A recent promo for the new Superman film from James Gunn focused on one of Kal-El's secondary, but no less valuable, powers. This same super-skill was steered away from by the last director who held Superman's reins: Zack Snyder.
As evidenced by an international trailer for the latest Superman film, James Gunn ensured that the title character's freeze breath was used. This power was not utilized in Snyder's version of the character, which may have contributed to his time in the DCEU not being unilaterally supported.
As a director, Zack Snyder imposed many changes on some of DC's biggest superheroes. Some are neutral, while others are extremely controversial. Lovers of the Blue Brand bridled when Snyder had Batman kill his enemies (with guns, no less) and recoiled when he essentially portrayed The Flash as Wally West with Barry Allen's name slapped on him. However, no other icon from the limited sampling of the DC Pantheon that Snyder could access was affected more than Superman.
Snyder's take on Superman was performed by Henry Cavill. To Cavill's credit, he did his best with the lines from his script. The issue is that Zack Snyder clearly wasn't interested in making a Superman movie; he was interested in creating a Zack Snyder movie with Superman in it. The lead star was presented as a dour, short-tempered, flying freight train, per the director's vision.
This is why die-hard Superman aficionados are excited for the Last Son of Krypton's brand new movie. Superman, helmed by acclaimed filmmaker James Gunn (the mastermind of the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy), will take audiences along for a big-screen adventure that they've never been on before. This film is a reboot in its most impactful definition.
Gunn intended to take Clark back to his roots. Superman will be a return to form for the legendary Metropolis and will hopefully begin to wipe away the harm Snyder inflicted on the character and his perception by the general audience. Even though Superman doesn't soar into theaters until July 11, 2025, the differences between Snyder's Clark and Gunn's are as clear and bright as Earth's yellow sun.
In the upcoming film, Clark has a sense of humor, an unstoppable drive to do good, and an emotional vulnerability that isn't presented as weakness. He smiles, he cracks jokes, he playfully taunts a kaiju rampaging through Metropolis to draw the beast away from innocent people. In Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder, Superman stood among debris and despair after Lex Luthor bombed the Capitol Building. Clark knew it was Lex's way of getting under his skin, but he flew at least one survivor out of the blast zone and then shot into the sky.
Now, thanks to another fresh look at Superman, fans are aware of another leg up that Gunn and actor David Corenswet's Clark have on Snyder's version: freeze breath.
Canonically known as Super-Breath, it's the ability to exhale with such gusto that the air's target drops to its freezing point. Traditionally, Kal-El has often used it to ice over non-powered mooks to halt their getaway, lock up the wheels of speeding vehicles, and generate mini glacial masses to cool down overheating nuclear reactors or hurl at Braniac.
Super-Breath is one of Clark's most versatile abilities in his repertoire. So, why was it almost nowhere to be found in any of the Zack Snyder movies with Superman? Snyder claimed no situation arose in his films that called for Super-Breath (via Screen Rant).
Supes did eventually unleash his mighty wind in the fight with Steppenwolf toward the end of Zack Snyder's Justice League to shatter the Apokoliptian's battle axe. But that was the singular time that Clark's freeze breath blew.
Contrast that with Clark in Superman sliding away a friendly dog on an ice slick to prevent the pup from getting squashed by an enormous Kaiju foot. Saving someone's beloved pet? Check. Using his Kryptonian gifts defensively instead of for attack? Check. Now that's Superman.
It stands to reason that because of James Gunn's demonstrable respect for DC's characters and his drive to honor the essence of the world's first superhero, this instance of freeze breath will not be the only one in Superman. Moviegoers only have a short wait to find out.
Written and directed by James Gunn, DC Studios' Superman opens on Friday, July 11, 2025. With a cast led by David Corenswet as Big Blue himself, the movie also stars The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's Rachel Brosnahan as intrepid Daily Planet reporter (and Clark's new girlfriend) Lois Lane. And trading in full-body blue fur for a clean-shaven head is Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor (who previously played Beast in Fox's X-Men prequels). Rounding out Superman's roster are Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, Skyler Gisondo, and other cast members, all lending their unique talents to several other notable DC mainstays.
Superman's Other Powers Will Be on Display in the Movie
Superman will definitely cover Clark's Super-Breath, and the movie will also showcase the full range of his powers.
In addition to freeze breath, Superman can fly at extreme speeds, fire laser-like heat vision from his eyes, and slough off any man-made attacks and gunfire as though they were a light breeze. He also has the combined strength of over 100 human beings
In most cases, though, he won't be dealing with regular humans in Superman, which gives the Man of Steel the chance to cut loose. One piece of preview footage (via culturecrave on Instagram) shows Kent swarmed by aliens in midair. He zaps the creatures out of the sky by spinning like a corkscrew, his heat vision on full blast.
However, beyond everything that Clark Kent is capable of, James Gunn earnestly promises that Superman's most important power is "his huge heart that allows him to keep hope alive." Throughout his 87-year existence, Superman has been called many things, but "Beacon of Hope" has stuck for a reason.
