Elliot Page is known for his work in the X-Men franchise. The actor played Kitty Pryde in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Despite his relatively small number of appearances, Page's character played a pivotal role in the franchise. However, X-Men isn't the only superhero property in his résumé. In 2010, Page was part of another, much more obscure superhero movie—one directed by James Gunn. The movie in question is Super. Starring Rainn Wilson and Elliot Page, the movie focuses on Frank (Wilson), a depressed man who decides to become a crimefighter, and along the way finds a sidekick in comic book store-clerk Libby (Page).
Though the film doesn't typically receive mainstream attention, it has become a cult classic, well-known among diehard James Gunn fans. And, even though the movie was filmed long ago, Elliot Page still has fond memories of making it. Appearing on a live recording of Josh Horowitz' Happy Sad Confused podcast alongside fellow X-Men star James McAvoy, Page was asked whether he'd had a good time filming Super alongside Gunn. The Umbrella Academy star had nothing but great things to say about his experience, stating:
"It was so fun. Such an enjoyable set to be on. Such a nice vibe and energy. Everyone there had to just work together to tell this crazy story, and [it was] such a fun, full-blown character to play. With someone like James, you really trust him when you are pushing it and going far, that he's gonna sort it out tonally. That was definitely one of my favorite characters to play for sure."
Page was asked if he was surprised to see Gunn's trajectory, from directing films like Super and Slither, to now having helmed Superman and being in charge of the DC Universe alongside Peter Safran. He replied: "Yes, for sure. But, you can see how well those qualities and those strengths have fed into and made these great projects."
Taking to CinemaBlend in 2011, Gunn likewise had nothing but positive things to say about Page, stating (Note: The interview was conducted prior to Elliot Page's transitioning. As such, the pronouns used at the time have been corrected):
"[In] meeting [Elliot], I loved [him] as a person, and that was a very important thing because we were going to move so fast that I couldn't have somebody who I didn't trust. But I really thought [he] understood the role intellectually. And [he] didn't audition, I didn't have that luxury, but I thought [he] understood it intellectually, and I knew that [he] knew the kind of movie I was trying to make, because we talked a lot about the different films that influenced me, which are films that most people don't think of—Lucas Moodysson's films out of Sweden, or [he] turned me on to this movie called Ratcatcher, which is a great movie. And that was the kind of film style we were doing, so [he] understood what I was making. I had a trust that [he] was going to be able to do it."
As pointed out by Horowitz, both Page and Gunn have come far since making Super. Page went on to star in 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past, landed a leading role in Netflix's The Umbrella Academy series, and is now slated to have a role in Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated The Odyssey, scheduled for release in 2026. As for James Gunn, he went on to direct the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel Studios, became co-CEO of DC Studios, directed Superman and is now gearing up to direct its sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
Have you watched Super? Are you a fan of it? Drop your thoughts in the comments!