Summary

• Gunn's Superman may battle realistic evils, inspired by Golden Age Superman.
• All-Star Superman may influence Gunn's focus on Superman's fundamental goodness and humanity.
• The Fleischer Superman serials may inspire exciting action scenes in Gunn's Superman, hinting at no shortage of spectacular sequences.

The DC Universe’s first live-action film, 2025’s reveal of Corenswet’s Superman emblem and the film’s title change (having previously been Superman: Legacy) Gunn also noted 10 sources of inspiration for his version of Superman.

James Gunn is, notably, quite fond of the 1978 movie Superman, starring Christopher Reeve and he has also marketed 2025’s Superman with artwork from All-Star Superman, by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, and Jamie Grant. On social media, Gunn was asked what iterations of Superman have inspired his version other than the iconic 1978 film, to which he responded with 10 pictures, each from a different comic era, storyline, or adaptation. Gunn’s 10 images each imply a different characteristic of his new Superman iteration.

10 Golden Age Superman Was A No-Nonsense Champion Of Social Justice

Action Comics

James Gunn’s first image is artwork from Superman’s Golden Age comics. Superman’s earliest stories were, notably, far smaller in scale and relatively realistic than most of the Man of Steel’s adventures for the past 85 years. In the early Golden Age, a Cleveland-based Superman fought corrupt business moguls and white supremacists in addition to working to break the cycle of poverty and crime to prevent prison from becoming a revolving door. Golden Age Superman was – fittingly – nicknamed the “Champion of the Oppressed,” and Gunn’s Superman may be shown battling realistic evils in addition to outlandish ones.

9 All-Star Superman Focuses On Superman's Fundamental Goodness

All-Star Superman

Deservedly considered one of the greatest Superman comics of all time, All-Star Superman is an Elseworlds story about a well-established Man of Steel who learns that he only has a year left to live. Using his time to tie up all possible loose ends, Superman repeatedly demonstrates the sheer scale of his powers and the good deeds he does, but also his simple and all-too-human goodness even more so. Gunn’s chosen All-Star Superman image comes from a particularly heartwarming moment, in which Superman prevents a Metropolis citizen from dying by suicide. 2025’s Superman may include similar moments.

8 Fleischer's Superman Serials Are Renowned For Their Exciting Action Scenes

Superman (Serial)

The Fleischer Superman cartoon serials are among the first and most famous Superman adaptations, having notably given Superman his iconic ability to fly. In the Fleischer shorts, Superman is a man of few words, letting his powers do the talking as he saves Metropolis (portrayed as New York City) from Mad Scientists and other villains. The cartoons are renowned for their action scenes, so Gunn’s reference to them indicates that his Superman, like the Henry Cavill iteration, will likely have no shortage of spectacular action sequences.

7 What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow Blends Silver Age Silliness With Modern Age Seriousness

What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

Although Superman: What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? by Alan Moore and Curt Swan is an Elseworlds storyline, it is intended to close the book on the Golden and Silver Age adventures of Superman. The storyline melds the lighthearted whimsy of the two bygone eras with Moore’s infamously dark storytelling, not unlike many of Gunn’s movies, which blend silliness with gratuitous violence. Gunn specifically cites a splash page of Superman crying while sitting next to Krypto, further indicating his film’s emphasis on Superman’s humanity and further implying that the Kryptonian canine Krypto will appear.

6 Superman for All Seasons Explores The Humanity of Clark Kent

Superman for All Seasons

Superman’s iconic origin story has been told many times in the comics and their adaptations, with James Gunn having mentioned several as inspirations for 2025’s Superman. Tying into John Byrne’s Modern Age Superman reboot for the Modern Age, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Superman for All Seasons puts a particularly strong focus on Clark Kent’s upbringing in Smallville, Kansas. This further enforces James Gunn’s statements that his Superman film will emphasize Superman’s background as simply a good man from a small town before he became a superhero.

5 Kingdom Come Made Superman An Inspiration To Other Superheroes

Kingdom Come

Mark Waid and Alex Ross’s Kingdom Come is another iconic Elseworlds story that is considered one of DC’s best. Featuring a once-retired Superman forced to confront a new and far more violent generation of crime fighters, Kingdom Come has a strong focus on Superman’s morality and the way he inspires other superheroes. Given the large cast of DC heroes in 2025’s Superman, Corenswet’s iteration may end up inspiring his fellow crime fighters.

The chest logo on David Corenswet's new Superman suit is inspired by Superman's emblem in Kingdom Come.

4 The Silver Age Comics Gave Superman A Massive ing Cast

Superman

James Gunn also posted a picture of Superman from the Silver Age of comics, whose stories are not only known for their lighthearted whimsy but also the huge ing cast they built for Superman. Many of Superman's ing characters shown in the image – such as Supergirl, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, and Perry White – are already set to appear in 2025’s Superman. The image likely implies that more classic characters are on the way, either in Superman or the DCU writ large, with Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bizarro being possibilities.

3 The New 52 Gave Readers A Young Novice Superman

Action Comics

2011’s New 52 relaunch rebooted the DC Universe and explored the early years of DC’s famous superheroes. One of James Gunn’s pictures is a variant cover by Michael Choi of an issue of Action Comics. Gunn has said that 2025’s Superman will not be an origin story but has implied that Superman will nevertheless be early in his career, though perhaps viewers should not expect to see Superman’s DIY costume from the early issues of the New 52’s Action Comics.

2 The DC Animated Universe Made Superman Relatable In Both Identities

Superman: The Animated Series

Paul Dini and Bruce Timm’s Superman: The Animated Series introduced Superman to the beloved DC Animated Universe. In addition to featuring phenomenal action scenes and a wonderful dynamic between Clark Kent and his ing characters, the series also did an excellent job of making Superman a relatively grounded and relatable character. All of these traits will potentially be included in 2025’s Superman, which will surely please longtime Superman viewers.

1 The Rebirth Era Focused On Superman & Lois' Romance

Action Comics

DC Comics underwent a partial reboot in 2016 with the DC Rebirth relaunch, which reestablished elements of previous eras of DC’s comics. In Superman’s case, the Man of Steel’s pre-Flashpoint and post-Flashpoint iterations were combined (by way of the New 52’s Superman dying and being replaced by the previous universe’s iteration). The Rebirth era of Superman put a particularly strong focus on Superman’s romance with Lois Lane and adventures with his son, Jon Kent. While Jon Kent’s inclusion in James Gunn’s Superman is less likely, viewers can expect Superman and Lois Lane’s romance to be prominent.