The trailer for James Gunn’s Superman was released yesterday, and it’s taken the internet by storm.
According to James Gunn, the live-action introduction to the new DC Universe is off to a flying start. The filmmaker stated on his social media networks Friday that the “Superman” teaser trailer received over 250 million views on its first day.
According to Gunn, the Superman trailer views outperformed many of this year’s studio tentpoles. For example, the first “Joker: Folie à Deux” trailer received 167 million views in its first 24 hours, while the trailer for “Inside Out 2,” the year’s highest-grossing film with $1.6 billion in global box office revenue, received 157 million views. With 365 million views, Marvel’s “Deadpool and Wolverine” video is the most successful trailer launch ever.
If you haven’t watched it, we’ve got it below.
Here are a bunch of things you probably missed in the trailer.
The trailer begins in a surprising place: Superman crashes into the frozen wasteland, bruised and bleeding. Superman has already been shown in peril before, but this time, he is definitely over his head after the battle. Whatever he’s fighting can hurt him badly enough that he bleeds.
Many people complain that Superman is too powerful to relate to. James Gunn is determined to show a hero that’s vulnerable and bleeding.
Not to detract from Superman’s strained wheezing, it provides a clear glimpse at a drastically different suit for the Man of Steel. There’s a big change from the last interpretation. He’s wearing trunks! As James Gunn stated to Gizmodo, this was David Corenswet’s idea.
“We were trying on all these different versions, and we screened tested with trunks and no trunks,” Gunn said. “And one of the things David said is that Superman wants kids to not be afraid of him. He’s an alien. He’s got these incredible powers. He shoots beams out of his eyes… He’s this incredibly powerful, could be considered scary, individual and he wants people to like him. He wants to be a symbol of hope and positivity. So he dresses like a professional wrestler. 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.”
The guy has a fantastic understanding of the character, and it shows.
Clark Kent is Superman’s alter ego. He’s a reporter at The Daily Planet. For years, there’s been an argument over whether Superman is Kent or pretends to be Superman. Conversely, some argue that Kent is Superman and pretends to be Kent. James Gunn said that in this version, Kent and Superman are two sides of the same personality. He’s both Clark and Superman.
In every iteration of Clark Kent, Superman tries to disguise himself somehow. It’s not just the glasses. Christopher Reeve hunched over to obscure his 6′ 4″ frame. Corenswet is also 6′ 4″. But interestingly, this version of Kent doesn’t seem to hide his height. He stands tall but unconfident.
Clark is holding the latest newspaper. “The Daily Planet’s” headline reads “Hammer of Boravia Creates Havoc Downtown,” with a picture of a massive, man-shaped… Something. Boravia, a country that initially appeared in Superman #2 in 1939, was your typical “fake European country.”
The “Hammer” could be a thing or a person’s nickname.
What’s the picture of? Some think it might be Gorilla Grodd.
“The Daily Planet” is a fictional DC Comics newspaper covering Metropolis. It debuted in Action Comics #23 in April 1940. Clark Kent, Superman’s alter ego, works there. The headquarters of the city newspaper is located at 42 Concord Street, Metropolis.
Next, we see Superman save a girl from a large creature. He uses his bullet-proof suit and cape(?) to shield her. More on that creature later.
In the comics, Lex Luthor is always a brilliant scientist. However, in the 1980s, John Byrne introduced the idea that he was also a ruthless businessman. Starting in Superman #416 (1986), Luthor became the founder and owner of LexCorp Incorporated. This name has lasted through most interpretations.
Smallville introduced a new idea. The company LuthorCorp was started by Lex’s father, Lionel. In that show, Lex inherited the company from his father. Does the latest Superman movie follow that storyline? It would be interesting to see. Especially since the comics often show Lex growing up in poverty and becoming rich by killing his mother and father for the insurance money.
Superman Bleeds
The trailer begins in a surprising place: Superman crashes into the frozen wasteland, bruised and bleeding. Superman has already been shown in peril before, but this time, he is definitely over his head after the battle. Whatever he’s fighting can hurt him badly enough that he bleeds.
Many people complain that Superman is too powerful to relate to. James Gunn is determined to show a hero that’s vulnerable and bleeding.
Superman’s Trunks
Not to detract from Superman’s strained wheezing, it provides a clear glimpse at a drastically different suit for the Man of Steel. There’s a big change from the last interpretation. He’s wearing trunks! As James Gunn stated to Gizmodo, this was David Corenswet’s idea.
“We were trying on all these different versions, and we screened tested with trunks and no trunks,” Gunn said. “And one of the things David said is that Superman wants kids to not be afraid of him. He’s an alien. He’s got these incredible powers. He shoots beams out of his eyes… He’s this incredibly powerful, could be considered scary, individual and he wants people to like him. He wants to be a symbol of hope and positivity. So he dresses like a professional wrestler. 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.”
The guy has a fantastic understanding of the character, and it shows.
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is Superman’s alter ego. He’s a reporter at The Daily Planet. For years, there’s been an argument over whether Superman is Kent or pretends to be Superman. Conversely, some argue that Kent is Superman and pretends to be Kent. James Gunn said that in this version, Kent and Superman are two sides of the same personality. He’s both Clark and Superman.
Small Town Boy
We get more glimpses in the trailer, but here’s Superman as Clark Kent, complete with Noah Centineo’s haircut. It’s not quite Christopher Reeve’s bumbling nerd, but he makes a compelling case for a different haircut and glasses as an effective disguise. We see Clark weaving through the bustling city of Metropolis. He’s uncomfortable and unused to the crowds. Gunn has said that this version of Superman is already established, but he still seems awkward in crowds.Clark Kent’s Height
In every iteration of Clark Kent, Superman tries to disguise himself somehow. It’s not just the glasses. Christopher Reeve hunched over to obscure his 6′ 4″ frame. Corenswet is also 6′ 4″. But interestingly, this version of Kent doesn’t seem to hide his height. He stands tall but unconfident.
Clark Kent’s Hair
Another way Superman disguises himself is by having a different hairstyle. Most interpretations show Superman with slicked-back hair and Clark with loose hair. Looking back, there is one exception. The Lois and Clark show reversed it, making Clark have slicked back hair and Superman’s tussled. This show focused on Superman’s alter-ego, so it made sense that the hairstyle was reversed.Borvaria
Clark is holding the latest newspaper. “The Daily Planet’s” headline reads “Hammer of Boravia Creates Havoc Downtown,” with a picture of a massive, man-shaped… Something. Boravia, a country that initially appeared in Superman #2 in 1939, was your typical “fake European country.”
The “Hammer” could be a thing or a person’s nickname.
What’s the picture of? Some think it might be Gorilla Grodd.
The Daily Planet
“The Daily Planet” is a fictional DC Comics newspaper covering Metropolis. It debuted in Action Comics #23 in April 1940. Clark Kent, Superman’s alter ego, works there. The headquarters of the city newspaper is located at 42 Concord Street, Metropolis.
Lois Lane’s Pants Suit
Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane. One minor but noticeable change is her pantsuit. Usually, she’s shown wearing a skirt. Amy Adams and Margot Kidder usually wore a skirt as Lois when in the Daily Planet. This could be a sign of changing fashion or a demonstration of her adapting to the male-dominated field of investigative journalism.Jimmy Olsen
We also get a shot of Clark’s co-workers. Skylar Gisondo from The Righteous Gemstones portrays Jimmy Olsen, a photographer for Daily Planet. Jimmy is frequently presented as a close coworker of Clark and Lois. He first appeared in the The Adventures of Superman radio serial (1940) and in various other “Superman” adaptations. He appeared in Man of Steel in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment before being killed.Steve Lombard
Speaking of co-workers, Beck Bennett, a “Saturday Night Live” alum, plays Daily Planet reporter Steve Lombard. Steve is frequently presented as a sports writer and Clark’s rival.Cat Grant
Mikaela Hoover is Cat Grant, a Daily Planet reporter. She is occasionally a love interest for Clark or Jimmy Olsen in the comics. Catherine Jane “Cat” Grant is a fictional character from DC Comics’ American comic book series. Tracy Scoggins played the character in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, while Calista Flockhart portrayed her in the Arrowverse television series Supergirl.The Kent Farm
The Kent Farm in Kansas is the next stop, a much more ordinary-looking house than we’ve seen in earlier films. The single-level farm has not one, not two, but three cows. Clark is seen briefly cuddling Pa Kent (Pruitt Taylor). I believe he’s praising him for having so many cows.Superman’s Father
In some interpretations of Superman, he loses his parents before becoming a superhero. In the comics, his parents are alive when he’s an adult. His mother even makes his first costume. In the 1980s comic book reboot, both his parents are dead. In Superman: The Movie, his father, Jonathan, has a heart attack. In Man of Steel, his father dies in a tornado. In this interpretation, Clark’s father, played by Pruitt Taylor Vince, is alive with his mother, Martha (why did you say that name?!). We don’t see the Martha actress Neva Howell in the trailer, but presumably, she’s alive at some point. Is Clark comforting his father after her death? We’ll have to wait and see. Either way, his parents greatly affect Superman, helping him stay grounded in his alter-ego as the boy from small-town Kansas.Krypto
Look at this good boi! This is Krypto, the Superdog. He’s Superman’s Kryptonian pup and the ideal super-powered companion. While Krypto isn’t a character we typically see developed, some of you may recall the dog from the mid-2000s Cartoon Network children’s cartoon. James Gunn’s real-life rescue dog inspires this version.Krypto is a Good Boi Indeed
Most of the time, the pup has Superman’s powers like super-speed, super-strength, and flight. But we only see him running. Superman says “Take me home” and gives him his cape to pull him. So he has super-strength. Does this version have any powers other than speed and strength? Is this Krypto from Krypton? We’ll have to wait and find out.Saving a Child
Next, we see Superman save a girl from a large creature. He uses his bullet-proof suit and cape(?) to shield her. More on that creature later.
Lex Luthor
After that, we see Lex Luthor, Superman’s ultimate enemy. He’s been played by several actors (Gene Hackman is the best). Nicholas Hoult plays Luthor in this film. He appears immensely menacing in this moment, as he should. As a figure, Luthor is meant to embody the worst of humanity. That seems to be what we can expect from this film.LuthorCorp
In the comics, Lex Luthor is always a brilliant scientist. However, in the 1980s, John Byrne introduced the idea that he was also a ruthless businessman. Starting in Superman #416 (1986), Luthor became the founder and owner of LexCorp Incorporated. This name has lasted through most interpretations.
Smallville introduced a new idea. The company LuthorCorp was started by Lex’s father, Lionel. In that show, Lex inherited the company from his father. Does the latest Superman movie follow that storyline? It would be interesting to see. Especially since the comics often show Lex growing up in poverty and becoming rich by killing his mother and father for the insurance money.
