James Gunn Reveals Superman's 2 Main Weaknesses In the DCU

James Gunn revealed the two main weaknesses that can take down or hamper David Corenswet's Superman in his new DC Universe. Gunn is in the early stages of introducing fans to his take on DC's biggest characters, which kicked off with Corenswet's first solo movie as the Man of Steel in July 2025. As part of that venture, Gunn is setting in stone not only what makes Superman so powerful but also what brings him down to less optimal settings.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn confirmed that Kryptonite and magic are Superman's two biggest weaknesses in the new DCU. As confirmed in the opening crawl of Gunn's first Superman movie, David Corenswet's Clark Kent is the most powerful metahuman in existence. However, even somebody that powerful is not completely invulnerable, as proven on multiple occasions in the film.

Speaking with CBS Mornings, Gunn confirmed these two weaknesses for Superman, noting that they were based on his runs in the comics. Additionally, he spoke on it being "important to show him in a different angle" than past movies, which did not focus on his weaknesses as heavily:

"We've always had Kryptonite. Kryptonite and magic, those are the two things that can affect Superman. But, in the comics, he's faced Doomsday and characters who were of equal and opposing force and has had his ass whupped, so it's happened. But I thought it was important to show him in a different angle than we've seen him previously in films."

Superman showed how Clark Kent was affected by Kryptonite during his scene with Anthony Carrigan's Metamorpho (see more on Metamorpho here), as he lost just about all of his strength and his skin became heavily wrinkled. Fans have not yet seen what happens to the Last Son of Krypton when he is faced with taking on a magic-based villain, which could happen in a future movie.

Starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult, Superman is the first movie released as part of DC Studios' Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate. Picking up three years into his run as a superhero in Metropolis, the Man of Steel comes face to face with Lex Luthor for the first time in this movie and is faced with saving his city from a potentially world-ending threat. Superman is currently playing in theaters worldwide and was recently made available on digital.

How Superman's Weaknesses Will Be Used in DCU

Following Superman's efforts in the DCU, the big question now is when he will be back in action and how his weaknesses will be highlighted against new, powerful villains in this universe. Thankfully, Gunn seems to have plenty of action already in development for Corenswet's leading hero, which should put him in plenty of life-threatening scenarios over the years.

Looking forward, Corenswet confirmed that he is under contract for a second solo Superman movie, which looks to be the upcoming Man of Tomorrow. While the titular hero will surely be stronger and more experienced by the time that movie rolls around, there may be more opportunity to explore what hinders him as well.

With nearly a dozen new movies and TV shows being released after Superman, the big question now is where and when Corenswet will return to continue his run as DC's red-caped hero. Peacemaker Season 2 and Superman's filming overlapped at one point, leading some to wonder whether the Man of Steel made some time to hang out with John Cena's Christopher Smith.

Whether Superman's next appearance will come with any magic users is still a mystery, although viewers remain anxious to see if magic is as strong as Kryptonite in terms of taking down the fan-favorite metahuman.