Should Superman have trunks or not? It’s a debate that rages on whenever the Man of Steel is set to be the star of a new film, and James Gunn’s Superman was no different. As the reboot’s creative team was trying to figure out this important costume detail, star David Corenswet shared a valuable insight into why the suit should have trunks. During an appearance on the podcast DC Studios Showcase, the actor talked about how he wanted to make his Superman be relatable and approachable, so he insisted that Kal-El don a brightly colored, silly outfit with trunks prominently featured.
“The problem with the trunks is that they look kind of silly,” Corenswet said. “You can try to make them not silly, this is what James was trying to do. James was, I think, very pro-trunks in theory, but was struggling to find a way to not make them look silly. His first tactic was to find a reason for them, a utility for them. But, he struck out there. And so, my contribution was to say, ‘What if the point is that they look a little silly?’ And the reason that Superman wants to look a little silly is because he doesn’t need to look cool. He doesn’t want to look cool. He wants to be Clark Kent. He wants to be the normal, bumbling guy who’s just barely fitting in at work.
“There’s a piece of that with Superman as well, which is like, you’ve seen me catch falling buildings and blow up whatever with my laser vision and fight these amazing, super-powered foes. I don’t want you to think I’m not approachable. I don’t want you to think that you couldn’t come up to me and ask for directions or ask for help. For a kid, ask for help with his homework … my cat’s stuck in the tree. He wants to do all of that, and the trunks are just a way of saying, ‘I’m not too cool. I don’t take myself too seriously. I might be very powerful, but come say hi.’”
Different live-action adaptations of Superman have taken different approaches to the trunks issue. Christopher Reeve’s costume featured the bright red runks, and Brandon Routh’s Superman followed suit (Superman Returns is set in the same continuity as the Reeve films, serving as a sequel to Superman II). Zack Snyder went in another direction in the DC Extended Universe, eschewing the trunks for Henry Cavill’s Superman. Cavill’s costume had a more grounded, tactile feel to it.
During the development of Superman, Gunn constantly grappled with the trunks question. He even consulted Snyder for input on the matter, who told Gunn that he had attempted to incorporate the trunks into Cavill’s suit but couldn’t get it to work. It wasn’t until Corenswet shared his opinion that the debate was settled.
Corenswet’s reasoning for wanting the trunks is spot on and perfectly taps into the spirit of the Superman character. Traditionally, the Man of Steel is portrayed as an optimistic, inspirational hero who aims to uplift the community as a beacon of hope. Since Superman is clearly harkening back to the original Reeve films (see: the use of John Williams’ iconic theme in marketing materials), it makes complete sense for Corenswet’s iteration to don the trunks. It speaks to how each hero wears his or her costume for a different purpose. Batman looks to strike fear in the hearts of his enemies, and Superman is trying to show that despite his incredible abilities, he’s just a goofy guy looking to fit in. In the DC Universe, Superman stands for “truth, justice, and a better tomorrow,” so it’s fitting that he isn’t trying to scare anyone off with his look.
It’ll be interesting to see how Corenswet’s costume evolves as his tenure as Superman goes on. It’s common for superhero movie sequels to make alterations and tweaks to the suit, illustrating how the character has grown across his journey. Whatever changes are made to the DCU’s Superman suit, it stands reason to believe the trunks will stay. Unless Corenswet gets his wish of portraying Superman in an R-rated setting, the character will likely always aim to be that bright, playful, approachable hero who can do everything from beating up super-powered aliens to helping a kid with his homework.
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