The first Superman TV spot featured a shot of the hero flying through the Arctic that, at first glance, was very cool. Social media being what it is, the 30-second promo was dissected by fan accounts, and a shot of the Man of Steel looking a little...skew-eyed...quickly went viral.
Filmmaker James Gunn spends a fair bit of time online answering fan questions and debunking rumours, and revealed in a recent interview that he changed the take used in the movie's final cut.
"It was a TV commercial and it wasn't a finished visual effects shot," the Superman helmer said of the backlash. "So the part of him flying, it was a photograph of his face and him flying. It was a photograph of a drone flying in front of an actual background. So all the pieces were real, but it was incorporated in kind of a funky way."
"I didn't love the shot, so it's not even the shot that's in the movie. Sometimes I'm pretty strict about when I'm going through a trailer and looking at each of the shots, but sometimes the commercials, I forget to look at this closely," Gunn added. "So that one kind of got by me."
A new video taking us behind the scenes of Superman has been shared online, and reveals the updated version of that flying sequence. While a new take has evidently been used, there's still something off about how David Corenswet's Man of Tomorrow looks (likely a result of a wind machine being blown in his face).
This only really stands out when you pause the clip, something no one will be doing in the theater next month. Gunn has utilised some unique camera shots for Superman's flying scenes, some of which might land better than others, given the technology being used to realise them on screen.
You can watch the full video below, along with clips showcasing new footage from the movie. That includes Superman bursting out of the ground and a tense moment in LuthorCorp.
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.
The movie stars David Corenswet in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
Also appearing are Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell, and Milly Alcock.
Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.