Superman director James Gunn explains how Top Gun: Maverick influenced the upcoming DC movie

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"We shoot a lot of our action with actual drones flying in and around Superman"

David Corenswet as Superman in first look at James Gunn's new movie
(Image credit: DC/James Gunn)

Superman director James Gunn has explained how Tom Cruise's action sequel Top Gun: Maverick influenced the upcoming comic book movie. 

The filmmaker, who's set to kick off a new era of DC-related content with his take on the Man of Steel in 2025, told ComicBook during a set visit that he recalled being keen to "keep it alive in the air, as well as on the ground" and, well, when you're dealing with a superhero who can fly, that requires a lot of prep. With that, Gunn wrote up a "big document" breaking down how the flick's action could be shot, pre-emptively trying to navigate the challenges of filming sequences in the sky.

"We took a lot from films like Top Gun: Maverick, which, we are shooting flying things," he continued. "We shoot a lot of our action with actual drones flying in and around Superman and the people that he's flying with, The Engineer, whoever else, that he's fighting up in the air. We did that on sound stages. 

"We got these really small, crazy drones now.  We've got some of the best flyers in the world here who are working with it. And so we use those guys a lot and everything's planned out with me, as it always is. But at the same time, I've gotten even more into finding new stuff on the set and new moments and exploring that stuff, finding magic where it is."

Starring Isabela Merced, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, and David Corenswet, Superman will reportedly focus on a young Kal-El as he juggles his crime-fighting duties with his more human responsibilities at The Daily Planet. Beyond that, it's a bit of a mystery, though we do know Lex Luthor, one of Superman's most notorious enemies, will feature.

According to The Wrap, Gunn was also inspired by the original movie starring Richard Donner, though "it's very different from that", as well as the comic book All-Star Superman.

Superman releases on July 11, 2025. For more, check out all of the other new superhero movies heading our way or our guide to DCU: Chapter One.

Amy West
Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.