James Gunn says the viral “funky” shot of David Corenswet’s Superman flying isn’t in the movie. The flying sequence used real elements, including a photo of David Corenswet’s face and a drone flying against a real background.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gunn addressed the most controversial Superman flying shot from a TV commercial. He explained that the shot was not a finished visual effects shot, and the flying moment used a photo of Corenswet’s face on a drone flying in front of a real background.
Although Gunn didn’t love the shot, he confirmed that it’s not in the movie. All the pieces were real but combined in a “funky” way. He’s usually strict about reviewing trailer shots, but this one slipped past him because it was part of a commercial.
Gunn said, “It was a TV commercial and it wasn’t a finished visual effects shot. 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.”
He added, “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. So that one kind of got by me.”
Gunn also revealed why he chose to make Superman the first DCU film. He said, “He’s one of the three biggest characters at DC and one of the most important characters in all of Warner Bros.’ catalog.” He then added, “He’s really the figurehead of DC… he’s the first-ever superhero. So it seemed like the right movie to do first.”
Here’s the logline from DC Studios for Superman: “In his signature style, 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 film stars Corenswet (Twisters, Hollywood) in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult (the X-Men movies, Juror #2) as Lex Luthor. The film also features Edi Gathegi (The Harder They Fall), Anthony Carrigan (Barry, Gotham), Nathan Fillion (the Guardians of the Galaxy films, The Suicide Squad), Isabela Merced (Alien: Romulus), Skyler Gisondo (Licorice Pizza, Booksmart), Sara Sampaio (At Midnight), Gabriela de Faría (The Moodys), Wendell Pierce (Selma, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan), Alan Tudyk (Andor), Pruitt Taylor Vince (Bird Box), and Neva Howell (Greedy People).
DC Studios heads Peter Safran and Gunn are producing the film, which Gunn is directing from his own screenplay, based on characters from DC — Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Superman will have a duration of 2 hours and 9 minutes. The film will be released in theaters and IMAX nationwide on July 11, 2025, and internationally beginning July 9, 2025, by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
