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Every version of Superman we’ve seen on the big screen has been a little bit different. Curl or no curl? Muscle suit or no muscle suit? But one thing that comes and goes is the trunks he wears outside his costume. It is tough to make it look like he isn’t just wearing his underwear on the outside and, at times, can make the Man of Steel look a bit silly. And that is why David Corenswet pushed for James Gunn to keep the trunks on Superman in the new DC Studios movie.

During an interview, director James Gunn talked about how difficult it was to make the trunks work in live-action. He even went so far as to consult Man of Steel director Zack Snyder for advice on whether his version of Superman should have the controversial trunks. “I talked to Zack Snyder who was like ‘You know, I tried a billion different versions with the trunks and I couldn’t get there.’ And I was feeling exactly the same,” James Gunn explained. 

The issue was finding a reason for Superman to wear the trunks over his costume. There was no functional purpose for them.

“The problem is they look kind of silly,” David Corenswet added. “You were looking for a way to make them look cool or you were looking for a function, an explanation for having them. And my thing was just, maybe they’re supposed to look a little silly. Maybe the reason he wears them is to look a little silly. Basically, to undermine how powerful he really is.”

When you are the most powerful being on the planet, with the power to crush cars with your hands and shoot lasers from your eyes, it is easy for people to be afraid of you. But Superman isn’t driven by fear. More than anything, he wants people to feel safe around him, so wearing the trunks to undercut just how powerful he is makes sense in this version.

We’ll see Superman, goofy trunks and all, in action on July 11, 2025.

James Gunn's Superman is flying into theaters soon enough, and Popverse has all you need to prepare. Refreshing your cinematic memory with our Superman movie watch order, learn what we know about the upcoming Superman movie, Superman's S-Shield through the ages, and read about what DC is doing ahead of their flagship hero's triumphant return.