This is not the image we associate with Superman, a symbol of hope, an alien who fight for truth and justice. He is broken, battered and bleeding alone in the snow. Barely able to speak as blood pours from his mouth as the sight of his dog Krypto comes into frame, he utters ‘Home. Take me home.’ But what is ‘Home?’ Who is his Superman’s ‘Home?’ This impactful opening establishes the mental and emotional complexities of an alien born on Kyton but raised on Earth by humans. Feared, loved, hated; he is an icon and a polarizing figure.
“At the beginning of this trailer, Superman wants Krypto to take him home,” James Gunn explained in an interview with ComicBookMovie. “And I think that this is a place where we can all go home, to a character that we love, to the simplicity of the morals and goodness and love that Superman embodies as a character, and that we can all go home this summer to Superman. I think it’s something that could be a good thing for us.”
While this is just a teaser of events to come, this first look at David Corenswet as Superman and his good ole boy alter ego, Clark Kent, reporter for the Metropolis newspaper The Daily Planet establishes both characters and the double life he leads. Framed in several quick shots, audiences are introduced to of Kent’s colleagues and Superman’s beloved, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), both at the Daily Planet and with Superman; and of Superman’s arch nemesis, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), staring into the distance in anger or possible paranoia as he plans Superman’s demise. We also Skyler Gisondo as Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen, as well as Pruitt Taylor Vince as Jonathan Kent, Clark’s adopted father in a heartfelt conversation with his son. We also see shots of DC superheroes making their cinematic debut, including Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, who is seen standing inside an protective sphere; Nathan Fillion in a terrible wig as Guy Gardner, the member of the Green Lantern corps who makes his way towards Superman with purpose and confidence; Isabela Merced (“Alien: Romulus”) as the winged Hawkgirl fighting a kaiju; and Anthony Carrigan as the pale, bald Metamorpho who could also be disguised as Ultraman.
As Gunn explained in a Q&A during a press preview on the Warner Bros. lot, this teaser is to show that this Superman lives in a world with superheroes. “Superhero movies have taken these characters and said, ‘Okay, it’s Batman [or] it’s Superman, but it’s not any of the other stuff,’” Gunn said. “We’re embracing all of the Superman mythology. He has friends who are other superheroes. He has people he doesn’t get along as well with who are other superheroes. He has a lot of the things that we love from the Superman comics that we haven’t been able to see as much of in filmed media and definitely haven’t been able to see in a grounded way, which is what I hope we’ve created.”
Join us in the video above, as we celebrate the Superman teaser trailer, breaking down everything that occurred, all the characters shown, it’s connection to Creature Commandoes, other superheroes shown and the movie’s possible storyline.
Superman will release in theaters on July 11th.
