SUPERMAN - 4 Complaints From Fans That Make Absolutely No Sense

SUPERMAN - 4 Complaints From Fans That Make Absolutely No Sense

We recently took a closer look at some of the dumbest complaints from fans about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and now it's time for July's other superhero movie to get the same treatment: Superman!

Feature Opinion
By JoshWilding - Jun 07, 2025 12:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Superman

Superman lands in theaters just over a month from now, and the hope is that DC Studios' co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will right the ship and get the rebooted DCU off to a strong start. 

Alas, some want to see the DCU fail before it even gets going. There are many reasons for that (we'll get into some of them here), but Superman has become the target of their frustration. Then, some just appear to hate this movie because...well, why not? It's a real shame. 

In this feature, we're taking a closer look at some of the more ridiculous complaints made about Superman (we recently did the same for The Fantastic Four: First Steps). We're also explaining why, upon closer inspection, they make absolutely no sense. 

As always, just hit the "Next"/"View List" buttons below to find out why these "problems" aren't problems at all...
 

4. Superman's Trunks

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It's impossible to make everyone happy, but after years of whining that Henry Cavill's Superman didn't have his trunks in the DCEU, there was a fresh round of complaints when David Corenswet was shown wearing them. 

It's such a dumb thing to make an issue out of. They're part of the character's look on the page and, while dated to some extent, they make Superman...well, Superman. We've already seen that putting the Man of Steel in the equivalent of a full-body blue condom doesn't look great either.

Gunn has found a way to make this work, and for that, we should be grateful. They don't look out of place here, particularly with the comic book-inspired tone the filmmaker is going for. 
 

3. There Are Too Many Characters

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There's no denying that Superman has a huge cast. The Daily Planet newsroom is full, there are multiple villains, a "Justice Gang," and lots of supporting characters. Ultimately, there's no way to do all of them justice (no pun intended). 

However, the movie doesn't need to. It's okay for someone like Cat Grant to have only a few lines or for Mister Terrific to simply show up and do cool sh*t. Provided what we do get is written well and they're treated with respect, these characters can still shine.

Gunn has proven himself an expert at ensembles, something we've seen in Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, Creature Commandos, and even Peacemaker. We don't expect Superman to be overshadowed by this bunch, so fret no more. 
 

2. It's Just A "Trailer" To Set Up The DCU

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One recurring complaint we've seen is that Gunn is using Superman solely as a launching platform for the wider DCU. There's some truth to that, especially as this movie is meant to reintroduce audiences to characters who, ultimately, were sullied by the DCEU. 

Gunn has repeatedly said that Superman isn't necessarily setting up any future stories. Yes, we'll follow these characters to different projects (Hawkgirl and Guy Gardner, for example, will next be seen in Peacemaker season 2), but this isn't the equivalent of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

In that, several superheroes were thrown into the mix just so Warner Bros. could rush into a Justice League movie and launch a series of solo movies. For better or worse, that's not what Gunn is looking to accomplish with Superman, so Iron Man 2 this ain't. 
 

1. It's Not The SnyderVerse/DCEU

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The "SynderVerse" gets a lot of hate, and often, it doesn't deserve it. Zack Snyder's approach to comic book movies wasn't for everyone, but there's plenty of appreciation and even love for movies like Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and his cut of Justice League.

However, for the people who still campaign to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse, it's time to move the f*** on. It's a shame Snyder never got to make his sequels, but living in the past isn't healthy, and even if Superman made only $1 at the box office, the DCEU still wouldn't be restored. 

It also shouldn't be resurrected. It's Gunn's chance to put his spin on the DC Universe, and a bright, less grim approach feels like the right move. You don't have to love the filmmaker, but you should give him a chance because it's got to be better than (most of) what's come before. 
 

Why Fans Should Give Superman A Chance

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Talking of chances, you should give Superman one when it swoops into theaters just over a month from now. The DCEU produced more misses than hits and culminated with a largely abysmal 2023 that saw us suffer through The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was willing to scrap Batgirl when it was in the midst of post-production. So, you'd best believe he won't hesitate to shelve the DC brand or simply sell it off to the highest bidder (DC x Prime Video is not something we need to want to see). 

If Superman sucks, then we'll meet back here next month and look at where it all went wrong. For now, all signs point to this movie being a lot of fun. Hopefully, it will also usher in a new era of storytelling that does right by these iconic characters. 
 

RUMOR: SUPERMAN's Post-Credits Scenes Have Been Revealed Following First Screenings - SPOILERS
Related:

RUMOR: SUPERMAN's Post-Credits Scenes Have Been Revealed Following First Screenings - SPOILERS

SUPERMAN: Watch James Gunn And Peter Safran's Speech Ahead Of Yesterday's Advance Screening
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SUPERMAN: Watch James Gunn And Peter Safran's Speech Ahead Of Yesterday's Advance Screening

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CyberNigerian
CyberNigerian - 6/7/2025, 12:19 PM
Loving this series.

Do Max's Green Lantern next. People will argue more on here.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 6/7/2025, 12:22 PM
The too many characters complaint is just stupid to me. For all we know these other heroes and villains could appear in just a handful of scenes despite it still being a Superman film. It's not like they released a total screen time of all these heroes and villains anyway.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/7/2025, 1:51 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - Especially when it so obviously is setting up a reverse Kingdom Come esque story. There's a fundamental purpose to having these other corporatized heroes who stand in contrast to a young, idealistic Superman who functions as a symbol of hope. Many of these idiots cannot grasp that this is quite obviously an intentional narrative decision. They just see numbers and go NOPE TOO MANY with fingers in ears.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/7/2025, 2:15 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - This is gonna be the thing that kills the new DCU.

The pre-established world of superheroes. Because it's not pre-established it's just bad writing.

I've been consoling myself by suspecting that Gunn might use the idea of metahumans and the metagene as a catch-all explanation to help the audience into this world (as oppose to shutting them out like he's doing).
But since he recently demonstrated his complete lack of a grasp of the concept of metahumans and relied on a vague outline from a DC website I've been completely wigging out!

This movie is gonna be an airplane crash!
The DCU is gonna be a vomit-inducing, disturbingly mangled DOA mess!

But I'm still very hopeful. Gunn's got this.

IT'S GONNA BE A DISASTER.

But it might not be. 🤞🤞
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 6/7/2025, 2:50 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - I have always hated that critique. There have been plenty of great movies with a big ensemble of characters.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 6/7/2025, 3:29 PM
@BlackStar25 - Exactly
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 6/7/2025, 3:32 PM
@McMurdo - Yeah, this version of Superman is obviously being set up as a moral compass for these corporate heroes. Eventually he's gonna set a standard that will probably form this Universe's Justice League.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 6/7/2025, 3:35 PM
@ObserverIO - I think Gunn will gradually build upon and explain this the world with more heroes and their projects down the road, he's taking a different approach from the typical Superman film with all these heroes, but I think he'll pull it off.
tRuckRogers46A
tRuckRogers46A - 6/7/2025, 3:37 PM
@ObserverIO - pre-established worked pretty well for 'The Boys'
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/7/2025, 5:10 PM
@tRuckRogers46A - That's a satire, that's different. And a TV satire at that.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/7/2025, 5:14 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - That's exactly what DC Films said (about BvS and Justice League). It didn't work.

If you're gonna explain what the [frick] is going on in your first film years down the road, then that movie might be successful (see Wonder Woman or Aquaman) as long as that movies sticks to the story it's telling and doesn't further confuse the audience with random things that also need explaining years down the road.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/7/2025, 5:16 PM
@BlackStar25 - But random superhero characters with unexplained origins?

Name one great movie with a big ensemble of super-powered characters who all have different origins that are not explained in the movie or in any previous movie.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 6/7/2025, 7:18 PM
@ObserverIO - Well it's too early to tell, all we can do is hope Gunn doesn't make the lore unnecessarily complicated🤷🏾‍♂️
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 6/8/2025, 2:58 AM
@ObserverIO - Well thats pretty subjective and selective but Id say the First X-Men. Hell...even X2. Now you name one bad movie with a big ensemble of super-powered characters who all have different origins that are not explained in the movie or in any previous movie.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/8/2025, 4:40 AM
@BlackStar25 - The mutants in X-Men movies don't have different origins. They have the same origin and it's explained in the first movie and pretty much every movie after that. They're mutants.

As for movies that don't work, pretty much every DCEU movie especially Justice League, Black Adam, the Suicide Squad movies (including James Gunn's Suicide Squad movie).

Even Marvel have been doing it recently, mostly their TV stuff like She-Hulk, Daredevil: Born Again, etc. The first time Marvel did it to my knowledge was America Chavez in Doctor Strange 2 and that is pretty much where they jumped the shark imo.
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 6/8/2025, 11:44 AM
@ObserverIO - What is your definition of origin? Just thier powers or they're actual origin coming up to be X-Men?

As for the movies you named off:

*Justice League barely counts since 3 of the 6 had origins(Maybe 4 of 6 because of cyborg)
*Suicide Squad barely counts as well due to the fact that half of their origins are explained via exposition which you found okay with X-men...
*Black Adam is the only thing remotely close to what you are describing.

Would it be better to have these superhero origins to be explained before they appear? Sure...but it not necessary. And if it isnt necessary, then it isnt a great critique. There are a plethora of examples:

*Avengers(Half the heroes that show up didn't have origins)
*Civil War(No Spiderman or Black Panther origins)

What you are suggesting is that we should have a WHOLE origin for every Superhero before they show up. I disagree with that vehemently. Not every character needs an origin to fulfill their purpose in a story. These are movies. Not long rich histories of comic books.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/8/2025, 12:22 PM
@BlackStar25 - Every superpowered individual needs an explanation because superpowered individuals do not exist in the real world.

It is wholly necessary.

So by origins I don't mean a character's backstory, I mean how the [frick] did they get superpowers. If the GA don't know that then it's cartoony and ridiculous to them. So if your movie is not a cartoon or a spoof then it better have an explanation or bye-bye future box office.

Black Panther didn't display superpowers in Civil War. Nothing beyond the typical action hero prowess was on display. His costume was tech augmented but that was something that we've already explored in the MCU since Iron Man.
Spider-Man had two origin stories already. They took a risk there, because it's not technically the same universe, but if the audience member has never seen or read a Spider-Man anything then you only really need to recommend they watch The Amazing Spider-Man first and you're all caught up.
Also they did kinda give some exposition for at least his motives. And they at least acknowledged that something extraordinary had happened to give him powers.

That's actually important. If you don't have an explanation readily available then you at least have to have an acknowledgement. You can't just have everybody act like it's normal and nothing's amiss.

The first Suicide Squad had some origins... kinda, but not really. People just developed powers. What are they mutants? Is this X-Men? The movie didn't say. The second one was as ridiculous as an actual spoof. King Shark got a line of expository dialogue that made the film seem even more ridiculous and characters like Weasel and Arm-Fall-Off-Boy weren't explained at all.

Superman has the same director.
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BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 6/9/2025, 4:44 PM
@ObserverIO - These are comic book movies...They aren't real regardless. Yes...some comic book movies lean to more grounded but that not always the case which means it isn't necessary.

As for the GA thinking something is cartoony or ridiculous...Why do the hell does that matter? You can be cartoony and ridiculous while still attract those GA regardless. I mean for Christ Sake...we saw this same director create a movie where the main antagonist was ready to destroy a whole planet got stopped...by the main character break dancing....and guess what...The box office for Guardians of The Galaxy has been doing just fine.

As for Black Panther...Thats just copium man. The guy was literally moving faster than cars. There was no way anyone watched that the movie and thought he didn't have powers. As for the tech stuff...It wasn't explored until he got his own movie so Iron Man stuff is completely unrelated. As for the Spider-Man stuff...It completely destroys your whole point. If you can watch something for reference...why not read something for reference as well???(Even though we know now that Spider-Man MCU origin is mostly different considering May gave the "Great Power" speech instead of Ben).

As for whether the small expositions on acknowledgement matters...I honestly can't agree with that. I think the most important thing about that scene between Tony and Peter were his motivations. As for "You can't just have everybody act like it's normal and nothing's amiss"...thats not true...ever. These superhero films do that all the time! I guess that up to personal interpretation but there are lot of thing that happen in films that never get questioned. That general doesn't matter as long as the film is considered good to great!

Look man. We can agree to disagree but I just do not think too many characters are a viable critique simple because it is never brought up as a problem when a film is considered good/great. I also don't find a superheroes "origin" all that important to a film honestly. It just leaves me to believe that its just a nitpick which is fine. Everyone has their preferences. Just to me...The bad films you used for examples were not bad because of their were too many characters or that their powers weren't explained. They just weren't very good movies. The General Audience does not need to know whats going on 24/7...They just need to be entertained while watching a movie to the point where they loved their experience and recommend it to others. I get Gunn isn't loved for his style by some...but he seems to resonate with a majority of individuals with me being one of them...despite his poor treatment of some comic book characters(Hated his Adam Warlock and Nova Corp treatment). So I can't say I'm afraid at all. His track record amongst the masses has been very good.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/9/2025, 6:25 PM
@BlackStar25 - I'm a big fan of his work myself. And yes he gets plenty ridiculous in GOTG, but it's never done in a way that alienates the audience. The Suicide Squad, on the other hand does. And it looks like Superman will also.

The GA can go with some crazy shit, shit as big and epic and comic-booky as Endgame but the genius of those movies is that we've (And by we I mean them, the filmmakers) tricked the GA into loving this stuff by presenting it as something quite normal for them like an action sci-fi and then slowly introducing more and more elements. An origin for Iron Man, then a reintroduction of Hulk, then we show them gods and explain how that's just sci-fi, then an origin for Captain America, then aliens. Step by step.

The GA is like a frog in cold water, slowly brought to the boil and before you know it we've cooked those mother[frick]ers. And the theaters are packed for the kind of geek shit that we thought only we could love.

But if you give them too much all at once you'll spook 'em. And they'll run away. It took years for them to stop laughing at George Clooney's nipples long enough for them to start respecting comic book movies again.

Recently there have been a lot of nipples. We're losing them. They don't get it anymore.

They all sat and watched Endgame and they got it! They got it!
They don't get it anymore.

It's Gunn's job to bring them back in again after years of alienation. But he's just making all the same mistakes the DCEU did.
Gunn's a quality filmmaker. But it's not about quality. It's about making any kind of sense.
People will sit and watch Aquaman and enjoy it, as shit as it is, because it makes sense. But they won't give The Suicide Squad or The Flash the time of day because they don't make a lick of sense to them

They will come out for Superman, they have to the marketing is too irresistible. But when they see it they'll be like "This is stupid" and even if they enjoy it, they won't be able to become genuinely invested in it, because it's just a stupid, goofy spoof. People don't get invested in the Naked Gun or Scary Movie universe.

It's the investment, the serious investment in the universe and characters that drives something like Endgame. Those moments like Cap getting the hammer or Tony's death are only possible because of that investment.

But if nothing matters, if shit like why Hawkgirl and Metamorpho having powers doesn't matter, then they will never respect the material enough to invest in it. It's all just flighty magic realism.

If the film doesn't respect the audience, the audience won't respect the film.
ElJefe
ElJefe - 6/7/2025, 12:24 PM
Josh cutting promos!

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JurassicClunge
JurassicClunge - 6/7/2025, 12:28 PM
Bobatwats now is your time to shine!

Go off on snyder 🤡😘🤡
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 6/7/2025, 12:28 PM
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movieguy18
movieguy18 - 6/7/2025, 12:41 PM
Yeah my only worry is the huge cast but Gunn has proven himself with big casts so I’m really not worried about that as long as Supes and Lois are the main focus. Hopefully July is one of the biggest months ever with 3 of my favorite franchises releasing a movie!
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 6/7/2025, 12:47 PM
Nice one Josh to balance out the articles. Keep it up.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/7/2025, 1:57 PM
@vectorsigma - I don't think Josh wants this movie to fail. I think he actually is as hyped for it as we are. He's always given Gunn a fair shake.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 6/7/2025, 10:03 PM
@McMurdo - i just get annoyed with his choice of words on his articles.

So this one is something new to see
THEKENDOMAN
THEKENDOMAN - 6/7/2025, 12:54 PM
These [frick]ing fans.

Do most of them know how to [frick]ing put a movie together let alone [frick] anything.

They should be [frick]ing lucky we are getting this done.

They should be [frick]ing lucky James has great love for the [frick]ing character.

The [frick]ing trunks,? Didn’t he have [frick]ing trunks from the [frick]ing start.

[frick]ing too many characters? Since superman has been out of the limelight for so long, having supporting chacters that we have never seen on the big screen before to give him a push isn’t such a bad idea if the story is done right and I believe Gunn will get it right from what we have seen from him so far.

Of course it’s to set up the [frick]ing DCU… [frick]ing duhhh.

We love Zack and we [frick]ing bled and cried and got the JL movie but he’s time is gone, let’s [frick]ing move on.

[frick]s sake, Superman is the epitome of the superhero, he is number one so we are not giving him a chance he is giving us a chance.

So shut the [frick] up and sit back and [frick]ing watch.

DCU is here now.

For [frick]s Sake
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 6/7/2025, 1:57 PM
@THEKENDOMAN - User Comment Image
THEKENDOMAN
THEKENDOMAN - 6/7/2025, 2:07 PM
@AnthonyVonGeek - For [frick]s Sake matey.

Who the [frick] are you and where the [frick] have you been?

[frick]kkkkk

Im the [frick]ing guy who tells the other [frick]ing guy to [frick]ing stop [frick]ing asking [frick]ing stupid [frick]ing questions.

For [frick]s Sake
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 6/7/2025, 2:15 PM
@THEKENDOMAN - User Comment Image
THEKENDOMAN
THEKENDOMAN - 6/7/2025, 5:21 PM
@AnthonyVonGeek - 😢 I [frick]ing do. 😭

🤗 Get over here bitch 🫂
FleischerSupes
FleischerSupes - 6/7/2025, 1:29 PM
This will be successful directly in proportion to how much it reflects relatable universal truths and isn't dated.

https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWVjZjA1ZTQ3bDM4d3kwOTN5aTI5cHoza3A0MGptdjhnbTR5ZWRtYXJxdzR5cDNxeiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/a3l6SuG6Njlio/200.webp
Forthas
Forthas - 6/7/2025, 1:32 PM
"...and, while dated to some extent"

Way to torpedo your own argument!
Forthas
Forthas - 6/7/2025, 1:49 PM
These articles trying desperately to defend James Gunn's Superman are laughable. This has been the problem with Warner Brothers for as long as there has been popcorn. Trying to bend the narrative to get people to more favorably view their films instead of giving its audience what they want. This strikes me as a sign of desperation especially following what I think has been a sub par marketing campaign. The studio is afraid....

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McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/7/2025, 1:55 PM
@Forthas - #copium
spr0cks
spr0cks - 6/7/2025, 4:35 PM
@McMurdo -
Yeah,....YOU're on it.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 6/7/2025, 1:54 PM
"We've already seen that putting the Man of Steel in the equivalent of a full-body blue condom doesn't look great either."


LOL shots fired
Forthas
Forthas - 6/7/2025, 2:08 PM
@McMurdo - It did a lot better the last time Superman wore his Kryptonian Depends! You remember? When Superman (one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe) was made to look like a simp.

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...but alas history must repeat itself

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ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/7/2025, 2:06 PM
I actually agree with 3 and I think it's so important that it's gonna kill the franchise.
I said the same thing about the DCEU and I was right there.

It's not about the characters having the time to shine or overshadowing Superman. It's the fact that they are all movies. They are all characters that take a whole movie to introduce to an audience.

If they didn't all have superpowers that they acquired from radically different origins then it wouldn't matter.
Lois Lane doesn't need a whole movie to explain who she is. Perry White doesn't need one. Eve Tessmacher doesn't need one. Even Lex Luthor doesn't need one.
They're just humans. We get that.
Pictilli
Pictilli - 6/7/2025, 2:08 PM
Color balance is never dated, and that is what the red trunks and yellow belt provide. They provide color balance on the middle lower part of the suit because they are the same colors and a similar shape and size to the S shield, which gives color balance to the upper middle portion of the suit.

Anyone making complaints against this or any of the other things on the list is not a Superman fan, they are just a butthurt snyderbot.

Hail Gunn!!!
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