Why ‘Superman’ Has So Many Superheroes in It

Even before seeing it, it’s clear there are many, many things that set James Gunn’s Superman apart from other versions of the character. One is that, though this is very much a Superman movie, Superman interacts with a bunch of other superheroes. There’s the Guy Gardner Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, and more. It was an interesting choice for Gunn to make, especially since this is our first real glimpse at the larger DC Universe he’s helping to create. So we asked him about it.

Speaking to io9 in Los Angeles this week, Gunn explained that other superheroes are in Superman as a way to illustrate just how powerful Superman is versus everyone else. “We’re creating a universe,” Gunn said. “So I wanted Superman to be the most powerful metahuman on Earth, but I also didn’t want him to be so strong that, like, Guy Gardner doesn’t matter. I think that it was important to set up that he has contemporaries that are also pretty darn powerful.”

Gunn explained that even gauging how powerful Superman would be was a bit of a discussion, especially because those powers have been so varied for so long. “Throughout the years, there have been all sorts of different versions of Superman in his power levels,” Gunn said. “From the beginning, when he was not able to fly, he’d shoot beams from his eyes. He could punch through walls at times in the ’80s. In the ’70s, he could punch a planet in half. The times in the ’50s when he was able to make little versions of himself come out. Yes, there’s a time when he would start having superpowers that people never knew [about], like making little tiny versions of himself. Clones of himself. You could do all sorts of weird things.”

Spoiler alert, Gunn’s Superman doesn’t clone himself, nor does he make lots of tiny clones of himself, but he is very strong, very capable, and very tested by what happens in the movie. Thankfully, he’s not the only superhero around.

We’ll have more from Gunn and the cast of Superman as we head towards the film’s release July 11.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.