David Corenswet is the new Superman, now directed by James Gunn, and he is seen hitting the Yamcha Death Pose. Is Gunn an anime fan?

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On December 19, the trailer for the new Superman movie, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as the new titular hero, dropped on YouTube. The trailer was well-received by long-time DC fans, claiming it accurately captured the emotional and hopeful side of Superman’s story.

However, Dragon Ball fans noticed a peculiar pose Superman did that’s way too similar to the Yamcha Death Pose that became a pop-culture sensation in the world of anime. Even the framing of the shot is exactly like the original scene in Dragon Ball Z.

A shot from the Superman trailer on YouTube. A shot from the Superman trailer on YouTube. [Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]

Whether this was intentional on James Gunn’s part is debatable. The Yamcha Death Pose is a very generic pose anyone can land in when crashing into the ground. However, since it has been referenced in tons of anime, it wouldn’t be a surprise if James Gunn wanted to pander to the anime community, specifically the massive Dragon Ball fanbase.

What is the Yamcha Death Pose meme that became a huge sensation in anime?

Yamcha's Death Pose in Dragon Ball Z. Yamcha’s Death Pose in Dragon Ball Z. [Credit: Toei Animation]

The crash scene that led to the meme is featured in the episode titled Saibaman Attack of the Saiyan Saga Arc of Dragon Ball Z. It’s about decades old now but it was only made global in 2005. It was referenced in several anime for Yamcha’s ridiculous posture. It gained traction later in 2009 through Nico Nico Douga.

In the episode, Vegeta and Nappa attacked the Dragon Team, which includes Yamcha. They used Saibamen, who are a relatively weak species, to attack the team so it’s a surprise Yamcha got defeated by one of them. However, Yamcha is significantly weaker than the protagonist, Goku, and his son, Gohan, who have Saiyan blood in them.


The Nico Nico Douga post associated Yamcha’s pose with a character who tries to do the impossible and fails. Yamcha always seems destined to fail and be defeated, considering the lesser stake he has in the story. Superman, on the other hand, should be able to do anything. The comments even trolled the Superman shot.

Did James Gunn intentionally put a Dragon Ball meme into the trailer?

A shot from the Superman trailer on YouTube.A shot from the Superman trailer on YouTube. [Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]

The pose and the shot seem to intentionally reference the Yamcha Death Pose as if to say even someone as powerful and invincible as Superman can fail. However, James Gunn does take the chance to show he will always get up. As mentioned earlier, the trailer seems to expose the film’s angle of hope. Perhaps it’s all about Superman and Clark Kent rising against adversaries and achieving the impossible.

Yamcha might be a weak person in comparison to Goku, who has trained all his life, but he makes a pretty funny meme and it seems the popularity of the Yamcha Death Pose has reached Hollywood. James Gunn has always loved mixing humor into his films, even if they are gut-wrenching.

DC fans do wonder if Gunn’s portrayal of Superman will surpass Zack Synder’s version, especially with Man of Steel and Henry Cavill’s caliber as the hero. Fans will have to wait until 2025 to see David Corenswet’s take on the Kryptonian hero.

Dragon Ball Z is available on Crunchyroll.