James Gunn reveals that Clark Kent’s civilian disguise brings back a long-forgotten part of DC lore in Superman. James Gunn’s Superman puts more focus on Superman’s double life than several of the Man of Steel’s previous movie appearances. David Corenswet’s Clark Kent looks and behaves quite differently to Superman, though he still conceals his real idenтιтy with only a pair of glᴀsses and a different hairstyle.

Speaking to ComicBook, James Gunn confirms that there’s more to Clark Kent’s disguise than a regular pair of glᴀsses. The Superman director reveals that he discussed Clark Kent’s civilian persona with comic book writer Tom King, who reminded him that Superman once wore glᴀsses made of a material that hypnotizes people. Check out Gunn’s full comments below:

“That’s canon in the comics. It’s kind of been forgotten but that’s from the comics. I was sitting with Tom King, the comic book writer, and I was like, ‘you know the thing that I just don’t really know how to reconcile in myself is the glᴀsses because the glᴀsses always bothered me as a kid.’ They bothered me because I just don’t have that much suspension of disbelief to believe that.

You know, they’re two different people even though I think out of all the actors that have played Superman, Corenswet looks the most different as Clark Kent to Superman, even more so than Chris Reeve. But he said, ‘you know, there’s an answer for that in the comics; it’s canon that they hypnotize people.'”

What James Gunn’s Clark Kent Comments Mean

Superman’s Civilian Disguise Embraces Its Comic Book Roots In The DCU

Throughout the years, Superman’s rather weak civilian disguise has leaned on the angle that the shy and clumsy Clark Kent is the complete opposite of the all-powerful Man of Steel, and that most people simply wouldn’t consider that they’re the same person. However, DC did explore a different explanation early on in Superman’s history. In the Silver Age, it was revealed that Superman’s glᴀsses distort his physical appearance in the eyes of other people.

According to this explanation, Superman’s glᴀsses were created using the material from the windows of the rocket ship that brought him to Earth. This material apparently has special properties that distort images not only visually, but also psychologically. In other words, Clark Kent’s glᴀsses literally hypnotize people into seeing him the way he wants them to see him.

Our Take On James Gunn’s Clark Kent Comments

A Sci-Fi Explanation Might Be The Best Approach To Clark Kent’s Glᴀsses

Clark Kent’s disguise has always required a strong suspension of disbelief. The idea that a pair of glᴀsses and a change in posture could hide Superman’s idenтιтy has long been one of the least realistic parts of Superman lore. Introducing “hypno-glᴀsses” in James Gunn’s Superman actually makes the concept more plausible. Pretending people just don’t recognize Superman might actually be a sillier explanation than one that fully leans into sci-fi.

The new DCU is unapologetically close to the comics. In a world where Superman babysitting a fully-powered Krypto the Superdog is the least weird sight of the day, a pair of hypnotic glᴀsses fits right in. This wouldn’t have been as believable in a grittier franchise like the DCEU. Besides, Superman‘s comic-accurate Fortress of Solitude, complete with advanced Kryptonian tech and robotic ᴀssistants, may also explain how Kal-El salvaged Kryptonian tech from his rocket to create the hypno-glᴀsses.

Source: ComicBook