DC Studios CEO James Gunn posted a poll on Twitter to call for fans' input on a controversial element of Superman's costume.
Between movies, TV, animation, comics, and games, DC's Man of Steel has been through countless evolutions and dozens of costumes over the years. Now, DC Studios is preparing its latest take with July 2025's Superman: Legacy, which is currently being written by Gunn himself.
As the DCU blockbuster will replace Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel in favor of a younger actor, that undoubtedly means another new suit is on the way. Generally, Superman's outfit has stayed fairly similar over the years, but one element continues to be controversial. Trunks or no trunks?
Superman: Trunks or No Trunks?
On Wednesday, February 1, DC Studios CEO James Gunn posted a poll on Twitter, captioned "Superman," giving fans a choice between "Trunks" and "No Trunks."
The poll refers to a long-standing controversy surrounding the Man of Steel's costume about whether he should wear his iconic red trunks. DC has gone back and forth on including the trunks over the years, with some takes embracing the classic design and others abandoning it for something more modern.
Beyond DC's own uncertainty on the topic, the question of trunks or no trunks has been a matter of contention among fans for many years. The Man of Steel fan base has long been split down the middle between those in the two camps.
The DCU boss clarified in a follow-up tweet that the poll was strictly "for fun" and he won't be making this costume decision based on "an egregiously non-scientific Twitter poll:"
"Btw this is for fun. We’re not going to decide whether Superman has trunks or no trunks based on an egregiously non-scientific Twitter poll."
Gunn is currently hard at work on developing his own take on the DC superhero with Superman: Legacy - which he is writing and may or may not direct.
Will Superman Wear Trunks in the DCU?
James Gunn has talked a lot about how part of the reason he and Peter Safran were brought on board to lead DC Studios was to develop a sense of cohesion across the DC brand. This means that his decision on Superman's trunks may well affect the character's costume in all mediums for years to come.
At the time of writing, Gunn's controversial poll is fairly split, with 62% in favor of the trunks and 38% opposed - based on 111k votes. Nonetheless, the DC Studios CEO has made it very clear he won't be making this decision based on Twitter democracy and is instead just having some fun with his position and platform.
However, when he does eventually come to decide which way to go on the trunks debate, he may end up taking the fans' views at least somewhat into account. The actual process of designing the DCU's Superman costume will likely involve many versions of concept art and eventually outfit fittings once an actor comes on board.
But with Gunn still currently writing the script, major costume decisions probably won't be getting made for some time to come. Although, as has proven the case with almost every major superhero in recent years, Superman will likely go through many different costumes even after his first appearance.
Superman: Legacy hits theaters on July 11, 2025.
