Summary
James Gunn’sSupermanhas a lot of work to do as it launches the rebooted DCU later this year, and one cast member from the project seems to suggest that it has already nailed one of the biggest issues fans had with the previous incarnation.
When Zack Snyder rebooted the DCEU with a new take onSupermanwithMan of Steel,it was a much darker take than fans of the character were expecting. While it wasn’t a novel approach to the character, its tone became a much bigger issue when it launched a whole interconnected film franchise. The DCEU’s days were numbered from the beginning, and Gunn would eventually be brought in to reboot the entire thing, starting with 2025’sSuperman. These feelings were so strong thatGunn even had to play down a meeting with Zack Snyderdue to fan fears that he’d be returning to ‘taint’ the new DCU with that same gloomy vibe that had caused the issues in the first place.
One major decision from Gunn wasadding other heroes to hisSupermanreboot, including bringing on Anthony Carrigan to play Metamorpho. While the DC Studios flagship is inching ever closer to its July release, Carrigan will be appearing inMcVeighfirst, a gritty drama film based on the real-life domestic terrorist and Oklahoma City Bomber Timothy McVeigh. In a recent interview withComicBookMovie.comabout his role onMcVeigh,Carrigan makes a contrast between the two projects that highlights some great news for fans looking forward to Gunn’s rebooted take on the character. “I mean, honestly, the only thing I can say is just what a joy it was to work on a project like that,” Carrigan says, comparingSupermanto the much darker project. “I’m so excited to obviously bring something like McVeigh to audiences, but also something that inspires such hope and is really about something very uplifting.”
This praise for Gunn’s upcoming reboot is great news and a bit of reassurance that fans need. It was clear from the get-go thatSnyder’s Superman was missing the character’s most important quality, trading in the features that made the character an uplifting symbol of hope for edgy, brooding attitudes that fit Snyder’s dark, edgy, visuals-first approach to storytelling. If Carrigan is to be believed, Gunn has managed to avoid this entirely with his new film. This seems to line up with the whispers from the film’s early screenings, which praise the project and draw parallels to Gunn’s work onGuardians of the Galaxyover at the competition.
All signs point to the conclusion thatGunn is making the right stylistic choice with Superman, and it seems that isn’t just on the surface. If Corenswet’s new take on the character can actually deliver the sort of hope that fans haven’t seen since the days of Christopher Reeve, then the new DCU will be off to a great start. If it can’t, then Gunn’s next meeting with Snyder won’t be very out of place from a fan perspective. For now, viewers will have to wait and see where the film falls in its tone when it hits theaters.
