Veteran director James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film starring David Corenswet is inspired by two very distinctive things which Gunn loved!

There are two different films that explain what it means when a director says that they were inspired by mythology to create the film. Coincidentally, both Zack Snyder and James Gunn were talking about their own take on Superman while saying the same thing.

Henry Cavill in a still from Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel | Credits: DC Films

With James Gunn and David Corenswet’s Superman having a teaser reveal, it seems that Gunn stuck true to his words. The teaser featured moments of flights like Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick, and the director also stated that his film is also inspired by an epic fantasy show.

James Gunn’s Superman is inspired by two things

The first one is the very obvious reference to Tom Cruise’s flights from the iconic Top Gun franchise where some iconic jets take flight. Well, Gunn had some thoughts about his upcoming film.

James Gunn’s Superman (2025) | Credits: DC Studios

In a Q&A after the press preview, the veteran director talked about how Superman’s dynamics are going to be with the rest of the world. According to James Gunn, Superman exists in a world where he has to work with other superheroes too.

According to the talks (via Variety), Gunn stated that he is going to include all of the Superman mythology associated with the character.

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’. We’re embracing all of the Superman mythology. He has friends who are other superheroes. 

He further continued,

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.

However, this isn’t all the things that the Guardians of the Galaxy director had to say about his upcoming project. Since the teaser for Superman is already making rounds around the internet, fans are curios about what the story will entail.

From Christopher Reeve’s Superman to Henry Cavill’s iconic portrayal, there have been several Superman iterations in Hollywood. For James Gunn, however, the inspiration seems to be very different from most Superman films.

James Gunn was inspired by HBO’s Game of Thrones!

The world of Metropolitan and Gotham City is very modern and tech-heavy in the DCU as well as the DCEU and the comic books. Hence, there is a less sense of wonder while looking at some iconic scenes in these films.

Gunn’s Superman will have some fantastical elements as well | Credits: DC Studios

That’s what James Gunn observed, that if Superman is this fantastical character, then the setting should also be somewhat different for this character. As the Q&A further continued, Gunn revealed that he had two inspirations for his take on the role of Superman.

[Gunn’s universe] shares as many elements with ‘Game of Thrones’ as it does with the Marvel Universe.

Well, the world is certainly awaiting the release of James Gunn’s Superman, and especially how Gunn will include his Game of Thrones inspiration in the upcoming film.

With David Corenswet in the lead role and Gunn helming the project as its director, Superman is slated for a release date of 11 July 2025 in theaters across the U.S.