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Within every Superman story is an element of tragedy. Sometimes it's hidden or implicit, other times it's at the heart of the story. Regardless of how sunny a Superman story is, there remains one simple truth: Kal-El is a refugee from Krypton, a planet and culture he has no memories of. While he's made his home on Earth and benefits from having the Fortress of Solitude, he'll always remain disconnected from his Kryptonian heritage because Krypton no longer exists. It's up to storytellers to decide how much they want to lean into or away from the darkness within Superman's character. 

James Gunn, the writer/director of this year's Superman film, revealed to Collider that he originally embraced a "dark ending" to the movie before Drew Goddard, a director known for his work on The Good Place, The Cabin in the Woods, Bad Times at the El Royale, and creating Netflix's Daredevil series, talked him out of it. 

Gunn said, "I would say probably Drew Goddard was really helpful [in making the Superman film]. There were a couple of little things in the movie that we had, like three or four things, that we really argued about in the film. All of them had to do with things that were a little bit darker or a little bit lighter. And in discussing one of them, Drew Goddard was like, 'You know what? It's just not that film. It's not that film with this little dark ending bit.' And I thought, 'You know what? He's right. It's not that film. It is not that film.' And so, that line that he said stuck with me for the rest of editing."

From the clips and trailers that we've seen from Gunn's Superman film, it looks immensely lighter than Zack Snyder's take on the character in 2013's Man of Steel and 2016's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. For one, Superman has got his iconic trunks on again. There's only so much darkness that can exist in a film when the main character is wearing their underwear on the outside. 

Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025. 

James Gunn's Superman movie is out now - and we have a lot to say about it. You can also read about Superman's S-Shield through the ages, how Superman and Clark Kent keep their secret identity secret, our recs for best Superman comics, and how to watch all his TV series and movies in order.