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Time of India
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Red Tunks returns: James Gunn considers costume options; Zack Snyder looks back on his own Superman challenges
The red trunks are returning, and they've ignited more than nostalgia. As James Gunn gets set to reboot the DC Universe with Superman opening on July 11, one of the most controversial aspects of the classic superhero's uniform has been in the spotlight: to trunk or not to trunk? In a recent interview with Fandango, Gunn revealed the behind-the-scenes debate surrounding Superman's iconic red briefs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Interestingly, prior to making the final decision, he consulted Zack Snyder, the director of Man of Steel and other franchises, for his opinion. Zack Snyder admits he tried and failed to make trunks work Snyder, whose take on Superman, who was played by Henry Cavill, discarded the red trunks altogether, revealed that he had tried myriad different takes throughout his tenure at the top of the Extended Universe. "I attempted a billion other versions," Snyder said to Gunn, "but I simply couldn't get there." Gunn explained that he too initially felt similarly reticent, despite coming up with the trunks-wearing iteration of the character. Corenswet's observation shifted Gunn's opinion It was the new Superman actor, David Corenswet, who made Gunn realize the trunks in a different way, according to Gunn. They were testing out different suit designs that were both with and without trunks in the costume test phase. Corenswet had one excellent argument: Superman must be relatable. "He's this hugely powerful alien," Gunn said. "He could be frightening. But he wants children to look at him and not be scared. He wants to be perceived as a symbol of hope, not fear." Corenswet explained the trunks as a visual language that conveys "hope" and not "threat"—comparing the appearance to a professional wrestler, bold and colorful but familiar and non-threatening. A fresh universe with respect for the past As co-head of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, Gunn is steering the franchise in a new direction. Yet, despite this reboot, there's a sense of continuity in honoring the creative voices that came before. Gunn mentioned that after taking over, he reached out to Snyder, affirming there was no animosity between them. 'We're good,' Gunn assured fans on social media. With Superman established as the launching point for this new universe, it's evident that Gunn is attempting to walk a fine line between legacy and innovation. And yes, Superman will once again take to the skies with trunks intact.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shazam's Director Opens Up About 'Death Threats' And Why He's Tried Avoiding Big IPs After The DC Franchise
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. David F. Sandberg helmed the well-regarded horror movies Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, which, like many directors before him, opened the door to much bigger projects. In his case he took the leap over to DC's Extended Universe to direct two Shazam! films, and the experience was so bad for him that he had planned to get away from major IPs. At least, until the script for Until Dawn came along. While the first Shazam! movie was generally well regarded and a reasonable box office success, the sequel (which came as DC's first attempt at a cinematic universe was ending) was slammed hard by critics as well as fans. Sandberg revealed to our sister site, Gamesradar, that he even received death threats from working on the franchise, which led him to decide to avoid IP projects going forward. He said… I mean, to be honest, fans can get very, very crazy and very angry with you. You can get, like, death threats and everything so after Shazam 2, I was like, 'I never wanna do another IP-based movie because it's just not worth it.' But then I was sent this script, and I was like, 'Ah, this would be so much fun to do, to do all these kinds of horrors? I kind of have to do it, and hope that the people see what we're trying to do and like it.' Certainly, if David F. Sandberg had decided to work on an original project, there wouldn't be existing fans who feel so invested in the IP that they feel a need to threaten a director. It's completely understandable why Sandberg would want to steer clear of that. A lot of fandoms can be quite toxic, and the director wouldn't be the first to avoid working on certain properties to avoid its fans. Unfortunately, in modern Hollywood, getting away from IP entirely is a fairly tall order. The conventional wisdom is that movies based on existing properties are much surer bets than original concepts, and so those are the movies that tend to get made. Until Dawn, based on the video game of the same name, was the script that David F. Sandberg received. And while he might have initially wanted to avoid it, he ultimately decided it was a movie worth making. Max: Save Up To $41 On Annual PlansIf you want to check out the Shazam! films or watch any of the DC movies produced to date, you can find them all on Max, and if you're planning to work your way through the whole franchise, it's worth saving money by paying for your subscription for the first year up front. Alternatively, its cheapest plan starts from $9.99 a month. I'd always recommend getting Max as a part of the bundle with Disney Plus and Hulu, though, starting from $16.99 a Deal To be fair, Until Dawn is very intentionally the video game equivalent of a classic slasher movie, so making a movie version of it isn't so much about being faithful to an IP as it is understanding how to make a horror movie. This is certainly something Sandberg knows well. Thus far, critics are split on Until Dawn, so not everybody thinks this was a movie that Sandberg necessarily needed to make, though our own Until Dawn review found it entertaining enough. We'll find out this weekend whether or not the audience agrees.
