David Corenswet is Superman
Director James Gunn shared the first picture of our new Superman on social media today. I’ve talked costume reveals before but this one holds a special significance. This is the start of a whole new cinematic universe. A lot is riding on these tights.
Inspirations: The New 52 and The CW?
Starting from the top the first detail is the high collar. This was one of the defining features of the New 52 costume. Corenswet’s suit features a much higher collar than live action suits of the past. This new costume may not be quite as high as the comics but it’s definitely inspired. The design of the collar also influences the cape attachment. The cape connects on his shoulders on either side of the collar just like in the New 52. Not sure how Clark is going to hide this under his Daily Planet clothes though.
Maybe the most controversial bit of the New 52 costume is the lack of trunks. Like with the first Man of Steel costume reveal, Corenswet is positioned in a way where we can’t see if he has trunks. You can zoom in and see some red, but until I see him standing up straight, hands on hips, I’m not ready to declare victory in the trunks or no trunks battle. I do personally hope this ends our no trunks streak for good.
Corenswet’s suit also has the detail lines from the new 52 costume. In the comics they are part of the armor, but here they are visual details breaking up the blue. This is where The CW comes in. These detail lines are very much a part of the Supergirl and Superman costumes from those shows. They are entirely different from the belt and cuff designs seen on Cavill’s suit.
Finally, the boots. They remind me of the boots Tyler Hoechlin wore when he first appeared on Supergirl. They have the rectangular blocks on them in a very similar way. Hoechlin’s later boots were a more standard leather affair just like Henry Cavill’s. I wish these had more of the V shape to them, but it’s close.
The Material
From our first shot at the shield and in fitting with current super hero costume trends we knew this suit was going to be a thicker material and not tights. We also knew there would be a texture to the costume like we’ve seen in both Man of Steel and The CW costumes. There are no surprises here, but I do like the folds in the fabric. The fabric does remind me of this Guardians photo which I guess is unsurprising considering the source.
The cape
The color looks dynamite. I personally prefer a shorter cape, but I know the long cape is probably more cinematic. I highly doubt we’ll get the shield on the cape. That ship sailed with the animated series and the amount of extra work it would take to animate.
The pose
I’m puzzled by their decision to go with this pose. I do think part of it is to obscure the trunks, but it’s such a passive pose. Sitting down and putting your boots on. In comparison to Cavill’s first photo in front of the bank vault which is the most dynamic debut we’ve seen. Hoechlin, Routh, and Reeve all got Superman standing poses; even though Hoechlin doesn’t do the Superman and put his hands on his hips.
The hair
Holy crap I love his hair. It’s perfect. He’s got the curl. No notes. Cain, Hoechlin, and Cavill not having the curl definitely detracts from their costumes. For Cain it’s terrible because his Clark hair is so much better than his Superman hair (yes I know the show is Lois & Clark). It breaks my heart with Cavill because it looks like his hair does that naturally!
Solaris?
Probably.
“entirely in-camera”
Todd Vaziri does a great job of pointing out when filmmakers try to hype their films as having used “no-CGI”. Gunn’s comment that this photo was “entirely in-camera” feels like another version of that. There has never been Superman on screen without some form of visual effects. From rotoscoping in the serials to rear projection and optical effects on television to CGI in Superman III. Superman on film has always pushed forward what was possible with visual effects and set the standard for what is possible. Saying something is entirely in-camera while there is a sky beam in the background is disingenuous at best. Don’t get me started on every old generation saying the new Superman isn’t any good because it’s too focused on special effects. When I read Kirk Alyn saying that about the Donner film I laughed out loud.
Now I want to see this guy in motion!
May 6, 2024 Superman 2025 Costume