DCEU Snyder fans say they’ll rewatch Henry Cavill’s Superman trilogy to pay tribute to him before James Gunn’s July shocker. Some won’t be embracing James Gunn’s Superman 2025

David Corenswet’s Superman will soon fly into theaters, and amid the debate about whether James Gunn’s DC Universe movie makes the hero look weak, I think that is the perfect way to move away from Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. The DCU’s Chapter One projects have to do a great job of setting up what is to come for the franchise, with large-scale worldbuilding, but also let audiences know that the movies in the old DCEU are being left behind.

The DCU Superman Movie Trailers Have Raised Concerns That The Hero Looks Weak

Superman Gets Beaten Up Quite A Few Times In The Trailers

DC has released footage from the Superman movie through sneak peeks, teasers, and, recently, the first full Superman movie trailer. Interestingly, a common element of all the bits of footage we have seen of the DCU’s first film is related to how David Corenswet’s Superman is constantly shown beaten up, unconscious, or bleeding. That is a new look for the superhero, who is normally known as the ideal mirror for what other heroes should be.

Superman Official Trailer

The very first Superman teaser started with the Man of Steel bleeding in the snow. During the Superman sneak peek released in theaters before A Minecraft Movie, Corenswet’s Man of Steel could barely resist as Krypto jumped all over him, with the sounds of bones breaking. We have also seen Superman getting beaten up by the Hammer of Boravia, Ultraman, the Engineer, and even robots that seem to serve Lex Luthor. It’s safe to say that Superman is going through it in the film.

Henry Cavill’s Superman Was Shown To Be Extremely Powerful

The Man Of Steel Could Not Be Taken Down By The Justice League

The number of injuries we have seen David Corenswet’s Superman sustain stands starkly in contrast with Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel. In the DCEU, Superman was more often than not depicted as a god among men, easily taking on te threats put in front of him. Sure, Cavill’s Superman died in the DCEU. However, that happened while he was fighting Doomsday, the one character whose most important trait in the comics is being the character who can kill the Man of Steel.

Doomsday and Batman’s kryptonite shenanigans aside, Cavill’s Superman mostly breezed through challenges. Superman easily held back the entire Justice League when he came back to life, even managing to surprise The Flash with how fast he moved. Later in the film, when the heroes were having a hard time against Steppenwolf, Henry Cavill’s Superman showed up and changed the tide instantly. Based on what we have seen of him in the DCU movie trailers so far, David Corenswet’s Superman would likely have struggled.

David Corenswet’s Superman Being Weaker Than Henry Cavill’s Is Perfect For James Gunn’s Story

The Man Of Steel’s Humanity Is His Best Trait

Image via Warner Bros.

While some might view it as a bad thing, I feel like David Corenswet’s Superman being depicted as weaker than Henry Cavill’s is perfect for the direction the DCU is taking the character in, as well as serving as a way to let go of what came before in the DCEU. James Gunn’s Superman movie is all about going back to the roots with characters like Superman, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and more. As the trailers and Gunn have made clear, the Superman and Clark Kent sides of the hero are equally important.

Superman Movie Cast

Actor
Character

David Corenswet
Clark Kent/Superman

Rachel Brosnahan
Lois Lane

Nicholas Hoult
Lex Luthor

Skyler Gisondo
Jimmy Olsen

Terence Rosemore
Otis

Sara Sampaio
Eve Teschmacher

Nathan Fillion
Guy Gardner/Green Lantern

Edi Gathegi
Michael Holt/Mister Terrific

Isabela Merced
Hawkgirl

Anthony Carrigan
Rex Mason/Metamorpho

Maria Gabriela De Faria
Angela Spica/The Engineer

As such, I feel that by making Superman look “weak,” the DCU is giving him more to struggle with than Cavill’s Superman, allowing his humanity to come out more and be spotlighted. Superman’s main goal remains unchanged, with the hero not letting anyone die. Now, he will seemingly have a harder time doing so, and it helps sell that he is relatively early in his career and needs the help of other DCU heroes, making Superman a great start for the new shared universe.