BRUISED and BLOODY Superman in First Trailer as James Gunn Shares Secrets from Set

When viewers first see Superman in the trailer for his upcoming film, he is at his lowest moment. Bloodied and injured, he crashes onto a freezing scene. His breathing is difficult, as if he had fluid in his lungs or even fractured ribs.

David Corenswet in James Gunn's Superman.

DC/YouTube

Then, hope emerges in the guise of his trusted companion, Krypto. "Take me home," Superman says to his canine companion later in the trailer (seen below).

It's one of just two spoken lines in the piece—the other is a small child with his eyes closed and carrying a handmade flag who mutters "Superman, Superman" in desperate optimism—but it's a statement that hints at the hope that writer-director James Gunn sought to instill in his new film.

Superman, created in 1939, has for decades exemplified his slogan, "Truth, Justice, and the American Way," with the character standing as a metaphor for the wonderful things America can represent to the world. That concept has grown increasingly complex in recent years, prompting DC to formally abandon the slogan in favor of "Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow" in 2021.

During a trailer launch event for the press on Monday on the Warner Bros. property in Burbank, Gunn was asked how he infused the dignity Superman represents for America and the rest of the globe into the movie.

"I think that's what 'Take me home is all about,'" said Gunn. "We have a tattered view of Superman in the start, and I believe it represents our country. I believe in the goodness of human beings, and I believe that most people in this country, regardless of their ideological beliefs or politics, are doing their best to get by and be good people, no matter what it appears to the other side to be," Gunn continued.

DC/YouTube

There is a lot riding on Superman, which will be released on July 11 as the character's first standalone film since Man of Steel (2013). It is the foundational property for DC Studios co-founders Gunn and Peter Safran, who have planned a whole universe of TV and films since Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hired them with the directive to re-invent DC. Thus, the crew is already doing everything it can to generate interest, including an early press conference with stars David Corenswet (Superman), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

Corenswet, who appeared in Ryan Murphy's programs Hollywood and The Politician, admitted that he did not always feel like Superman on set, but watching how castmates reacted to him taught him all he needed to know.

"It's like when you get a nice haircut, and you forget about it, but then you walk around and everybody's like, 'Whoa, you look great, for once!'" he remarked while laughing. "I got to see other people see Superman."

That's something Brosnahan seen firsthand. After spending the most of the shoot chatting with Corenswet without the suit, she saw him in the outfit for the first time. On Monday's screening room stage, Brosnahan recalled chasing the actor through a field while dressed in a suit. I came up to you and said, 'You are fucking Superman! Crazy."

A hero is only as compelling as their enemy, and Hoult stated that Gunn's script conveyed Lex Luthor in a way that he feels fans would relate to.

"Even though you perhaps don't agree with his process, there's an element where you can understand on some levels where he's coming from and why perhaps what he's pushing as his ideology is perhaps better for humanity," according to Hoult.

The teaser also showed other superheroes from that planet, such as Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (complete with dopey hairstyle), Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi's Mr Terrific.

Gunn is well-known for bringing beloved creatures to life on screen, including Rocket Raccoon, who had a crucial role in last year's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

With Krypto, he may have done it again, with a depiction that deviates from the decades-long image seen in comic books and other media as a clean-cut canine with his chest exposed. This one seems more like a rescue than anything else. Gunn describes the trailer's canine scene-stealer as "not nearly the best dog." There's a lot more to Krypto than what you see in the teaser.

Regarding the film's themes, Gunn said, "It's a movie about kindness."