Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
James Gunn attends Warner Bros. "Blue Beetle" Los Angeles Special Screening at TCL Chinese Theatre on August 15, 2023 in Hollywood, California/Superman 2025 first-look image
Photos via Kevin Winter/Getty Images and James Gunn/Warner Bros.

James Gunn just revealed how he’s taking the worst possible lesson from his time in the MCU

The good news is there's still time to unlearn it.

While the MCU is arguably over the hill, the newborn DCU stands on the precipice of greatness. With James Gunn at the helm, all the signs are pointing to the Guardians of the Galaxy helmer using the lessons he learned from his time at Marvel Studios to make DC a true rival to Kevin Feige in terms of consistent quality content.

Recommended Videos

Unfortunately, with the long-awaited first-look unveiling of David Corenswet as the Man of Steel in 2025’s Superman, Gunn has also unwittingly admitted that he’s taken on one of the worst lessons he could’ve learned from Marvel Studios too. The first-look pic shows off the new Last Son of Krypton in his revamped super-suit, but the reaction to the costume has proven to be as muted as its color scheme. And for good reason.

Superman first-look pic proves Gunn has taken the MCU-ification of superhero costumes to heart

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America in Avengers: Endgame
Photo via Marvel Studios

On paper, there’s so much to love about the Corenswet Superman suit (see top of page). The combination of the Kingdom Come S shield and the classic red trunks, for instance, shows a brilliant blend of tradition and subversion. What is really leaving fans disappointed, however, is the over-familiarity of the suit’s material and color palette. Not only does it look similar to Henry Cavill’s SnyderVerse uniform, it’s very much in keeping with every hero suit in the MCU as well.

The MCU has done a lot of things right by the superhero genre, but an unfortunate side-effect of its immense popularity is that it seems all superhero suits now have to be grounded and/or muted in order to function. There’s nary a costumed MCU character who goes by without their comic book outfit being toned down or militarized in some way shape or form. Even Hugh Jackman’s outfit in Deadpool & Wolverine — one of the best MCU suits, for sure — has been altered to appear more like armor.

For the DCU, Gunn had the chance to completely rewrite the rulebook and stand out from the crowd. Could a more old-school fabric suit like the one worn by Christopher Reeves’ Supes work nowadays? Personally, I think it could’ve done, given the effectiveness of Brandon Routh’s costumes in both Superman Returns and Crisis on Infinite Earths. Seeing such a suit revealed in a first-look image would’ve promised the world that 2025’s reboot would be truly a new start for the superhero movie medium. Instead, it warns that Superman is going to look like every other entry in the genre right now.

There’s still time to fix this, of course, in future films in the DCU, but it certainly looks like Gunn has been too keen a student of Kevin Feige’s to switch things up now. But, hey, an MCU Superman’s better than no Superman.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Christian Bone
Christian Bone
Christian Bone is a Staff Writer/Editor at We Got This Covered and has been cluttering up the internet with his thoughts on movies and TV for over a decade, ever since graduating with a Creative Writing degree from the University of Winchester. As Marvel Beat Leader, he can usually be found writing about the MCU and yet, if you asked him, he'd probably say his favorite superhero film is 'The Incredibles.'