The controversy over whether or not Superman ought to don his iconic pink trunks has raged for years amongst followers and filmmakers alike. Whereas some iterations of the Man of Metal have opted to depart the trunks prior to now — most notably Zack Snyder’s Man of Metal — James Gunn’s upcoming Superman marks a return to custom. Nonetheless, it wasn’t a simple choice.
In a candid second shared throughout a set go to earlier this yr attended by Collider’s Ross Bonaime, Gunn revealed that main man David Corenswet performed a pivotal position in convincing the director to embrace the trunks as soon as once more. When requested concerning the “trunks versus no trunks” debate, Gunn admitted to initially being Group No Trunks:
“On the finish of the day, it wasn’t that heated; it was heated for some time. I used to be on the no trunks group for a very long time. For a very long time. And Zack [Snyder] mentioned that when he was doing it, he tried a billion totally different trunk variations as we did. And I stored going again to no trunks, no trunks, no trunks. And I am like, nicely, let’s simply grind it out. Let’s simply maintain attempting trunks and see what occurs.”
The choice wasn’t made evenly, although. The group examined a number of variations, with and with out the trunks, through the design part. It was Corenswet, who portrays the titular hero in Superman, who lastly made the compelling argument for holding the pink trunks as a part of the costume. Gunn recalled:
“David [Corenswet] mentioned one thing to me that actually affected me. We have been attempting on all these totally different variations, and we screened examined with trunks and no trunks. And one of many issues David mentioned is that Superman desires children to not be afraid of him.”
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James Gunn’s Superman Needs to Be a “Image of Hope”
Gunn added that Corenswet felt he needed to look non-threatening, and possibly even somewhat bit foolish, noting: “He is an alien. He is received these unimaginable powers. He shoots beams out of his eyes, can blow the truck over. He is this extremely highly effective, may very well be thought-about scary particular person, and he desires folks to love him. He desires to be an emblem of hope and positivity,” Gunn continued. “So he attire like an expert wrestler, he attire in a manner that makes folks unafraid of him, that exhibits that.”
Corenswet’s take clicked for Gunn, who started to see the trunks not as an outdated relic however as a deliberate, significant alternative for the character.
“I used to be like, that actually clicked in for me. And I feel attempting to fake that Superman’s costume does not have some frivolity to it at its base, attempting to make it look critical is foolish as a result of he’s a superhero. He is the primary one, brightly coloured and that is who he’s.”
In Gunn’s view, Superman’s swimsuit doesn’t have to shrink back from its inherent theatricality, as a result of, in any case, it is nonetheless a disguise. As the primary and brightest superhero, Clark Kent’s look has at all times carried a sure attraction and optimism that separates him from the darker tones of different trendy heroes. Gunn concluded: “And in order that’s the place we landed, and finally all of us got here to a spot the place virtually all of us agreed on the trunks.”
Followers can see Corenswet’s Superman—and his newly restored trunks—when James Gunn’s Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025. Keep tuned to Collider for extra.
