‘Superman’: James Gunn Talks Title Change & Decision To Put Trunks On The Suit

We are just a couple of days away from the long-awaited trailer for James Gunn’s “Superman.” To say this is one of the most anticipated 2025 titles is an understatement. Not only is this meant to redefine Superman for a new generation, it’s also going to kickstart Gunn’s DCU. Safe to say, there’s a lot of pressure on this film to be big. 

In a new set visit report from io9, James Gunn talks about his upcoming take on “Superman” and the pressure that comes along with writing and directing this superhero film. He also talked about why the title had to be changed, and how David Corenswet convinced him to keep the trunks. 

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As for the title of the film, you may remember how it was originally announced as “Superman: Legacy.” However, earlier this year, Gunn said the film was simply titled “Superman.” So, what happened to ‘Legacy?’ Well, it’s still part of the script but it just didn’t work as the title.

“I thought maybe the title had a looking back feeling about it,” Gunn said. “And this isn’t about looking back. This is about looking forward. So although when you see the movie you’ll understand where ‘Legacy’ comes from because it is about Clark and his relationship to his Kryptonian parents and his relationship to his human parents and whose legacy is he really? And so it’s about that. But I think as a title it felt too ‘looking back.’”

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As for the trunks on the outside of the suit, a Superman tradition, it all came from star David Corenswet changing how Gunn views the character.

“We were trying on all these different versions, and we screened tested with trunks and no trunks,” Gunn said. “And one of the things David said is that Superman wants kids to not be afraid of him. He’s an alien. He’s got these incredible powers. He shoots beams out of his eyes… He’s this incredibly powerful, could be considered scary, individual and he wants people to like him. He wants to be a symbol of hope and positivity. So he dresses like a professional wrestler. He dresses in a way that makes people unafraid of him, that shows that hope that shows that positivity. And that really clicked in for me. And I think trying to pretend that Superman’s costume doesn’t have some frivolity to it at its base, trying to make it look serious, is silly because he is a superhero. He’s the first one, brightly colored and that’s who he is.”

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You have to hand it to Gunn, he seems to understand the character and the comic book roots. But as we know, just because someone has read the comics, it doesn’t mean the film is going to be huge. There’s still quite a bit of doubt surrounding the character. It’s still unknown if people are willing to show up for a “Superman” movie in 2025. 

And as if that wasn’t pressure enough, James Gunn’s “Superman” is meant to be the first major step in his new, connected DCU. So, if he starts things off with a bad film, the rest of his plans could be in jeopardy.

“A lot ” he said. “I mean, We’re not going to just keep making movies.”

“Superman” is set to arrive in theaters on July 11, 2025.