Following the release of the Superman trailer and a test screening, it’s claimed that Warner Bros. is nervous about the movie. Worth a mention is that prior to the release of the trailer, it was said Warner Bros. wasn’t happy.
“Hearing bad things”
The latest comes from Jeff Sneider on the most recent episode of the Hot Mic podcast. While discussing the recent news about The Batman: Part II getting delayed and the Andy Muschietti DCU Brave and the Bold movie getting postponed, Sneider revealed he talked to a source who said there are big concerns surrounding Gunn’s Superman:
“I went to dinner with a source a source who knew multiple people who had seen ‘Superman.’ The buzz is not good! It’s not me trying to take the movie down. Maybe I misphrased the VFX things… I’m hearing bad things. I’m hearing you should be worried things. Now, a lot of time between now and July 11. A lot of things could happen. Sounds like James Gunn is aware of some of the feedback.”
“Read between the lines”
Sneider then references a recent report from THR published in their e-mail newsletter on Dec. 6 and said:
“Sounds like THR is aware of some of the feedback or they’re just keeping that amazing Buzz that the studio would love to have out there in the ‘Fortress of Solitude.’ Read between the lines people.”
For reference, here is what THR said:
“We’ve heard from multiple sources about one screening in particular, on the lot and with his close-knit crew of people he trusts. We’re keeping the buzz about the movie itself in our own Fortress of Solitude, but we can tell you that the movie will be doing a few days of additional shooting in Los Angeles in the near term.”
What Sneider is stating is that obviously THR wouldn’t keep things locked up in their “Fortress of Solitude” if what they knew about Superman is good news. Hence, it’s bad news.
Superman is “kind of a mess”
The World of Reel also reported that Sneider previously said that:
“He heard from a ‘rock-solid source’ that ‘Superman,’ or at least the cut recently shown on the Warner lot, is ‘kind of a mess.’ That’s the truth, from someone in the know, and right now, Warner is starting to get ‘nervous’ about the film.”
The podcast continued and Sneider went on a bit of a rant about how crazy the fans can get adding:
“Sorry that’s what the buzz is. The buzz is what it is. I can’t change it.”
Tone of the first Captain America and The Mummy
Jon Rocha then chimes in and says what an insider filled him in about Superman:
“Someone who seen ‘Superman’ told me it has the tone of the first ‘Captain America‘ movie and ‘The Mummy‘ film [Sneider laughed and yelled out, “That’s bad!”]. They said Nicholas Holt is the standout and the film was decent but a large chunk of the film was unfinished with only a third of the film’s VFX being done.”
“Least amount of humor of any Gunn film but there’s still humor throughout the film.”
“They think most people will be satisfied with the movie and it should be received well enough to continue Gunn’s DCU.”
“There’s plenty of reason to be nervous”
Also during the podcast, Sneider says he was contacted by someone connected to the editing world who texted him:
“Your ‘Superman’ reports are spot on. There’s plenty of reason to be nervous.”
Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025. The film’s synopsis offers that in his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.
