James Gunn Confirms Corenswet’s Superman Will Be Weaker Than Henry Cavill’s: “I Wanted Superman to Be Vulnerable”

James Gunn is giving Superman a makeover, and this time, he’s going for something very different. The new movie, simply called Superman, stars David Corenswet in the title role, and fans are already talking about one big change: this Superman might not be as powerful as the ones we’ve seen before.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Gunn, who is writing and directing the movie, explained that Corenswet’s Superman will be a little easier to relate to, partly because he won’t be unstoppable. Gunn said he wants this version of the hero to show more vulnerability.

“There are things that I know I don’t explain that I don’t even want to say out loud! But I wanted Superman to be vulnerable,” Gunn said.

This is a big shift from how Superman has been shown in the past. Henry Cavill’s version in the DCEU and Christopher Reeve’s classic take on the character both showed Superman doing almost impossible things. Reeve’s Superman even turned back time in the 1978 movie by flying so fast he reversed the Earth’s rotation. Gunn doesn’t seem interested in repeating that kind of thing.

Instead, he’s been clear that making Superman less godlike is a choice, and not just because it fits the story he wants to tell. It also helps make the rest of the new DC Universe more believable. Gunn said that if Superman was too powerful, the other heroes wouldn’t really matter.

“We’re creating a whole universe now, so what’s a girl with wings gonna do in the face of that? So he’s a little less powerful. Guy Gardner’s pretty f***** powerful. They’re all pretty powerful,”* he explained.

Gunn even poked fun at fans who are obsessed with who would win in superhero fights. He thinks those debates don’t mean much.

“I see the online things ‘Who would beat whom?’ — Homelander or Superman or f***** whatever, Adam Warlock or Brightburn, and I’m like, ‘This is the f****** stupidest f****** conversation,’”* Gunn said. “So then whoever would win this fight means that they’re the best? Because I’ll just go out and write God Man, who can destroy you with a wink. And I win. I win all the fights forever. But I didn’t want a Superman who could punch planets.”

Gunn also pointed out that a lot of people prefer Batman over Superman just because Batman can actually lose. That helped him decide to make a version of Superman who isn’t unbeatable.

“Honestly, in talking to people, a lot of people are like, ‘I like Batman better because he can actually be beat,’ and I get that. So we have a Superman that can be beat,” Gunn said.

Even though this new Superman might be physically weaker than past versions, he’s still going to have powers. Trailers already show Corenswet flying, shooting heat vision, and using his X-ray vision, something Cavill’s Superman barely did. A tie-in comic even features him using that power to rescue scientists trapped in a skyscraper.

The upcoming film is part of the rebooted DC Universe and will introduce a bunch of other heroes alongside Superman. Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult is Lex Luthor, and the movie will also include characters like Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner, Mr. Terrific, and Metamorpho.

Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025. James Gunn is clearly trying something new, and whether fans love it or not, this version of Superman won’t be the same unbeatable legend people are used to, and that’s exactly the point.

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