Superman set photos have already teased a few of the reboot's flying scenes; whether it's David Corenswet's Man of Steel taking flight or a battle in a stadium pitting the hero against a villain thought to be Ultraman, it appears we're getting a balance of practical and visual effects.
Zack Snyder delivered some incredible flying sequences in the DCEU, meaning filmmaker James Gunn has some big shoes to fill with his upcoming reboot.
Talking to ComicBook.com, Gunn detailed his approach to that type of action. "I wrote up this big document on action and what our philosophy is of action and how we shoot it and what it is, and keeping it alive in the air, as well as on the ground," he explained. "And to be able to shoot stuff in the sky as if we were shooting it."
"Because everything was rougher, like, it’s in Guardians [of the Galaxy], like it’s in The Suicide Squad. And being able to shoot stuff in the sky like that is really hard," the filmmaker admitted. "So we took a lot from films like Top Gun: Maverick, which, we are shooting flying things."
"We shoot a lot of our action with actual drones flying in and around Superman and the people that he’s flying with, The Engineer, whoever else, that he’s fighting up in the air, and we did that on sound stages," he added, teasing an aerial battle between Superman and The Authority member. "We got these really small, crazy drones now. We’ve got some of the best flyers in the world here who are working with it."
"And so we use those guys a lot and everything’s planned out with me, as it always is. But at the same time, I’ve gotten even more into finding new stuff on the set and new moments and exploring that stuff, finding magic where it is," Gunn concluded.
It sounds like Gunn has taken a unique, somewhat revolutionary, approach to Superman's flying scenes and that promises to make them feel wholly unique. Top Gun: Maverick's aerial sequences were next level so if this movie can recapture that same magic...well, it's going to be really special.
According to the description for tomorrow's trailer, we may not have long to wait before seeing the new Man of Tomorrow take flight.
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.