’s flight scenes. Gunn said, “We shoot a lot of our action with actual drones flying in and around Superman and the people that he’s flying with, Engineer, whoever else, that he’s fighting up in the air. We got these really small, crazy drones now. We’ve got some of the best flyers in the world here who are working with it.”

Score & Sound

John Murphy (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Suicide Squad) and David Flemming (The Last of Us) composed the film’s score. When you listen to the released theme above, you can hear elements of John Williams’ iconic Superman theme through a fresh musical taste that honors the character’s legacy. Mixing the sound on the dub stage is supervising sound editors David Acord (Andor) and Katy Wood (The Marvels), along with rerecording mixers Christopher Boyes (Avatar: Way of Water) and Tim LeBlanc (Aquaman). Matching the visual awe of IMAX cameras, audiences will be able to experience the sound through Dolby Atmos.

Picture Editing & Visual Effects

Cutting the movie are editors Craig Alpert (Deadpool 2) and William Hoy (The Batman), two exceptional storytellers who complement each other well in terms of action and humor. Visual effects can be a turning point with today’s moviegoers, and it looks like Superman hasn’t fallen into the “too much CG” trap. Yes, there’s going to be plenty of it, but overseeing it all is production visual effects supervisor Stephane Ceretti, who worked on some of the biggest blockbusters in the biz, including Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Endgame. VFX houses on the project include Framestore, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Wētā FX, and Rodeo FX.

Feeling primed? Feeling ready? Great. Superman flies into theaters July 11.

Featured image: Caption: Director JAMES GUNN and DAVID CORENSWET on the set of DC Studios’ and Warner Bros. Pictures’ “SUPERMAN,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Greg Williams