A new report claims James Gunn’s Superman is a divisive one.
According to a YouTuber with a reliable source who worked on the film and attended a recent screening, audiences are in for a “love it or hate it” experience — with no in-between.
That sounds potentially alarming, as recall how the reactions to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel were similar.
What does the YouTuber say?
According to YouTuber Tachyon Pulse Podcast, who has been leaking info out of the UK, including tidbits about Star Trek and that new Aliens vs Predator universe, Superman comic book fans will love the movie, while the Zack Snyder Man of Steel fans and even the general audience may hate it.
The Superman comic book fans will love that it’s a love letter to comic books. However, the Zack Snyder Man of Steel fans will hate that it’s on the goofier side of things, like Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Regarding the general audience, the YouTuber says they might not like it and could feel frustrated because the movie is fast-paced, and some of the details and jokes might fly over their heads.
More details below. Note: There are no spoilers.
David Corenswet as Superman brings the humanity
The YouTuber says that David Corenswet delivers a solid performance as Clark Kent, bringing vulnerability and uncertainty to both his Superman and his human side. The insider said the portrayal adds a much-needed human element to the character that past films haven’t fully explored.
“We get to see both a unsure Superman and an unsure Clark Kent which I actually think is really nice,” says the YouTuber.
Fast-paced, not another origin story
The film doesn’t rehash Superman’s origin. Instead, it jumps right into the action.
While that means less character development for the supporting cast, the YouTuber’s source notes that the movie moves fast and keeps the energy high. Hardcore DC fans might appreciate skipping the usual setup.
A comic book movie for comic book fans, general audience could be lost
James Gunn is said to have packed Superman with deep-cut references, comic-style pacing, and a lot of characters. Again, the tone is said to be closer to Guardians of the Galaxy than Man of Steel.
Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner
The source says that fans of the comics may appreciate characters like Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, but casual audiences could find some of the humor and characters off-putting or confusing.
“If you’re not a hardcore comic fan, you’re just going to think the character is a buffoon,” says the YouTuber. “He’s supposed to be funny, but if you don’t get the joke—which is true for any extroverted character, really—he’s just going to be irritating.”
The robots
The YouTuber adds that the robots in the Fortress of Solitude don’t work well in the film.
“[The source] has also said that basically about the robots, that you’re supposed to love the robots…You’re supposed to feel an attachment to these characters because Superman does in a way. They’re almost like parental figures; they look after him, they’ve cared for him. You’re supposed to feel that,” explains the YouTuber. “But [according to the source], actually, you just get irritated by them.”
Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane
The YouTuber again points out Superman is not an origin story but says they do go into a bit about Lois and Clark’s relationship. The source says it works.
“The Lois Lane story line is a little bit complicated. It goes through as a rush,” says the YouTuber. “We see a bit of development of the relationship, they show the friction there with the relationship, the journalist and the superhero. That works, really, really, well.”
Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor
The YouTuber adds in the comments that while the first Superman trailer didn’t come off too well, the subsequent trailer got it right.
“He is pretty good actually,” the YouTuber says about Hoult’s Lex.
The Takeaway: James Gunn’s Superman is Rocky Balboa
So the real takeaway, according to the insider, is that if you’re into comics, you’ll likely enjoy what Gunn did with the movie.
However, if you’re expecting a traditional Superman flick – even something like the Christopher Reeve films – you may be disappointed, as it sounds like Gunn’s film is more on the comedy side of things. Either way, the movie reportedly goes all in on Gunn’s vision, for better or worse.
The YouTuber compares Gunn’s Superman to Rocky.
“It reminded me when [the source] was telling me about this of that Rocky scene. When he says it’s not about how hard you get hit, it’s about how well you then get up,” says the YouTuber.
Watch the full review on YouTube.
Release info
James Gunn’s Superman flies into theaters on July 11th.
The film stars David Corenswet as Superman and Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The supporting cast includes Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell.
