Why the Next Superman Will Have a ‘Sense of Humor’
By Movieguide® Contributor
As James Gunn takes over as the architect of the DC Universe, he plans on bringing his style with him, including the use of comedy within his plotlines.
Lois Lane actress Rachel Brosnahan revealed that in the upcoming Superman movie, the man of steel will “have a sense of humor.” This is a departure from the formula of the past which saw the DC heroes played as hyper-serious.
Gunn believes comedy is one of the elements missing from the DC Universe that has caused its movies to flounder. He hopes that by shaking things up, he will be able to cut through the audience’s fatigue and find widespread success.
“I think there is such a thing as superhero fatigue,” Gunn told Rolling Stone last April. “I think it doesn’t have anything to do with superheroes. It has to do with the kind of stories that get to be told, and if you lose your eye on the ball, which is the character.”
“We love Superman. We love Batman. We love Iron Man. Because they’re these incredible characters that we have in our hearts,” he continued. “And if it becomes just a bunch of nonsense onscreen, it gets really boring.”
While he is changing the formula, Gunn will remain fiercely loyal to Superman’s source material. The actors working on the project also have a love for the DC staple and hope to bring a classic character to a new audience.
“We’re excited to both put our own spin on things and honor the material we love so much,” Brosnahan said.
“Every single person involved in this production is such a perfect nerd for Superman,” she added. “We all grew up watching the movies. Some of us were reading the comics. So I feel like it’s being made with so much love. And I think this Superman will have a sense of humor.”
Fans, however, have a long time to wait before the Gunn-led DC Universe will hit the big screen. SUPERMAN: LEGACY is not slated to hit theaters until July 11, 2025.
Movieguide® previously reported on Gunn’s plans for the DCU:
James Gunn reassured fans concerned about the cast size for his upcoming SUPERMAN: LEGACY that he wants his movies to be focused.
“The whole point was it’s NOT a large film – I mean, not in terms of cast,” Gunn explained. “It’s normal for single protagonist films to have other characters – much more unusual for them not to.”
Gunn has so far revealed his casting for Superman (David Corenswet), Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Lex Luther (Nicholas Hoult), Jimmy Olson (Skyler Gisondo) and Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio).
These characters have a reason to be in the movie rather than being shoehorned in for the sake of a pointless cameo, something Gunn believes has hurt recent superhero movies.
“I call that ‘Cameo Porn’ and it has been one of the worst elements of recent superhero films,” he said. “If a character is in film, they have to have a reason to be there story-wise.”
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