James Gunn reveals the Guy Gardner line he had to cut from Superman despite it being hilarious. Fourteen years after Green Lantern‘s disappointing adaptation of DC’s Lantern lore, Guy Gardner becomes the DCU’s first big-screen Green Lantern. Nathan Fillion’s faithful take on Guy Gardner’s cocky personality is a highlight of Superman, as it helps put Superman’s pure-hearted heroism into perspective.

In an interview with Josh Horowitz, Superman director James Gunn reveals that Guy Gardner originally called Superman the “P word” in a previous cut of the movie. This line got “an enormous laugh” according to Gunn, but it led to “a big debate” due to the crᴀss nature of the word. Ultimately, the word was changed, and Guy called Superman a “wuss”. Check out James Gunn’s full comments:

Guy Gardner didn’t call him a wuss in the first cut. He called him something else. And it got an enormous laugh. An enormous laugh because he said, you know, he said, ‘Don’t be such a’, and then Clark goes –and this is what was cut– Clark goes, ‘Hey, there are kids here.’ And then Guy goes, ‘I said don’t be.’ And then he walks away. […] So that was a big debate whether we’re going to keep that word.”

What James Gunn’s Cut Guy Gardner Line Means

Guy Gardner Is The Exact Type Of Character Who Calls Superman The P Word

Guy Gardner has always differed from traditional, by-the-book heroes like Superman and Hal Jordan. Guy is brash, obnoxious, and aggressively overconfident, and he often using insults or taunts not out of malice, but as part of his signature bravado. Calling Superman the “P word” would fit perfectly with Guy’s behavior, though “wuss” also suits his vocabulary. For him, nicknames and jabs are a form of bonding as much as they are trash talk.

In the comics, the Green Lantern Guy Gardner has repeatedly crossed lines for the sake of proving a point or simply because he enjoys stirring the pot. One of his most infamous moments came when he “mooned” Batman and the rest of the Justice League in Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #1. Guy has also picked fights with nearly every member of the Justice League at some point, including trying to knock out Batman in Justice League International, which led to the now-iconic scene of Batman dropping him with a single punch.

Our Take On James Gunn’s Cut Guy Gardner Line

Guy Gardner Is Traditionally A Hilarious Menace To His Fellow Heroes

It would be perfectly in character for Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner to use inappropriate language toward David Corenswet’s Superman in front of a group of children. Both James Gunn and Nathan Fillion understand that Guy Gardner is an unapologetic loudmouth who treats everyone like they’re in a locker room, regardless of their power or the situation they’re in. Gunn likely cut the “P word” from Superman to keep the movie family-friendly.

James Gunn has proven his skill at handling offensive words before. The first-ever instance of the “F word” in the MCU happened in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where Star-Lord casually dropped the F-bomb as he grew frustrated with Nebula’s struggle to open a car door. This line is so unexpected and oddly casual that it earns a spot among the funniest lines in the franchise. Guy Gardner’s original insult probably would have had a similar effect in Superman.