With the first trailer for James Gunn’s Superman on the way, multiple entertainment websites have released reports of their visit to the Cleveland Set of the film in June of last year. Gunn talked to reporters in between filming to discuss various aspects of the highly-anticipated film, which will be the first under the new DC Studios banner. From the characterization of Clark Kent and Superman to fun tidbits about the supporting cast of characters, the Superman director had plenty to talk about.
One especially exciting detail involved how Gunn filmed some of the film’s action sequences. Since one of Superman’s most iconic abilities is his flight, it’s unsurprising that the Man of Steel would have some of his battles while midair. To capture flight in action, Gunn would take inspiration from the Joseph Kosinski directed, Tom Cruise-led legacy sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. As the director would tell Gizmodo:
“Being able to shoot stuff in the sky… is really hard. So we took a lot from films like Top Gun: Maverick. 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 and whoever else that he’s fighting up in the air. And 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.”
‘Superman’ Features Plenty of Drone Camera Work
A more significant part of why Top Gun: Maverick was so incredibly successful is due to the realistic depiction of dog fighting and piloting. Now, with Gunn’s incorporation of similar filmmaking styles, Superman’s flight could have a visceral feel to it and make audiences believe that a man could fly once again. Gunn is no stranger to unique camera movements, using exceptionally creative camerawork from cinematographer Henry Braham in action sequences for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
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Braham returned to camera duties for Superman, so Gunn’s visual style and consistency shouldn’t change too much, especially regarding the clarity of the action in most, if not all, of his films that were worked on with the DP. That said, while Gunn has captured flight in his films in one manner or another, be it through Star-Lord’s (Chris Pratt) jetpack or Adam Warlock’s flight, none quite compare to the power and speed that Superman has been shown to have in various media.
Thankfully, Gunn’s comments on trying to capture Superman’s powers indicate a passion for the character and what he represents. Each live-action Superman movie has had its own representation of Superman’s power of flight, with Richard Donner’s portrayal being one of the most iconic in cinema. After Zack Snyder’s most recent and visually stunning first flight sequence in Man of Steel (paired with a beautiful score from Hans Zimmer), it will be exciting to see what Gunn brings to the table with his drone cameras and soundstage work.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.’ rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
- Release Date
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July 11, 2025
- Cast
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David Corenswet
, Rachel Brosnahan
, María Gabriela De Faría
, Edi Gathegi
, Nicholas Hoult
, Frank Grillo
, Nathan Fillion
, Milly Alcock
, Sara Sampaio
, Pruitt Taylor Vince
, Skyler Gisondo
, Anthony Carrigan
, Wendell Pierce
, Beck Bennett
, Sean Gunn