Christmas came a week early for DC fans worldwide, as DCU chief James Gunn has pulled on his Santa hat to gift them the best present they could have asked for—a brand new trailer for the most anticipated superhero movie of the upcoming year, Superman. Fans were eagerly waiting with bated breath ever since a teaser was released a couple of days ago, and now that a major glimpse of DCU’s official beginning has been shared through the trailer itself, it has delivered everything they could have asked for and more. The most notable aspect of the Superman trailer is how different it is compared to almost every other generic trailer released nowadays based on comic-book IP. For a two-and-a-half-minute clip with not a single line of major dialogue, the trailer had a lot to tell the viewers, all of which I will try to break down in as detailed a way as possible. So without further ado, let us have a close-up look at the Superman trailer.
Superman’s Best Friend
The opening scene of the trailer presents a battered Man of Steel crash-landing somewhere in the Arctic, coughing up and barely able to catch his breath. Interesting choice of opening sequence, given it doesn’t establish Superman as an all-powerful, godly being; his vulnerable side is shown, and that is a recurrent aspect throughout the trailer. Seeing how badly Supes has been hurt, it is a safe guess Kryptonite might be involved—especially because Lex is around as well.
Struggling to even get up, Clark whistles to call his beloved canine companion, Krypto the Superdog, who rushes to him within moments, creating a mini blizzard in the process. The adorable little fluffball appears jubilant, wearing a cape, and following his best friend’s orders, Krypto drags Clark by the cape to take him home. The scene becomes instantly iconic not only because of how the loving bond is shown between the last two survivors of Krypton but also due to how the scene humanizes Clark. The trailer has shown a glimpse of a number of superheroes who are already active in this timeline, but in his peril, Clark still depends on his best friend.
Clark And His World
James Gunn’s Superman radiates a wholesomeness through the classic dorky, socially awkward portrayal of Clark Kent, presenting a necessary contrast with a confident Superman. The way Clark fumbles in the crowd while entering the Daily Planet is a callback to Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of Clark, and through actor David Corenswet’s mannerisms and appearance, the difference between Clark and his alter ego becomes much more pronounced. In a sequence that shares a glimpse of the Kent household in Smallville, Clark is seen with his adoptive father, Jonathan Kent—with the duo sharing an emotional moment. Parental connection is pivotal in any Superman media, something which will be addressed in the upcoming movie as well.Â
A number of scenes are shared between Superman/Clark and Lois Lane, and their chemistry will be one of the highlights of the movie. It is not revealed whether Lois is aware of Clark’s secret identity, but James Gunn has mentioned that the relationship between Superman and Lois Lane will be of utmost importance in the context of the narrative itself.
Lex, Corporate League, Fortress of Solitude, and a Freaking Kaiju!
Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult, will act as the prime antagonist in the upcoming movie, and the actor captures his egomaniac persona in the brief couple of scenes shown in the trailer. Particularly one of the scenes where Lex, dressed to the nines with a gun in his hand, kind of exudes the vibe of Agent 47 from the Hitman game franchise, seems like a visual call-back to the character’s appearance in the acclaimed ‘Onyx’ episode from Smallville, where Michael Rosenbaum portrayed the role of Superman’s nemesis. It seems that the menacing, and at times emotionally motivated, Lex played by Nicholas Hoult will prove to be a great foil to Superman. Also, on one occasion, Lex is seen standing in front of what it seems a row of specialized cells, one of which later reveals Superman as one of the captives. Â
Superman might be the major starting point of the DCU, but preexisting heroes and villains are already abundant in this particular universe, as the trailer highlights with the presence of a number of key characters. Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner’s version of Green Lantern, and Metamorpho are some of the established heroes who make their appearance in the trailer, and no, it is not simply to emphasize the world-building from the get-go. Superman’s ideology, worldview, and approach when it comes to handling a situation differ from other superheroes in several ways and even act as an inspiration to them. In one of the scenes, a building of Stagg Industries—the company run by the dastardly industrialist, Simon Stagg—is seen, where heroes have gathered together, and from the matching costumes worn by the heroes, it seems that they are working for conglomerates. During the 80s, in Justice League International, billionaire Maxwell Lord used to patronize the titular version of the team, and here too—a similar storyline seems to have been followed. Superman will showcase the ideal of self-sacrifice in a world where heroes have become government or corporate stooges. Metamorpho was created by a freak accident orchestrated by Simon Stagg, and it makes sense if Lex will try to use his element transmutation powers to formulate Kryptonite.Â
The government-controlled wayward super team, Authority, will make an appearance in the movie as well, and according to James Gunn, in a scene in the trailer, the character of Engineer has briefly appeared but went unnoticed by fans. I am guessing the barely visible figure entering Luthorcorp might be her. Can’t help but notice that the director is trying to take a jab at cynical, edgy narratives like The Boys by pitting a naïve, kind-hearted Superman against the so-called heroes with questionable moral compasses.Â
Superman is also seen fighting a superpowered being in a black suit, and there is a rumor that this guy might be Ultraman—a longstanding evil counterpart of the Man of Steel from a different Earth, who in this iteration will be a clone made by the government to replace Superman. The Fortress of Solitude is showcased in all its glory, and it seems Superman might end up facing enemies there too, as in an emotionally charged scene, Superman is seen holding the hand of a dismantled Kelex, the robotic assistant who takes care of the Fortress of Solitude. Not only humanity or all of life, Superman feels for any sentient being—be it the likes of whom aren’t recognized as beings in the first place.
James Gunn has a thing for monstrous creatures, as seen in every single one of his comic-book adaptations, and it helps to root the stories to their source material, showing due acknowledgement to the funny pages in the process. In the Superman trailer, we see an unspecified fire-breathing kaiju, who poses a massive threat to Metropolis, and Superman is seen taking it on. We don’t yet know whether the monster was created by Lex or if there is a bigger picture at play in the form of some cosmic threat, but the kaiju isn’t simply there to draw upon Superman’s usual comic-book adventures. A glowing, ginormous structure is seen in the night background in the scene where Lois is seen having a conversation with Superman, and although some are speculating it to be Solaris or one of Lex’s constructs, I don’t think it is a threat to Metropolis given Clark’s reaction to its presence.Â
The Human Connection
The most integral part of Superman’s identity is his humanity—it’s his most formidable superpower, which cannot be diminished, which is highlighted so perfectly in the teaser trailer that it’s bound to make viewers emotional. Throughout the movie, the name Superman is heard from a number of different people. A boy from the war-ravaged fictional European country, Boravia, is seen hoisting a flag with Superman’s emblem on it, whispering the name of his idol in desperate search of hope. An angry mob in Metropolis is seen shouting at Superman as he makes his way through them, with one of them hitting Clark with a can—clearly conveying that Superman has become a vilified figure for reasons unknown. Survivors near the Boravian border shout Superman’s name as a call for help, rallying behind the boy whom we saw earlier, and lastly—offscreen—a crowd of people is heard chanting the name of Superman, trying to cheer their hero up, to motivate him to come back stronger. The human connection the Man of Steel shares is reflected through a myriad of emotional expressions. The weight of the world is on his shoulders, and the way changing times have altered the perspective of the masses—Superman’s naivety, idealism, and kindness—makes him a misfit. Doing the right thing is not the easiest ordeal, as Clark has presumably become much hated by the people of Metropolis and the government after taking a righteous stand. Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely had famously summarized Superman’s origin within four panels in their masterpiece, All Star Superman, which acts as an inspiration in the upcoming Superman movie. And with the trailer, James Gunn has done something remarkable as well by simply using the name of the titular champion of truth and justice to encapsulate the core of his identity. Superman is seeing saving a girl from oncoming monster attack, and even while remaining in the scope of traditional Superman moments, the scene feels special, powerful – with the beacon of hope justifying his reputation. With the electric guitar cover of John Williams’ iconic Superman theme playing as a homage, the teaser trailer is a beautiful acknowledgement of past iterations of the character while also being a promise to lead the character to an uncharted, new future. James Gunn’s attempt to capture the comic-book essence through Krypto’s appearance, monster battles without trying to make the character feel much grounded, is commendable to say the least. It’s a long wait until July next year, and the wait seems that much longer after such a brilliant glance at what we can expect from Superman.
