Marketing materials for James Gunn’s Superman get a makeover as a fan-made video gives the upcoming reboot a Zack Snyder-style trailer. Taking a cue from the original teaser trailer for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, YouTube user Joe Trailers sets footage from Gunn’s film to the Leonard Cohen song “Hallelujah,” giving Superman an entirely different tone and vibe. The video cuts between out-of-context action bits that have been prevalent throughout the official Superman promotional campaign and various shots of the characters looking contemplative. The color grading has also been adjusted to more closely match Snyder’s distinct visual style.
The fan-made video does an excellent job of recontextualizing Gunn’s footage, combining his depiction of Superman with the heavy, epic feel that typically defines Snyder’s films. You can check the mock trailer out in the space below:
Of course, years before DC Studios co-heads Gunn and Peter Safran launched the DC Universe, Snyder was the primary architect for a DC shared movie universe. His Man of Steel launched what was known as the DC Extended Universe, a franchise that was ultimately plagued by mixed reception and numerous production issues. Justice League is perhaps the most infamous release of this era, as the widely panned theatrical cut (which had reshoots overseen by Joss Whedon) gave way to a fan movement that called for the release of Snyder’s cut of the film. Zack Snyder’s Justice League finally hit HBO Max in 2021.
Though Gunn is essentially taking Snyder’s place as the overseer of DC’s on-screen universe, there are no hard feelings between the two. Gunn and Snyder are friends, and were recently photographed together. Gunn was aware the picture would cause a stir. “We knew full well what we were doing,” he said when addressing it. Gunn also consulted Snyder for advice regarding Kal-El’s suit in Superman.
Tonally, Gunn’s reboot looks to be a departure from the dark, gritty nature of Snyder’s DC films. However, savvy fans have pointed out Superman and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice might have more in common than one might suspect. Images such as Superman taking a moment to himself after making his way through a crowd of protestors would easily fit in a Snyder picture. Clips like that suggest Superman will explore the topic of how the hero fits into today’s world, a similar theme the DCEU tackled across multiple installments. The fan-made trailer plays into those parallels, showing how Snyder’s vision may have influenced Gunn as he crafted the DCU.
The odds of Snyder ever making a DCU film are low, but it will be interesting to see if one of the new franchise’s projects opts to skew closer to Snyder’s style and tone in official marketing materials. Gunn aims to bring a variety of genres into the burgeoning shared universe (for instance, Clayface is going to be an R-rated body horror film). There certainly could be room for a more serious-minded take on some of DC’s characters; Superman star David Corenswet has even pitched an R-rated movie. As long as Superman is a hit, there’s potential for anything.
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