On this week's episode of The Hot Mic, hosts Jeff Sneider and John Rocha shared some of the things they heard about a recent screening (as far as we know, there has only been one) of James Gunn's Superman, and the buzz was definitely leaning negative.
Rocha was told that the DCU reboot had a similar tone to Captain America: The First Avenger and The Mummy, and that the movie was said to be "decent" overall. Sneider's source was not as optimistic, suggesting that there is "reason to be worried" about the finished film.
We've now heard from a well-placed source who has spoken to people who have seen the movie, and their feedback was a lot more positive.
Apparently, Superman was described as "Guardians of the Galaxy-level good," and while some of the VFX was unfinished, a "lot of the shots were polished enough with seven months to go" before release. Those in attendance (that shared their opinions) reportedly "loved the movie."
It's worth keeping in mind that both of these things can be true. It's highly unlikely that everyone who saw Superman at this screening felt exactly the same way about it. It's also important to note that plenty of much-loved films received negative responses from early screenings, and vice versa. At the end of the day, we won't know what to expect until we're sitting in the theater next July.
One thing we do know for sure is that the majority of CBM readers were very happy with the first trailer. According to our poll, 33% of you felt the teaser was "Great," while only 1% went with the most negative option, "Worst. Trailer Ever."
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Superman also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabel Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
Sara Sampaio is on board as Lex's assistant/lover Eve Teschmacher, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell will play "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 earlier this 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 new 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."