Many don't know what to expect from James Gunn's upcoming Superman film in the DCU, specifically regarding the amount of humor in it and the overall tone. Those hoping that it wouldn't include a lot of humor may be a little disappointed.
Superman is set to be one of the biggest comic book movie releases of the past decade as it will kick off the live-action side of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DCU.
A teaser for the upcoming Man of Steel flick was already released, but Warner Bros. already confirmed when fans will be able to see some more new footage.
Superman Will Have a Lot of Humor
Many Superman fans have been worried about how much humor James Gunn will incorporate into his upcoming Superman movie starring David Corenswet and other massive actors.
Gunn's signature filmmaking style includes a lot of humor to break the tension brought on by extremely heavy moments, but many don't want that type of tone for Superman.
In a recent episode of The Town, insider Matthew Belloni gave fans a bit of an update regarding the amount of humor that will be in Superman.
Of course, nothing can be certain until the film is released, but the industry insider revealed that Superman will have "a lot of humor:"
"I have been told by people at Warners that there's a lot of humor in [Superman]."
As mentioned, this could cause some to be worried about the upcoming movie and the tone that Gunn will set for The Last Son of Krypton's DCU debut.
In a previous interview from 2023, Gunn spoke to The Hollywood Reporter specifically about how quirky and funny Superman would be.
At the time, worried fans let out a sigh of relief when the Superman director alluded that it would not be comedic, and would most definitely "respect all the 'Superman' movies" in the past:
"How can I make it different from the 'Superman' movies that have been made so far, but also have it respect all the 'Superman' movies that have been made so far? So it just took me some time to try to figure it out."
Gunn made some more comments in 2023 that reinforced the idea that fans had nothing to worry about regarding Superman being like some of his other films, such as the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Gunn revealed that he had "learned so much" from the Guardians films while also adding that Superman will not "have exactly the same vibe" as them. In fact, the director stated that Superman will be "actually quite different" from Guardians:
"I learned so much from making these movies. But it’s not like 'Superman' is going to have exactly the same vibe as a 'Guardians' movie. It’s actually quite different."
Will Superman Be Over the Top?
James Gunn already said that Superman would not be like Guardians of the Galaxy and some of his other movies while also confirming that it will not be a comedy.
There is no reason not to believe his words are true, meaning that the upcoming DCU flick won't have as much comedy as some of his past works.
However, fans should still expect a good amount of humor in the film. It may not be littered with jokes and slapstick, but there will most likely be more funny moments than past Superman films.
Just because there is some humor doesn't mean the whole tone of the movie will be ruined, though. Pleasing everybody is impossible, but fans looking for some serious, deep, and/or heartwrenching moments will probably get them.
Gunn has always been known for being able to find a nice balance between comedy and gravity, and he will likely try to do the same for Superman.
After all, Warner Bros. has already released the synopsis for the upcoming movie, which includes the tease that it will be a "blend of epic action, humor, and heart" (read more about it and find the full synopsis here).
Superman will be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.
