James Gunn Resisted Superman’s Red Trunks Until David Corenswet’s Pitch to Add Them to the Costume: ‘Trying to Make It Look Serious Is Silly’

Some of the biggest headlines to emerge while James Gunn was shooting “Superman” came from set photo leaks that revealed the new Man of Steel costume would include the superhero’s iconic red trunks. Zack Snyder famously got rid of this part of Superman’s costume during Henry Cavill’s tenure with the character. But now the red trunks are back and being worn by new Superman actor David Corenswet, which prompted debates online among fans over whether or not the trunks are just too silly-looking.

Speaking to press on the set of “Superman” earlier this year (via Gizmodo), the film’s writer-director Gunn revealed that he was “on the no trunks team for a long time.” It wasn’t until Corenswet spoke up himself in support of Superman’s red trunks that Gunn realized he had to include them.

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“We were trying on all these different versions, and we screened tested with trunks and no trunks,” Gunn said. “And one of the things David said is that Superman wants kids to not be afraid of him. He’s an alien. He’s got these incredible powers. He shoots beams out of his eyes…He’s incredibly powerful and could be considered scary. He wants people to like him. He wants to be a symbol of hope and positivity. So he dresses like a professional wrestler. He dresses in a way that makes people unafraid of him, that shows that hope and shows that positivity. And that really clicked in for me.”

“I think trying to pretend that Superman’s costume doesn’t have some frivolity to it at its base, trying to make it look serious, is silly because he is a superhero,” Gunn added. “He’s the first one, brightly colored and that’s who he is.”

Comic book movie fans will finally be able to see Corenswet’s red trunks in action when Warner Bros. debuts the first “Superman” trailer on Dec. 19. While some may find the costume silly, Gunn stressed to reporters that his “Superman” movie will not have the broad comedic tone that his previous superhero tentpoles did, including Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise.

“It’s humorous, but it certainly is not as [comedic] as either ‘Suicide Squad’ or ‘Guardians,'” he explained. “There’s plenty of humor in it. People like Rachel [Brosnahan, who plays Lois Lane] are so funny and David is very [funny as well], so there’s humor in it, but it’s trying to create something that is grounded, but also it’s an incredibly fanciful world. It’s fantasy, it’s taking from other things like ‘Game of Thrones’ where it’s this universe where superheroes actually exist. What are they like? There’s a magic there that’s undeniable.”

Gunn’s “Superman” is set to open in theaters July 11, 2025, from Warner Bros.