Superman and Batman are the world’s finest heroes, but they’re worlds apart. Where the Man of Steel is a shining beacon of hope for humanity, the Dark Knight cloaks himself in shadow as a creature of the night. And while the costumed crusaders share a common goal as they fight crime on the side of justice, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne’s methods are as different as day and night: Superman presents himself as a friend, but Batman wants to strike terror into the hearts of criminals.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Writer-director James Gunn had that in mind when deciding whether David Corenswet’s Superman should wear the red trunks on the outside of his costume, something that the actor advocated for in costume fittings documented in Adventures in Making Superman.
“The thought that I always had was what you said: Superman needs to be huggable,” the costume-clad star is seen telling Gunn in the hour-long featurette, which is included on the film’s digital release. “And there is something about this [suit] that’s disarming.”
“Even with Batman, if I was doing Batman, I’d get into it,” Gunn says. “Like, Batman is a f—ing maniac. He puts on a scary bat costume and goes out and tries to scare people.”
Corenswet likened Superman’s trunks-on-the-outside look to high visibility gear while wearing a proto-version of the suit (sans trunks). “‘Everybody knows that I’m here, I’m public safety,’” he says. “‘I’m making myself the target.’ Even going to the shorts and the belt feels more like a high-vis uniform.”
After some back and forth, Corenswet convinced Gunn that this Superman would wear trunks because they “look kind of silly,” the actor previously told Fandango.
“You were looking for a way to make them look cool, or you were looking for a function, an explanation to justify having them, and my thing was, ‘Maybe they’re supposed to look a little silly?’” Corenswet recalled telling Gunn in a joint interview. “Maybe the reason he wears them is to look a little silly. Basically, to undermine how powerful he really is.”
“Everyone knows he’s an alien. He shoots beam out of his eyes, he can blow things down with his breath. He’s sort of this terrifying creature,” Gunn added. “And David saying, ‘But he really likes kids, and human beings, and people. He wants kids to not be afraid of him.’ And so that was the thing that made me decide to keep the trunks.”
DC Studios’ Superman is available digitally at home on digital retailers starting August 15, and comes home on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 23.
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics -
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios.
