DC Studios co-chief James Gunn has responded to criticism of Superman's flying face after a TV spot sparked debate online.
Over the weekend DC Studios released a new TV spot for the upcoming Superman movie, and the internet had plenty to say about David Corenswet's flying face.
The 30-second video, below, shows two previously unseen clips: Lex Luthor stepping out of a helicopter in a snowy wilderness, possibly searching for the Fortress of Solitude, and Superman flying over an icy landscape, doing a barrel roll as he speeds towards a mystery destination.
Some suggested the shot looks a little off because Superman's face appears unnaturally still when his hair and cape are billowing in the wind. Others put it down to "wonky CGI," but in a response to one fan on threads, Gunn clarified that no CGI was used for Superman's face in the shot.
"Looks dope," one Threads user said of the TV spot. "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 replied to this to say: "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." Svalbard is the Norwegian archipelago where part of Superman was filmed.
So there we have it: Superman's flying face is all natural, which means David Corenswet really is displaying what looks like a knowing smirk while speeding towards the camera -- or while a big fan was blowing on his face.
With that in mind, fans are still debating the shot itself, continuing to compare it to flying Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, also written and directed by James Gunn. And, as IGN has reported, there's plenty of excitement about the Superman movie to go along with the discussion about this extremely short clip. Superman hits theatres on July 11, 2025, and is the first film in the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. IGN has an explainer on all the DC Heroes and Villains in the new trailer, comments from James Gunn on Krypto actually being a pretty terrible dog in the movie, thoughts on how Superman is about hope, and more.