- The first trailer for James Gunn’s Superman is due imminently
- Gunn has revealed how Top Gun: Maverick influenced his film
- David Corenswet to star as new Man of Steel
Superman is set to get its first trailer any time now, with the hype surrounding James Gunn’s take on the Man of Steel reaching fever pitch.
Newcomer David Corenswet will play a new take on this red-and-blue-tights-wearing hero. He takes over the role from Henry Cavill who played him for Zack Snyder.
While little has been seen about Gunn’s new take on this comicbook icon, the director has shed some light on a recent film that heavily influenced the character.
Read more: Who is the new Superman actor David Corenswet?
Speaking to Gizmodo on the set of the movie earlier this year, Gunn revealed that Tom Cruise’s 2022 fighter jet sequel Top Gun: Maverick was a key inspiration for how his Superman flies.
While admitting that filming any sequence involving Superman in flight was “hard”, the filmmaker told the outlet that “We took a lot from films like Top Gun: Maverick.”
He added: “We shoot a lot of our action with actual drones flying in and around Superman and the people that he’s flying with, The Engineer and whoever else that he’s fighting up in the air. And we did that on sound stages. 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.”
“We start in the middle of the action”
In the same interview, the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker shed some light on the opening moments of the film. By the sounds of it, he’ll be throwing audiences in at the deep end.
“We just start in the middle of the action,” continued Gunn. “Superman already exists. Lois and Clark already know each other. Lex hates Superman’s guts from the beginning, although they don’t know each other personally. So we start right in the middle of the action.”
From there, the director revealed that the crux of his new Superman story will take place in “a short amount of time.”
Another fun insight revealed in the same interview was that new Supes Corenswet convinced Gunn to include the hero’s iconic red underpants.
According to Gunn, the choice was made to ensure younger audiences weren’t afraid of this super-powered space alien who flies and shoots lasers out of his eyes.
“He dresses like a professional wrestler,” Gunn told Gizmodo. “He dresses in a way that makes people unafraid of him, that shows that hope that shows that positivity. And that really clicked in for me. And I think trying to pretend that Superman’s costume doesn’t have some frivolity to it at its base, trying to make it look serious, is silly because he is a superhero. He’s the first one, brightly colored and that’s who he is.”
When is Superman released?
James Gunn’s new Superman movie will fly into cinemas and IMAX on 11 July 2025.
The film stars Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as the villainous Lex Luthor.
Read more: James Gunn’s Superman cast explained
The movie will also feature an ensemble cast that includes Wendell Pierce as the Daily Planet boss Perry White, Skyler Gisondo as photographer Jimmy Olsen and Sara Sampaio as Lex Luther’s girlfriend Eve Teschmacher.
A number of other heroes are also set to appear. These include Krypto the superdog, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho and Nathan Fillon as a Green Lantern.
