Look Behind The Scenes: The Most Fascinating Adventures In The Making Of Superman
August 13, 2025
To promote the release of James Gunn's Superman on digital platforms, DC Studios has released a 1-hour documentary, Adventures In The Making Of Superman, that has offered some fascinating insight on the production of the film. The documentary covers a lot of ground, highlighting the conceptual work just as much as the physical work. It's a must-watch for any fans of the Superman movie. The amount of love and labor that was put into the film is readily apparent.
For those that would like to watch the documentary for themselves, you'll need to head to a special page on the Superman website and use the password, HOPE. We won't be spoiling too much of it here. A few revelations just really stood out.
The Vibrant Colors Of Superman Are A Reaction To The Industry Standard
Superman intentionally looks different from the average sci-fi movie. James Gunn directly addresses this in the documentary, stating that he "felt like there was a place for color." After about "25 years of science fiction movies where everything was supposed to be real," opting for more comic-accurate colors was an easy way to make the movie stand out. But it's not just for show — Superman is all about capturing the charm of his comic-book legacy.
The costume design operated under the same thought process. Reds, blues, oranges, and greens, they felt no need to shy away from the vibrant colors. Production designer Beth Mickle mentions All-Star Superman as a foundation for the color palette.
Clark Kent As An Alter Ego
David Corenswet's Clark Kent is absolutely brilliant. It's honestly a shame that the movie doesn't get enough time to focus on that aspect of his character. David did get the time after filming, though, to explain why Clark Kent even exists as an alter ego. The reasoning, as he understands it, is quite profound. It's rooted almost entirely in Superman's love for humanity.
For Superman, Clark Kent "is not a character that he plays." That's just "the version of himself that he grew up thinking that he was." He doesn't have an alter ego to be deceitful. He chooses to live as Clark Kent because he wants to be able to pursue human relationships. He wants to live a normal, ordinary life where he goes to work every day. His meek and mild nature as Clark Kent is supposed to throw people off his scent, but his Superman persona isn't exactly true to himself, either.
Nicholas Hoult Never Expected To Land The Superman Role
It is more than well-known that Nicholas Hoult was one of the top 3 finalists for the role of Superman. Hoult apparently had a lot of sway, as he got to try out for the part after personally messaging James Gunn. What's really shocking to hear, though, is that Hoult felt like he did a terrible job with the screen test. As he explains it, Hoult recognized that he probably had been a better fit for the role of Lex Luthor from the very start.
The Hard Work Behind Superman's Iconic Monologue
The main highlight of the end of Superman is, undoubtedly, Superman's iconic monologue. Getting that scene exactly right took a lot of work, though. David Corenswet is really particular about how his character is supposed to talk and think. At first, he didn't feel like Superman should be phased by Lex Luthor's words. Corenswet felt like his character had grown past that. Outright mentioning that Lex's words hurt his feelings just didn't seem natural to him. This led to a lot of back-and-forth discussions with director James Gunn.
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Ultimately, David's interpretation would win out. The final movie makes no mention of Superman's hurt feelings. That being said, the emotion behind Corenswet's words reflects the combined vision of Corenswet and Gunn. It was important that Superman sounded vulnerable. His ability to feel hurt — that was integral to humanizing his character. Corenswet would later message Gunn to tell him that the monologue shoot day was his favorite day of working with any director. Gunn felt a similar way, happy to have created something so special together.
