Some mild profanity and the usual superhero violence aside, Superman is a fairly family-friendly movie, but there is one moment that stands out as being jarringly dark - and the scene in question was originally going to be even more brutal and bloody.
During a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, director James Gunn revealed that the scene in which Lex Luthor executes a civilian named Malik Ali (Dinesh Thyagarajan) in cold blood was going to play out differently until he decided that it was simply too much for a PG-13 movie.
"Once I saw the movie, I’m like, ‘This is [too dark],’” said Gunn.
“Lex shoots the guy in the head, that was always done in this extreme wide [shot] so it’s not too graphic. But the guy fell on the ground, and blood is pouring out onto the platform, and Lex looks down and sees the blood is about to get on his shoes. Ghurkos goes, ‘What? No!’ And Nic looks at him, and his delivery is great, because he looks at him straight and [says], ‘No?’ And then Ghurkos, sheepishly, sadly, trudges forward and lays down on his back.”
Just in case it wasn't clear, the idea was that Ghurkos would get down on the floor to prevent the blood for reaching Luthor.
“And [Burić], he’s so funny. He lays down on his back and starts soaking up the blood. Then Nic looks over at Superman and says, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’”
Gunn confirms that the extended version of the scene was cut early on and wasn't included in any test-screenings.
Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
The cast also Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as "Ma" and "Pa" Kent, and Milly Alcock's Supergirl has been confirmed to make her debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie.
"And that’s a wrap," Gunn posted last year when filming concluded. "God bless our cast and crew whose commitment, creativity, and hard work have brought this project to life. I set out to make a movie about a good man in a world that isn’t always so much. And the goodness and kindness and love I’ve encountered on a daily basis on the set has inspired me and thrust me forward when I felt too spent to move on my own.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It has been an honor. The destination has been Superman, but the journey has been the toil and the laughter and the emotions and ideas and magic we’ve shared together on set - and for that I am forever grateful."
You can check out a synopsis for the movie below.
"In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind."