James Gunn explains why one sH๏τ from the Superman movie teasers was cut from the DC Universe installment. As the wait is nearly over for Gunn’s upcoming Superman film, which will become a mᴀssive kick-off point for the DCU franchise, more details have been shared about the movie by the filmmaker. Earlier in 2025, a sH๏τ of David Corenswet’s Superman in one of the movie trailers garnered a lot of divided reception online, which Gunn addressed by stressing that there was zero CG used on the actor’s face.

However, it turns out that particular sH๏τ of Corenswet’s Superman flying will not even be seen in the theatrical cut, as Gunn recently opened up about it in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly. As EW asked about Gunn’s thoughts on the reception to that Superman sH๏τ – specifically stating “was that telling, when you talk about having to figure out how to pull off these mechanics of getting David to fly authentically?” – the DC Studios co-CEO and filmmaker shared the following:

No, I don’t think it was so much. It was a TV commercial and it wasn’t a finished visual effects sH๏τ. So the part of him flying, it was a pH๏τograph of his face and him flying. It was a pH๏τograph 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. I didn’t love the sH๏τ, so it’s not even the sH๏τ that’s in the movie. Sometimes I’m pretty strict about when I’m going through a trailer and looking at each of the sH๏τs, but sometimes the commercials, I forget to look at this closely. So that one kind of got by me.

What James Gunn’s Comments Mean For The Superman Movie

There will always be divided thoughts on various aspects of Superman across the board, as this is generally the case for any major Hollywood blockbuster film. Gunn’s comments about why he removed this particular Superman sH๏τ are a good reminder that filmmaking is easier said than done, as many things do get changed in post-production. In the case of Gunn’s Superman movie, it’s not shocking and also perfectly acceptable for the filmmaker to decide to alter various elements of their project after seeing the material that was sH๏τ.

If anything, it’s a testament to Gunn’s filmmaking experience that he’s able to address moments or sH๏τs that didn’t live up to expectations in some ways, and be open about alterations that were ultimately made. As it stands, if there was no way to make that sH๏τ of Corenswet’s Man of Steel flying workable, there is no reason to have it in the finished cut at all. Hopefully, the care taken with picking the right sH๏τs for the final movie can ensure it avoids some of the complications and complaints that prior DC releases experienced.

Our Take On James Gunn’s Superman Comments

Gunn’s commentary about how this now-unused sH๏τ from Superman made it into one of the commercials makes it all the more interesting, and helps address concerns about the moment by revealing it won’t be in the film. Outside of that one moment, the marketing for Superman has had a very solid journey thus far, no doubt playing a role in the reported projections of a strong Superman box office start during opening weekend. With only less than a month before Superman arrives in theaters, it will be exciting to see the finished product, especially after all the hard work that has been put into the Man of Tomorrow’s cinematic return.

Source: Entertainment Weekly