Seven months after its big-screen debut, DC Studios officially released its best Superman poster, featuring the right balance of characters that prove it outshines the rest of the promotional materials released. DC Studios co-CEO and Superman director James Gunn led the charge in promoting the DCU's first movie, and a good chunk of the marketing featured a series of posters blending nostalgic homages to classic Superman portrayals and individual character posters that showcase the significance of each cast member. The posters for Superman leaned toward a more vibrant and hopeful palette, making its lineup memorable, but the best one was released far too late.
DC Studios unveiled an officially licensed Superman poster by Jake Kontou (via Bottle Neck NYC), showcasing the core characters of the DCU movie in a perfect ensemble composition that highlights their integral roles and has a strong overall design.
Unlike the previous single-character focus posters, Kontou's design captures the essence of the movie's main cast and powerful moments, such as Clark and Lois' mid-air kiss, the flight of Mr. Terrific's T-spheres, and Krypto's adorable mid-leap. The poster still retains the vibrant, hopeful color palette of previous entries, while adding the Fortress of Solitude as the perfect base.
The placement of Krypto on the poster is quite strategic, as the dog is prominently featured, enhancing the image's overall feel. The fact that Ultraman's silhouette is behind Superman is also brilliant, as it serves as a major hint to the villain's identity twist, which is unpacked in the climactic battle.
Superman had no shortage of theatrical posters during its impressive promotional run. The one that stood out the most is the David Corenswet-led poster that kicked off the marketing campaign, showing the titular Kryptonian soaring upward as if he were the personification of hope. It paid homage to Christopher Reeve's 1978 Superman with a modern twist.
Another retro-inspired poster of Superman was also unveiled, confirming the eight main cast members of the DCU movie in a VHS cover-esque headshot art displayed along the bottom. It puts David Corenswet's Superman at the forefront, ready to fly and protect Earth from dangerous threats.
DC Studios also made sure the main characters got the spotlight by giving them separate character posters, even highlighting minor characters like Alan Tudyk's Robot #4 from the Fortress of Solitude.
The film's marketing team also made sure to highlight Clark Kent by giving him his own poster, which makes sense because the movie's core message revolves around Superman's humanity.
Artist Mikhail Villareal also shared a gorgeous poster featuring Lois Lane and Superman about to kiss mid-air, which pays tribute to their romantic scene following the climactic battle against Ultraman and Lex Luthor in Metropolis.
Directed by James Gunn, Superman follows the titular Kryptonian as he grapples with a major revelation about his biological parents while maintaining his humanity in times of crisis. The movie stars David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, and many more.
Superman's Best Poster Serves as a Perfect Reminder of the Film's Hopeful Message
Jake Kontou's latest, stunning Superman poster serves as a visual reminder of the film's core message of hope and unwavering optimism, thanks to its vibrant palette and the prominence of core protagonists like Superman and Krypto as anchors in the right positions.
The fact that it didn't fully isolate Superman from the rest of the cast suggests that his heroism and kindness remain contagious (even for Lex Luthor, who is confirmed to have a temporary alliance with Superman in the sequel, Man of Tomorrow).
The Superman poster also showed that the villains (Lex Luthor, The Engineer, and Ultraman) are deeply etched into the light background, suggesting they could also have a chance at redemption if given the opportunity.
All in all, Jake Kontou's Superman poster design feels alive, unlike past renditions, thanks to the characters' action poses that evoke a sense of an already fledgling universe.
