SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Talks Krypto, Including Other Superheroes, And No "Airbrushed Abs" On Suit

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Talks Krypto, Including Other Superheroes, And No "Airbrushed Abs" On Suit

Superman writer and director James Gunn has talked more about his approach to the reboot, including why he included so many other superheroes, what makes Krypto a "terrible dog," and designing the suit.

By JoshWilding - Dec 19, 2024 10:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman

On Monday, James Gunn talked to select members of the press while showing off the epic first teaser trailer for DC Studios' Superman. As the filmmaker told Deadline, it was his goal from the start to show a different side of the Man of Tomorrow with this reboot. 

Superman Returns rehashed the look and tone of movies released decades earlier and Man of Steel was an undeniably moody take on Kal-El. However, in Superman, we'll get to the root of who Clark Kent is. 

"I think we’re seeing that from the beginning we’re seeing a little bit of a different side of Superman than what we’ve seen."

"This movie at the end of the day is not about power," Gunn explained. "This movie is about a loose term of the word a human being and who he is as a person and virtually struggling in his day-to-day life, and we see a different aspect of him in the beginning."

Asked about the decision to surround Superman with characters like Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, he said, "It was a way of saying we’re embracing all of the Superman mythology. These superhero movies have taken characters and said ‘Okay, yeah, it’s Batman, but it’s not any of the other stuff. It’s Superman, but it’s not any of the other stuff."

"He lives in a world of superheroes. This is an alternative history world where superheroes exist but it’s also incredibly grounded. It’s about real people having real lives, there just happens to be metahumans there. Superman has friends who are other superheroes," the writer and director noted.

"He’s got a flying dog, he’s got a giant fortress. He has a lot of the things we love from the Superman comics and mythology that we haven’t been able to see as much of in a film and definitely haven’t been able to in a grounded way."

That flying dog is, of course, Krypto. However, he may not be the version of the superpowered pooch we know and love from the comics. "His relationship with Krypto is complicated," Gunn teased. "He’s not nearly the best dog. There’s a lot more to Krypto than you see in this trailer."

"You'll see in the movie that Krypto probably comes off as a better dog in the trailer than he is in the movie," Gunn later told IGN. "Pretty terrible dog! You love him because he's a dog and how can you not? And he's got the cute, innocent eyes, but he's a terrible dog."

In a separate conversation with Variety, Gunn elaborated on the "long process of development" to figure out Superman's costume after recently revealing why he decided to include the hero's red trunks (you can read more about that here). 

"I didn’t want to have it looked like a wet t-shirt," he admitted. "I didn’t want to have it have a bunch of fake muscles in it, and I didn’t want airbrushed abs on it."

Superman, DC Studios' first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. 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.  

Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.

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vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 12/19/2024, 10:41 AM
Marvel fanboys, give this gilm a chance and wake up
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 12/19/2024, 11:09 AM
@vectorsigma - Hi, Marvel fanboy here. After this trailer, Superman is my most anticipated film of 2025.
SATW42
SATW42 - 12/19/2024, 11:20 AM
@vectorsigma - yall call me a Marvel fanboi even though I don't have allegiances to faceless studios, and I'm excited for this.

I think you've made up a narrative in your head that just isnt there.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 12/19/2024, 11:49 AM
@Clintthahamster - thank you very much.

I WAS a marvel fanboy until d&w hurt me so much lolz
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 12/19/2024, 11:50 AM
@SATW42 - if you are giving it a chance. Thank you
Killuminatic
Killuminatic - 12/19/2024, 12:18 PM
@vectorsigma - How did D&W become the film to disillusion you from being this “marvel fanboy” you claim to be?

Also, since you aren’t a self proclaimed “marvel fanboy” what are you now?
bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/19/2024, 10:41 AM
How it feels walking into this lion's den:
bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/19/2024, 10:53 AM
Wah wah wah lmao poor crybabies. You'll still be there on day one, it'll be interesting to see how many articles are pumped out, nitpicking stupid ass shit like the color grading, wheras it's some clown just repeating what a other clown says
bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/19/2024, 10:54 AM
Stand up to bullies, they're softer than they look
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 12/19/2024, 10:42 AM
Gunn.... Bruh.... You have ZERO room to talk trash about Superman suits. These pajamas Davids wearing look like ABSOLUTE PIECES OF TRASH!!!

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bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/19/2024, 10:51 AM
@TheVandalore - "I didn’t want to have it looked like a wet t-shirt," he admitted. "I didn’t want to have it have a bunch of fake muscles in it, and I didn’t want airbrushed abs on it."

TRIGGERED lmao
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 12/19/2024, 10:57 AM
@bobevanz - wait a sec... Are you saying I'm triggered, or Gunn is triggered by talking all that shit in the quote you just shared? Clarify.
RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 12/19/2024, 10:58 AM
@TheVandalore - well pajamas are actually what Supes uses in the comics, lol.
Snyder's kryptonian indestructible suit was ass
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 12/19/2024, 11:04 AM
@RegularPoochie - you are a dumbass if you earnestly believe there has ever been even a single version of Superman that wore literal pajamas LMFAO

You just removed yourself from the conversation, my dude lol

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Everyone and their mama knows Snyder's movies were ass, but Henry's suit was THE BEST on screen suit only after Christopher Reeve's suit, which was literally perfection from comic to screen.
DTor91
DTor91 - 12/19/2024, 11:47 AM
@TheVandalore - You’re not helping or proving your point at all when you can’t even be bothered to use a real image of said suit.

You’ve got three films of screenshots to choose from…and you use AI? Pathetic.
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 12/19/2024, 11:53 AM
@DTor91 - 1) That's not AI. It's a variant cover.

B) Your points are literally illogical.

Triangle) Everyone knows I'm right and you are left.

Green) [frick] you 😎
ElricReturns
ElricReturns - 12/19/2024, 12:02 PM
@TheVandalore - User Comment Image
Killuminatic
Killuminatic - 12/19/2024, 12:20 PM
@TheVandalore - It’s all subjective my guy. Don’t really get why it’s worth arguing about. Let’s all wait for the movie and judge that.
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 12/19/2024, 12:23 PM
@Killuminatic - that's fair. I find nothing wrong with that. I mean, I am gonna have my opinions about the marketing materials they release, just like everyone else. But I certainly agree that waiting for the film to cast final judgement is the only reasonable thing to do.
RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 12/19/2024, 12:24 PM
@TheVandalore - sorry, kryptonian blanket parts, doesn't change the fact that it wasn't some kryptonian hightech suit made for him.
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 12/19/2024, 12:28 PM
@RegularPoochie - well if we are talking about the classic suit, then it actually is Kryptonian tech. It's from Krypton, made with materials not found on earth. That's why in many interpretations, his suit and cape is as indestructible as Superman is.

It's not just some blanket. It's the only surviving material from his home world, sewn into a symbol of his people to proudly wear as a beacon of hope for all humanity to recognize.

But yeah.... Pajamas, right?
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 12/19/2024, 12:30 PM
@RegularPoochie - if you like the new suit, that's fine. You are allowed to have your opinion. And it's valid.

But don't try to bullshit me and gaslight me into agreeing with you when I don't.
RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 12/19/2024, 12:42 PM
@TheVandalore - I never said I liked it, it's fine now for what they have shown.
Killuminatic
Killuminatic - 12/19/2024, 12:49 PM
@TheVandalore - Mind you, aside from really liking the Snyder suit, I liked that it had contextual basis in the form of it being a flight suit that Kryptonians wore and not a super-hero costume. However, depending on what they do this time, I wouldn’t mind it just being simply something his mother created and has Earthly origins to symbolise his ties to Earth in a multitude of ways, which also has precedence in the source material. Not only that, but you can still use the fact that he has a sort of protective aura around him, from the comics, to explain how his earthly made costume (if that’s the case) can still remain intact.
thebamf
thebamf - 12/19/2024, 10:42 AM
I loved Krypto! He was freaking adorable.
TheNewYorker
TheNewYorker - 12/19/2024, 10:43 AM
The suit is still horrendous. All of the suits show.
TheNewYorker
TheNewYorker - 12/19/2024, 10:46 AM
I thought the dog would be cheesy but I didn’t mind it.
But Cornswet’s face… 🤦‍♂️ ugh
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 12/19/2024, 10:44 AM
I like it that we already have superheroes and the Leo-Winslet Titanic exists here
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 12/19/2024, 10:44 AM
And I totally said it as a joke multiple times around here... But they ACTUALLY didn't even cast a white dog for Krypto lmfao 🤷
UncleHarm1
UncleHarm1 - 12/19/2024, 11:32 AM
@TheVandalore - It's just like Thanos all over again. They could've just hired a purple actor, how racist of them.
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 12/19/2024, 11:41 AM
@UncleHarm1 - THANK YOU!!! I've been saying that forever! Purple lives matter!!!
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 12/19/2024, 10:45 AM
And still, the complaints are mainly on the suit and nothing else.

Nitpicky. Sounds good to me. Lolz
SATW42
SATW42 - 12/19/2024, 11:23 AM
@vectorsigma - careful, someone blocked me because I said essentially the same thing. Softest block I've ever received.
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 12/19/2024, 11:52 AM
@SATW42 - not new to me to get blocked but man that was petty 😅

Thanks for the headsup though
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 12/19/2024, 10:45 AM
Shots fired 💥💥💥🔫

It Would be good if you didn't want it to look like cosplay too mr Gunn....😅
dracula
dracula - 12/19/2024, 10:47 AM
Wonder what origin they will give krypto considering he doesnt arrive on earth with him

They going to go the new 52 route of him having been trapped in the phantom zone between the time of krypton's destruction and superman's reveal (could explain some behavioral problems)

We know he is going to be alien, not some lab experiment
SuperCat
SuperCat - 12/19/2024, 10:49 AM
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MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 12/19/2024, 11:06 AM
Top form @SuperCat. This is both hilarious and creative
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SuperCat
SuperCat - 12/19/2024, 11:08 AM
@MyCoolYoung - LOL. Thanks! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 12/19/2024, 11:12 AM
@SuperCat - holy shit. This works on so many levels. I was wondering why you didn't use the clip of Batman saying that, then I realized it's so both characters can be in the snow. Brilliant. [frick]in brilliant mate.

Was this the very first thing you thought when you saw the teaser? Lol "oh shit, I know exactly what I have to make!" Lol
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