James Gunn, the man behind DC Studios and director of the new Superman movie, has openly admitted that the film was the biggest challenge of his entire career—yes, significantly more difficult than Guardians of the Galaxy, which in many ways shaped large parts of the modern MCU.
In a new interview, Gunn describes how difficult it was to make a film about a character that basically everyone already thinks they understand. With Guardians, he was able to experiment freely—very few people knew what to expect—but with Superman, almost the entire world has clear preconceived expectations.
"With 'Guardians,' you were building a corner of the universe that felt completely different from everything else Marvel was doing at the time. Here, I was reorienting something everyone already thinks they understand."
"Everyone in the world thinks something different about Superman. Everybody knows who he is."
Opinions about the new Superman continue to differ, with the more classic and humorous tone seeming to have gone down badly with some fans. Perhaps they will find more joy in the slightly darker Supergirl, judging by the trailer, when it premieres later this year.