Comic book fans have long imagined what would happen if superheroes from different worlds came to blows, and you'll find Superman at the heart of many of those debates.
With James Gunn's Superman movie set to be released later this summer, the conversation has only intensified. What would happen if David Corenswet's Man of Tomorrow squared off with Thunderbolts*'s Sentry, for example? And could The Boys' Homelander take Supes in a fight?
Gunn officially gives no f***s.
Talking to Rolling Stone, he explained. "I wanted Superman to be vulnerable. I see the online things 'Who would beat whom?' — Homelander or Superman or f***ing whatever, Adam Warlock or Brightburn, and I’m like, 'This is the f***ing stupidest f***ing conversation.'"
"Like, so then whoever would win this fight means that they’re the best? Because I’ll just go out and write God Man, who can destroy you with a wink. And I win. I win all the fights forever. But I didn’t want a Superman who could punch planets. And also we’re creating a whole universe now, so what’s a girl with wings gonna do in the face of that?"
"So he’s a little less powerful. [Green Lantern] Guy Gardner’s pretty [frick]ing powerful. They’re all pretty powerful," Gunn confirmed. "Honestly, in talking to people, a lot of people are like, 'I like Batman better because he can actually be beat,' and I get that. So we have a Superman that can be beat."
For some fans, Superman being "depowered" (to some extent, at least) will be a big deal. However, making him a God-like being does present a lot of problems, and a Superman who can punch a hole in a planet is going to make short work of even the most formidable villain.
Ultimately, the title character wasn't how Gunn managed to crack Superman. "It was Krypto," he admitted elsewhere in the interview. "The beginning of the movie is the first thing I wrote, with Krypto coming to Superman in the snow and Krypto taking him home. That really was about the tone of the whole movie."
"It’s a flying dog who wears a cape, but that led immediately to the robots, to the fortress rising from the ground, to the device that isn’t in the comics — the giant magnifying glass, which powers him up more quickly than just the regular sun would. Bringing all those elements into a Superman movie in a way that hasn’t happened — not to mention that he exists in a world where superheroes, or some form of metahumans, have existed for 300 years. It’s just a different thing."
Talking more about the Silver Age science we'll see in Superman, Gunn added, "I think that’s the biggest tonally novel thing about this film. And it really is based on the tone of [2000s comic book series] All-Star Superman in a lot of ways. And taking that tone into a cinematic realm is not the usual thing for a superhero movie, or for any movie. So I really was thinking a lot when making the film about graphic novels more than movies."
The filmmaker is embracing the comic books in a big way, and it's hard to find fault with that. Not everyone will be on board with his ideas for Superman, but with a character this beloved and iconic, that was to be expected.
As the marketing campaign for Superman continues to ramp up, IMAX has announced a new fan art competition that you can learn more about in the X post below.
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.