James Gunn responds to criticism of 'goofy-looking' Superman in teaser, reveals why David Corenswet's face looks weird

David Corenswet's look in the new Superman teaser has come under fire for looking too ‘goofy’ and ‘unreal’, prompting director James Gunn to react.

Updated on: Jan 29, 2025, 13:47:39 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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Director James Gunn dropped a new teaser of the heavily-anticipated reboot of Superman last week. While the new teaser included much of the footage already seen in the first teaser trailer, there were some new shots as well, including the first-ever shot of David Corenswet's Superman in flight. (Also read: James Gunn shares unseen footage of David Corenswet's Superman in flight in new teaser, internet is unimpressed. Watch)

David Corenswet in the new Superman teaser.

James Gunn on David Corenswet in Superman

While many praised the new shots and the thrill of watching Superman in flight in this reboot iteration, others said close-up shots of the character looked off. Many comments said David was very 'goofy-looking' and his eyes seemed too far apart. Others criticised 'bad CGI' for the undesired effect.

On Monday, as Gunn shared the new teaser on Threads, a user responded to the filmmaker: "Looks dope!! Great camera angle of Superman flying!! Except there's something with his face that looks a little off. I know there's plenty of time to refine the CG." Gunn responded to the post on Tuesday, “There is absolutely zero CG in his face. People’s faces can look different when you put a wide angle lens up close. The background plate in Svalbard is 100% real, as is David.”

James Gunn's response to fan on Superman teaser.

Gunn's response seems to throw some light on why Corenswet's face looks 'off' in the teaser. Wide-angle lenses are known to distort facial features if used close to the face, as has been the case in the new Superman teaser.

All about James Gunn's Superman

James Gunn's Superman marks the third reboot of the character and will launch a new DC Universe, separate from the DCEU (DC Extended Universe), in which Henry Cavill previously played the titular role. The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Neva Howell. It is set to hit the screens on July 11.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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