DC Confirms James Gunn's New Superman Has 1 Superpower That Henry Cavill Barely Used

James Gunn's version of Superman is bringing a fresh take on the character this July, and with it, a classic superpower that was rarely spotlighted during Henry Cavill's era. DC has confirmed that Gunn's Man of Steel will prominently use a key ability from the comics that Zack Snyder's version barely tapped into throughout the DCEU. This shift highlights the creative differences in Gunn's reboot and signals a return to some of Superman's more unique abilities in his wide-ranging powerset.

In the 2025 tie-in comic Superman: A Friendship Unleashed, readers get a clear demonstration of Gunn's Superman embracing one of his most iconic yet underused powers: X-ray vision. In a standout panel, Superman uses the ability from an impressive distance, peering through the walls of a high-rise building to locate a group of trapped scientists on the 14th floor.

With the firefighters' ladders unable to reach that high, Superman takes to the sky and reassures Chief Farrell with a confident line: "Not to worry, Chief, after all, I specialize in heights."

Similar to how his use of heat vision was confirmed in a new toy, Superman's use of his X-ray abilities seems to be a lock for Gunn's upcoming Superman movie. This confirmed ability in the new DCU is notable as Henry Cavill's Superman rarely tapped into his X-ray vision, with only a few brief moments showcasing the power. One of the most notable uses came in 2017's Justice League during the scene where Superman, freshly resurrected and disoriented, faces off against the rest of the team.

As he assesses Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Cyborg, he activates his X-ray vision to scan them, quickly identifying that Cyborg's tech could be controlled. Realizing Cyborg's systems can be manipulated, Superman preemptively disarms him by triggering one of his rockets.

The only other major instance came in Man of Steel, though it played out in a very different tone. As a child in school, Clark Kent experiences his powers for the first time, including X-ray vision and super-hearing. Instead of being empowering, the moment is terrifying, Clark is overwhelmed by the sudden flood of sensory information, seeing through his classmates and hearing everything at once. 

Of course, Gunn has been clear that Superman is not an origin movie, so Clark's use of X-ray vision in the upcoming film will be polished, as seen in the comic book panel.

As for Kal-El's other confirmed abilities in Superman, A Friendship Unleashed also revealed more powers that the Man of Steel has at his disposal. The comic starts with Superman and Krypto in space, confirming that the two are capable of surviving in the cosmos without oxygen and possibly hinting that the movie, or future films, could explore Clark's ability to perform interstellar travel.

Superman's flight, super-strength, near-invulnerability, and super-breath will all also be a part of his arsenal for the DCU incarnation of the character.

Superman 2025 is the highly anticipated first film in the new DCU, serving as both a reboot of the Superman film series and the past DCEU. Written and directed by James Gunn, the movie stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent / Superman and explores his struggle uphold his moral code in an unfair world. Joining Corenswet are Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, along with Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. It is set to hit theaters on July 11, and some subscribers will have access to early screenings ahead of the general release, giving fans a chance to see the movie before it opens nationwide.

The Continual Divide Between DCU and DCEU

One of the most immediate differences between the new and old cinematic take on DC is visual: the gloomy, gray-washed aesthetic that defined much of Zack Snyder's Superman era is giving way to bright, saturated colors in the 2025 Superman film, as seen in the first trailers. It's not just a stylistic shift; it signals a tonal one for the DCU as well. 

Gunn's Superman is still navigating his place in the world, but he isn't a naive rookie. Instead of being portrayed as a god-like figure wrestling with society's fear and worship of him, this version leans into Superman's humanity and optimism without downplaying his alien heritage.

Unlike Snyder's frequent use of religious allegory, positioning Kal-El as a messianic figure, Gunn appears more interested in grounding Superman in emotional, character-driven storytelling pulled directly from the comics. However, Gunn isn't aiming to reject everything Snyder did; rather, he's re-centering Superman's mythos with fresh choices, like utilizing powers such as X-ray vision in story-relevant ways. These are just a few of the ways that Gunn is aiming to differentiate his version of Superman from Snyder's.

Gunn has been open about his influences, drawing inspiration from beloved comic runs like All-Star Superman, Superman for All Seasons, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, and Kingdom Come. Ironically, Skyler Gisondo, who will be portraying Jimmy Olsen in the upcoming film, revealed that he didn't read any comics to prepare.