David S. Goyer, the writer behind Man of Steel, hasn’t seen James Gunn’s Superman yet – but he definitely has an opinion about the new movie.
In 2013, Man of Steel kicked off the DCEU with Henry Cavill as the titular superhero – and it remains one of the franchise’s most divisive movies, whether it’s Jonathan Kent’s sacrifice, Superman killing Zod, or Zack Snyder’s overall grasp of the character and the film’s tone.
Even without seeing Superman, it’s fair to say James Gunn’s take is very different; Metropolis is bright, kaijus and other superheroes are kicking around, and David Corenswet’s version of the character seems happier.
Notably, Superman has a flying dog… and it caught the attention of Goyer in the trailers.
Man of Steel writer can’t wait for Superman
Speaking to Josh Horowitz for his Happy Sad Confused podcast, Goyer says people have been asking him about his opinion on Gunn’s Superman and his reaction to the trailers.
While it’d be convenient for Synderverse devotees if Goyer hated it, he told the host that he’s “loved” the trailers.
“I’ve not seen the film yet… [but] I love them. It’s not Man of Steel at all… because I came from that world it would not have occurred to me to use Krypto, but when Krypto shows up I’ve just got a big grin on my face,” he said.
Warner Bros.In the same interview, Horowitz asked Goyer if studios learned the wrong lesson from the success of Batman Begins and the wider Dark Knight trilogy – aka, make everything darker.
“Yeah, of course… the wrong lesson is you can’t chase the fad, because by the time you get the movie made, it’ll be three or five years from now and the conditions that the world is could be completely different,” Goyer explained.
“But Hollywood is always reductive that way… ‘now everything’s going to be the Batman Begins version. We’re going to make the Darker Knight.’
While Snyder hasn’t commented directly on Superman, “He’s been incredibly supportive throughout this process,” Gunn earlier wrote on Threads.
In the meantime, find out why Robert Pattinson should be the DCU’s Batman, check out our list of the best superhero movies of all time, and keep tabs on the year’s releases with our 2025 movie calendar.
