All-Star Superman writer Grant Morrison has some issues with James Gunn’s take on the character

David Corenswet’s first outing in the cape as the Last Son of Krypton was the refreshing, plucky take on Superman that fans had been hoping for. One person who had issues with how James Gunn’s movie played out, however, was a writer whose take on the character partly inspired the 2025 movie. In an interview with Half the Picture, All-Star Superman author Grant Morrison shared his thoughts on the latest movie about the Man of Steel, and while he praised the movie for being the “best Superman movie yet,” it wasn’t completely invulnerable.

"It became the closest to capturing what Superman feels like. I had a few things I didn't like about it," confessed Morrison. "[James] made specific choices that I think were made for dramatic reasons that were understandable in order to make him seem more relatable, he had him getting beaten up an awful lot. I want to see him stop getting beaten up and fight back.”

Another element Morrison felt hindered the film was Clark (Corenswet) learning about his heritage, which took a page from Invincible’s book by having Superman sent to dominate rather than save his new home planet. "I didn't like it because I prefer it when Krypton's this lost utopia," Morrison explained. "I like the idea that there was something amazing, and nature just wiped it out. Their own lack of attention to detail allowed them to be wiped out. I think there's something much more poignant about that.”

It was this twist in the tale that led Morrison to believe it altered Superman in the wrong way. "The thing I found almost upsetting in it was that it felt like Superman's morality was quite fragile. It was just based on this wish-fulfilment bullshit.” Thankfully, it was in the film’s final act and Kal-El’s speech to a beaten Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) that Gunn’s go at Supes won Morrison over. "They put him in a position where I was concerned that he would break down, lose his compass. The fact that he didn't was just nice to see.”

By venturing into this new territory, it’ll be interesting to see where Gunn takes his new version of the character and his longtime nemesis when the two are potentially forced to unite in Man of Tomorrow. Set for release on July 9, 2027, the film will also see the arrival of Braniac, played by Lars Eidinger.

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