Less than a week from the release of Superman, actor David Corenswet shared his perspective on Clark Kent’s motives and what sets the character apart, including his unique choice of attire. A major debate surrounding Superman has been the choice of whether or not the character should maintain his classic suit with trunks on top.

In an appearance on the DC Studios Showcase podcast, Corenswet unpacked why he thinks Superman is a compelling hero. He explained:

The one thought that I had about Superman before I made my audition tape that I felt very strongly about was that—and I discovered later that Grant Morrison had already made this discovery and that was sort of the origin of All-Star Superman the comic— the things that people think make Superman uninteresting. The fact that he’s essentially all-powerful, he’s very highly powered, and he doesn’t really have… like, emotional angst. He really is a good person with a good upbringing. He doesn’t have some crazy internal struggle. Those are not his weaknesses. Those are actually what make him an interesting character.

And as Grant Morrison says, people say, “Well, then where is the drama? Where are the stakes?” He says all of the most interesting ones, the relational ones, the emotional stakes, the feeling of loneliness and isolation, of alienation from the people who he wants to be with the most, combined with the fact that he is a good person and wants to keep doing what he’s doing. He never feels burdened with his responsibilities. He loves what he gets to do.

As for how this affects Clark’s choice to don the trunks, it’s simple: he wants to be nonthreatening. Corenswet stated: “The problem with the trunks is that they look kind of silly. And you can argue against it. You can try to make them not silly.” He explained that director James Gunn struggled to find a utility for them.

Corenswet himself contributed to the discussion by posing an essential question, “What if the point is that they look a little silly?” He then clarified: “The reason that Superman wants to look a little silly is because he doesn’t need to look cool. He doesn’t want to look cool. He wants to be Clark Kent. He wants to be the normal, bumbling guy who’s just barely fitting in at work.“

What David Corenswet’s Superman Comments Mean

Previously, Gunn discussed his struggle with making the trunks work for the DCU Superman, even consulting Man of Steel director Zack Snyder. He credited Corenswet as the reason he finally committed to Superman rocking the trunks and a brightly colored suit.

Corenswet delved further into the logic of Superman intentionally wanting to look silly by noting it was about being approachable. He said: “You’ve seen me catch falling buildings, blow up whatever with my laser vision, and fight these amazing super-powered foes. […] I don’t want you to think you couldn’t come up to me and ask for directions. Or ask for help. Or for a kid to, you know, ask for help with his homework.“

This Superman “wants to do all of that. For Corenswet, “the trunks are just a way of saying, ‘I’m not too cool. […] I don’t take myself too seriously I might be very powerful, but, you know, come say hi. Come laugh at me. You know, who cares? I can take it.“

Our Take On David Corenswet’s Superman Comments

Love or hate Superman’s trunks, they are iconic. Gunn wanted them to have a purpose in his film, and Corenswet’s explanation provides that albeit with a more character-focused explanation. Given the overall more lighthearted tone of Superman, it makes sense that this iteration of the hero would prioritize coming across as safe and friendly.