How James Gunn Changed Superman for a New Generation
Dude, Where’s My Superhero? Gosh darn it! #Superman has been “Gunnified!”
Writer/director James Gunn has cut his DC Comics chops with Guardians Of The Galaxy and Suicide Squad. Now, he returns with an eclectic take on Superman (David Corenswet) with disparate tones ranging from punk rock, goofy, irreverent, to a chillingly accurate of the current global political climate.
Superman might as well be wearing a cape that changes colors and a novelty bow tie that twirls. Krypto (the dog) could also use a long stint at obedience school – bar the ones that didn’t expel him for biting the instructor.
DC Comics center on the trio of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. Over the years, the main DC characters have been presented as brooding and earnest protectors of humanity with little downtime or personal growth.
Gunn’s Superman changes all that. Clark Kent/ Superman navigates a relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), who admittedly isn’t good with relationships, but then again, neither is he. Why would “breakfast for dinner” cause an argument?
James Gunn’s Superman is neither an origin story (although it throws back to his parents sending him to earth to avoid the catastrophic fate of his home planet Krypton), it’s hardly a sequel, prequel (or any kind of “quel” for that matter). It’s more of an new artistic expression – Gunn style. The film neatly glosses over Superman’s 300-year history as a refugee from Krypton – from Kal-El to Clark Kent to Superman. We’re immersed in the story with an assumption of his backstory.
Despite his cavalier attitude to this iconic superhero, Gunn acknowledges that it all came together because producer Peter Safran, wanted to make a Superman movie for years. In a more contemplative pivot, Gunn explains, “Superman is the cornerstone of the superhero genre. He’s the first superhero and a vital character for DC.”
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