Director James Gunn: 'Superman brings a message of hope to a cynical world and...'

Superman might do more than just save Metropolis — filmmaker James Gunn hopes the beloved superhero will bring hope to a cynical world.

“Everybody’s gotten so cynical and ironic,” said Gunn. “Everybody’s ironic about everything all the time. And he (Superman) is a good-natured guy who wants to be kind. And when you see the world through Superman’s eyes, everyone is beautiful.”

“Superman,” which flies into theaters nationwide Thursday, is a bit of a change in tone for the writer and director who brought a mischievous playfulness and snark to the chaotic worlds of “Suicide Squad” and the “Guardians of the Galaxy.” But this wasn’t some fringe misfit: It’s Superman. And a certain amount of optimism was necessary.

The Man of Steel has been a symbol since he first appeared in 1938 among the technicolor pages of Action Comics #1 as a baby from the planet Krypton sent to Earth as a last resort to save him from his planet’s demise. In the 87 years since, various iterations of Superman have graced countless comic books, animated series and live-action television shows and films, many focusing on the hero’s origin story.

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Through Gunn’s lens, audiences meet a Superman three years into his self-appointed journey to save anyone in need of help.

Superman has reached a point where he must confront what it means to do good and seek justice in a complicated world where many, especially the infamous Lex Luthor, question his intentions.

“We get to really discover what are his flaws, what are his opinions, what are his ideals. I think we get a very intimate look at his relationship with Lois. I also think that it’s a bigger movie than it’s ever been told with Superman before,” Gunn said.

Gunn’s vulnerable Superman is someone simply wanting to make the world a better place in an attempt to be accepted by his adopted homeland. He quickly learns that despite his super strength and metahuman abilities, he cannot do it all on his own.

David Corenswet said in recent interviews that Gunn’s first instructions to him were to “work on his shoulders and his vulnerability.” Rather than transform into Superman, leaning into his own humanity and inner self is what led Corenswet to find the character.

“Any fantasy I had of transforming into this character sort of got dashed by James’ desire, I think, for me to bring a little more of myself to the role,” Corenswet told The Associated Press.

Meet the Justice Gang

The themes resonated with many of the actors on and off screen. Actor Isabela Merced, who portrays Hawk Girl, says watching the film before its release gave her a sense of hope after a challenging week of consuming news stories.

“Perfect timing, I think. This film is speaking on history. I mean, you could apply this to many historical events, but I think it’s really amazing. It’s really amazing that this movie is coming out and has a great message behind it,” Merced said. “I was really relieved when I watched it. I was having a terrible week, consuming way too much real media and watching this made me feel really light and happy and at least hopeful.”

While Edi Gathegi, who plays Mister Terrific, says the film is a “meditation on the human spirit.”

“Whatever problem that you’re going through, you can attack,” Gathegi said. “If it’s a big societal issue or interpersonal issue, you have the power to deal with the problems that you can deal with.”

Merced, Gathegi and Nathan Fillion, who plays Green Lantern Corp member Guy Gardner, round out the upcoming members of the Justice League, playfully referred to in the film as the Justice Gang. But don’t hold on to that label; it’s still a working title among the characters.

Superman’s acts of heroism are never isolated throughout the film. The Man of Steel is accompanied by his superdog Krypto, the Justice Gang, Metamorpho or Lois Lane and the team of journalists at the Daily Planet. Kent’s job at the paper isn’t just a title either: Journalism gets its own spotlight in the fabric of the film.

Gunn doesn’t just focus on Superman’s humanity but highlights the importance of truth and the power of journalism to fight against injustice.

“James’ intentional focus on the importance of journalism and journalistic integrity in this film is potentially more important now than it has been,” Brosnahan said. “One of the joys of stepping into this has been understanding in a deeper way what you all do and the ways in which you put yourselves on the line in pursuit of the truth, and it’s been an honor to step into that.”

Beck Bennett, who plays reporter Steve Lombard, says it was nice to see the Daily Planet journalists help the superhero go up against the villain.

“They are exposing some truth so that people can get the truth and turn on the person who is actually doing them harm,” Bennett said. “It’s really cool to see that. I think that could be exciting for younger people who might want to be journalists to be like, ‘Wow, they do have this power. They are superheroes.’”

Skyler Gisondo, who plays Daily Planet reporter Jimmy Olsen and best friend to Clark Kent, says the scenes in the newsroom felt as high stakes as the action sequences.

“Reading the script, you have a sense that the work that we’re doing is just as important as the action itself,” said Gisondo.

One real journalist makes a cameo in the film: news correspondent Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in the 1978 film. Reeve said that the message of hope from the early film is one that still reigns true today from his father’s legacy.

“The fact that my dad and his character and then his subsequent personal story resonated and perhaps inspired maybe billions of people around the world,” Reeve said. “That means a lot to me, and I think that has a lot with what Superman is and represents as a character.”

For actor Wendell Pierce, who plays Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, superhero films like Superman are more than just a fun pastime for comic book fans. They bring a sense of optimism in troubled times and a feeling that even the everyday person has the power to create change.

“People want to feel empowered,” Pierce said. “They want to feel as though they can make a contribution in some way and change the dynamic to change this dysfunctional paradigm. And so we turn off the lights and go into a small theater because we want to see collectively, decide what our values are and who we are, where we’ve been, where we’ve failed, where we can triumph. But ultimately decide what our values are and walk out of the theater and act on those.”