James Gunnlooked at what makes Batman so popular to help inform his version of Superman, but not in the way fans might expect.Supermanis one of the most anticipated films of 2025, and also one with a great deal of expectations put upon it. Not only does it need to launch a cinematic universe, but also restore the popularity of one of DC’s most beloved heroes in an age whereit seems people have moved on from him.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Gunn revealed that while Superman will still be powerful, he won’t be all-powerful. Gunn drew inspiration from why audiences love Batman and that he is a human who is vulnerable to pain. Since Gunn was creating an entire universe, he wanted to balance things out because if Superman is too strong, what chance does any character have? Gunn said:
“There are things that I know Idon’texplain that I don’t even want to say out loud! But I wanted Superman to be vulnerable. I see the online things ‘Who would beat whom?’ — Homelander or Superman or f—ing whatever, Adam Warlock or Brightburn, and I’m like, ‘This is the f—ing stupidest f—ing conversation.’ Like, so then whoever would win this fight means that they’re the best? Because I’ll just go out and write God Man, who can destroy you with a wink. And I win. I win all the fights forever. But I didn’t want a Superman who could punch planets. And also we’re creating a whole universe now, so what’s a girl with wings gonna do in the face of that? So he’s a little less powerful. [Green Lantern] Guy Gardner’s pretty f—ing powerful. They’re all pretty powerful.
Honestly, in talking to people, a lot of people are like, ‘I like Batman better because he can actually be beat,’ and I get that. So we have a Superman that can be beat.”
James Gunn Breaks Down Why Superman Bleeds in His First Official DCU Appearance
James Gunn has addressed why the ‘Superman’ trailer opens with a defeated Man of Steel.
“Even Heroes Have a Right to Bleed”
James Gunn’s statements about making a less powerful Superman to make him more relatable are nothing new to the character. FollowingCrisis on Infinite Earths, John Byrne’sMan of Steelrelaunch in the comics depowered Superman considerably compared to his Golden and Silver Age counterparts.Superman: The Animated Serieslimited Superman’s powersand increased his vulnerability to make for a compelling animated series. The idea of Superman being “too powerful” has been an obstacle that many audience members have had relating to the hero.
This also isn’t the first time Batman has influenced Superman. While 2013’sMan of Steel certainly drew from theBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knightplaybooks, that film focused on copying both the visual and aesthetic styles and also tried tomake Superman a more brooding figure. Gunn is keeping the bright colors and hopeful tone that make Superman unique, but is allowing him to be slightly more vulnerable to make the action scenes have more stakes. This certainly appears to be why so much ofSuperman’s marketing has focused on the hero being beaten up. It signifies to the audience that this is a superhero who can and will get hurt, making him more relatable.
Gunn’s creative decision has certainly been met with pushback byfans of Zack Snyder’s take on the character, with memes often made of how weak David Corenswet’s Superman is compared to Henry Cavill. Yet, in the long run, this might be needed to make Superman relatable to mainstream audiences and help restore him to being one of DC’s most popular characters. Based on the impressive trailer views and the online ticket sales, audiences are ready for this new take on Superman, a figure they can both relate to and look up to.
Source:Rolling Stone
