The Superman trailer has finally revealed how the hero’s heat vision will look, but it’s gotten me more excited to see his other powers adapted in the DCU. Superman has been around in the comic books since 1939, when the character was originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. However, in the decades since the hero debuted, he has become a staple of pop culture, with dozens of films, TV shows, and cartoons adapting the Man of Steel.

And while Superman may be one of the most adapted heroes ever to appear on the big screen, only a handful of his varied powers have appeared in film and TV. However, with James Gunn at the helm, and the DCU pushing the bounds of what is possible in creating a superhero story, it seems promising for the future of the character. And personally, I can’t wait to see what comes next for the hero that will go on to lead groups like the Justice League.

Superman’s Live-Action Depictions Tend To Overly Focus On Just Some Of His Powers

Superman Has So Many More Powers Than What Appears On-Screen

Despite Superman appearing in films as far back as 1948, the character has often been boiled down to having a few set powers. Superman is almost always seen as super-strong, super-fast, and capable of leaping great distances. Beyond that, some more common powers that the hero exhibits in modern film are his ability to fly, use heat vision, x-ray vision, and freeze breath.

All of these abilities tend to stem from the hero’s exposure to the yellow sun, which imbues his Kryptonian physiology with incredible power. But the truth of it is, Superman has a lot of other powers that have rarely made it outside the comics. Particularly during the Silver Age run of Superman comics, writers gifted Supes with the ability to do some wild and wonderful things. From telekinesis, to super disco, Clark Kent has more abilities than the movies have ever been able to tap into.

The DCU’s Latest Superman Trailer Sets A Promising Precedent For Nailing His Wider Skillset

James Gunn Has A Talent For Creating Wild & Wacky Superheroes

However, James Gunn is not always one to follow trends. With his work on Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, Gunn took existing franchises, and he added his own signature style with weird and wacky moments that made them stand out. And seeing how Gunn has chosen to adapt an ability like Superman’s heat vision, with the hero having red patches around his eyes, it’s clear that Gunn is keen to once again refresh this popular character for new audiences.

This may be a subtle change, and one that has even been explored in a small way in other projects, but it feels like a big step towards more potential changes. As a result, Gunn may find himself experimenting with other ways to redefine the hero, and take underappreciated abilities from the classic comics and weave them into the narrative. It doesn’t necessarily mean having Superman use his memory erasing-kisses abilities, or time travel, both of which occurred in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, but there are a lot of other powers to dig into that could comfortably fit into the DCU.

The DCU Showing Off More About Superman’s Powers Would Make Sense Given Its Timeline

Superman Is A More Experienced Hero In The DCU

Unlike many other iterations of the character, this Superman is established in his world. Clark Kent is already working at the Daily Planet, and his girlfriend, Lois Lane, is aware of his secret idenтιтy. Yes, aspects of his origin will probably come up in the film, but overall, this is an experienced Superman who is ready to take on a whole host of villains and push his powers to their limits. And with that, it makes sense for this version of the character to have discovered some other abilities that may have been more difficult to refine early in his superhero career.

This Superman has the chance to stand out from the previous iterations of the hero, and introducing less common powers could be a great way to do just that. James Gunn certainly has the skill and knowledge as a writer and fan to incorporate other powers, but it also needs to fit within the world of the DCU. There are bizarre powers that may feel silly, but depending on the tone of Superman and the other DCU projects, this could be one of the more unique Superman movies ever made.