Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Superman.Superman is not nearly as weak as the trailers suggested, with the new DC Universe movie perfectly explaining why the Man of Steel does not win all of his fights. It was always going to take a little adjusting as we moved on from the DCEU’s movies and Henry Cavill’s version of Superman to the DCU and David Corenswet’s hero.

Based on his impressive displays of power in the old franchise, Cavill is easily one of the most powerful live-action iterations of Superman. That means Corenswet has a lot to live up to in that regard. After watching James Gunn’s Superman movie, I feel confident that he will get there, as the hero is not as weak as some believe.

The Superman Movie Trailers Teased A Weaker Man Of Steel

The Hero Was Bleeding On A Lot Of The Trailers

I will say that it makes sense that some fans would think Corenswet’s Superman was weaker than the Man of Steel should be. That is due to how a lot of the footage released before the film’s premiere showed the DC hero getting hurt or bleeding. That is not something usual for the Man of Steel, sparking debates about his power.

Famously, Gunn decided that the first footage released from the film would open with Superman bleeding in the snow. Corenswet’s Clark Kent was severely injured, which was shocking for fans of the character. Now that the movie is out, we know that moment comes from when Superman loses his first fight ever, with the Hammer of Boravia responsible for the injuries.

That aspect of Corenswet’s Superman being shown injured and bleeding would continue through most of the Superman movie trailers, sneak peeks, and behind-the-scenes footage. It ended up painting the idea that the hero was indeed weaker than other live-action Supermen like Cavill. However, James Gunn’s explanation for that decision makes it better, and Superman‘s story explains how powerful he is.

James Gunn Explained Why The DCU Superman Is Seen Bleeding

Clark Kent Is More Emotionally And Physically Vulnerable In The DCU

Speaking with ScreenRant ahead of Superman‘s release, James Gunn delved into why his version of Superman bleeds so much and how he compares to other live-action Men of Steel. According to Gunn, the idea was to make David Corenswet’s Superman a mix of various versions of the character in terms of his powers, like not being able to turn back time.

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The director confirmed that seeing Superman bleed is something new, but his comments about why the DCU Superman might be perceived as more physically vulnerable than others touches on how he is “fighting an equal and opposite force.” As such, Superman might not have some world-altering powers from other versions, but he is not really weak, as Superman found his match.

I never had a problem with how Corenswet’s Superman was presented in the trailers. While it was a bit jarring at first to open the first teaser with a bleak sH๏τ of the Man of Steel bleeding and defeated, Superman never really seemed weak to me. It spoke to the power of his enemies, and Gunn and the film confirmed it.

Superman Shows How The Hero Is Not Nearly As Weak As The Trailers Suggested

The Man Of Steel Faces Huge Threats In The DC Movie

The Superman movie starts with an opening crawl that reveals Clark Kent has been active as Superman for three years. In that time, he never lost a fight, until now. The Hammer of Boravia was the first enemy that managed to take down David Corenswet’s Superman. The DCU movie perfectly explained why he was able to hurt the hero so much.

First, there was the reveal that Lex Luthor was in his ear, shouting battle positions he had created specifically to fight Superman. Then, the biggest explanation for the Hammer of Boravia’s power set, which included Superman’s signature heat vision, was that he was Ultraman in disguise. The Superman movie’s ending reveals that Ultraman was actually a clone of David Corenswet’s Superman.

As such, the only villain that defeats Superman in the movie is technically himself, which explains why he is not as weak as the trailers might have suggested. Additionally, the only other part of the DCU movie that depicts the hero as weak is when Metamorpho transforms his hand into Kryptonite. That is Superman’s biggest weakness, so he gets a pᴀss.

How Superman Should Be Even Stronger In His Next DCU Appearances

The Main Obstacles On The Man Of Steel’s Way Are Now Gone

After DC’s new Superman movie cleared up the situation regarding the Man of Steel’s powers, I’m confident that he will only get stronger in future DCU movies. With Ultraman out of the way — he was sucked into a black hole in Lex Luthor’s pocket dimension — there is no character yet in the DCU that matches Superman’s raw power.

Adding to that, Superman makes an important reveal about the status of the hero’s biggest weakness. The movie explains how there is no longer any Kryptonite on Earth. Lex only managed to use the metal against him by forcing Metamorpho to obey him by threatening his son, which led to the hero using his transmutation powers to turn his hand into Kryptonite.

With Lex Luthor sent to prison and Metamorpho joining the Justice Gang at the end of Superman, there will seemingly not be any Kryptonite on Earth for the foreseeable future. As such, the two main threats that gravely hurt David Corenswet’s Superman in his debut are gone. Future movies can then keep the hero at full power, showing Superman‘s strength.