Veteran director Zack Snyder had tried hundreds of combinations for Henry Cavill’s Superman and his red trunks but James Gunn did it for his film!

Superman has always been a character whose costume is quite different from the rest. With a cape, tights, and a muscular physique, Henry Cavill and Zack Snyder took a chance with the costume of Superman with the 2013 film Man of Steel.

Henry Cavill in a still from Man of Steel | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

However, that wasn’t the case for DCU co-head James Gunn. The case of the red trunks that were supposed to be featured on Henry Cavill’s costume weren’t looking that great and so, Zack Snyder chose to remove them entirely.

Zack Snyder tried to make the red trunks look cool

The red trunks featured in the OG version of Superman and David Corenswet’s character have been an integral part of the whole ensemble. However, in a controversial move, Zack Snyder chose to remove the red trunks from Superman’s suit for his 2013 film Man of Steel.

Snyder couldn’t make the red trunks work | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

Although there were some other things that were considered bad in the film, fans were shocked when the director chose to break the mold and create his own version of Superman from the comic books.

Back in 2013, Zack Snyder sat down for a chat with Yahoo Movies wherein he talked about the decision to remove the red trunks. Although he tried to keep the trunks on Superman’s costume, he just couldn’t find a way to “make them cool”.

I tried, but I couldn’t make them cool. I did fight to keep them, but let’s not forget that the red trunks are left over from Victorian-era strong men, who had to wear flesh coloured leotards and trunks over it so they didn’t look naked.

The director concluded his thought by stating “So I feel we’ve moved on a little bit” which meant that Superman was going to be without any red trunks to show his evolution from olden times.

On the other hand, James Gunn decided to go old school and found a way to make the red trunks look cool again. With David Corenswet, Gunn designed the costume of the Man of Steel and the world is highly impressed with his skills!

James Gunn found a way to keep the red trunks

Some months back, James Gunn posted a photo on his Instagram featuring David Corenswet with the iconic suit. Fans immediately noticed that the actor was wearing red trunks and were overjoyed.

David Corenswet as Superman in James Gunn’s Superman | Credits: DC Studios/WB Pictures

In his talks with Gizmodo, the veteran director talked about how he was also on team no-trunks for a long time. They also tried hundreds of variations with the costume but it was to no avail.

That’s when Superman star David Corenswet approached Gunn and talked about what Superman actually meant for the world. The director agreed with Corenswet’s words and thus, the world got a Superman with red trunks.

And I think trying to pretend that Superman’s costume doesn’t have some frivolity to it at its base, trying to make it look serious is silly because he is a superhero.

He continued,

He’s the first one, brightly colored and that’s who he is. And so that’s where we landed and eventually we all came to a place where almost all of us agreed on the trunks.

And the red trunks do look damn good on David Corenswet’s costume. Clearly, the world is waiting eagerly for James Gunn’s take on the iconic character and how Corenswet’s Superman will take flight with the audience.

Meanwhile, Zack Snyder and Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel is available to stream on Max. On the other hand, with red trunks and an iconic teaser reveal, the DCU’s Superman is currently slated for a release date of 11 July 2025 in theaters.