SUMMARY
  • James Gunn revealed Skyler Gisondo's look as Jimmy Olsen, which has divided opinions among fans.
  • Fans are skeptical as they remember Zack Snyder's rough take on Olsen and other 'Man of Steel' characters.
  • The new 'Superman' film promised to be more comic accurate, unlike Snyder's version.

It won’t be wrong to say that Superman has always been the face of DC comics and movies. Now that James Gunn and Peter Safran are rebooting the entire DC Universe, fans are naturally hoping to see something fresh and better in their favorite heroes.

Superman
Superman | via James Gunn’s Instagram

The first new DCU movie will be Gunn’s David Corenswet starrer Superman. The initial response to Corenswet’s first look as Superman was mixed as fans compared him with Henry Cavill’s Superman. And one recent character reveal added more to this skepticism of fans.

James Gunn Reveals Skyler Gisondo’s Look As Jimmy Olsen

Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen
Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen | via James Gunn’s X

Jimmy Olsen has been a constant character in Superman comics since its inception. Olsen is an enthusiastic photojournalist at the Daily Planet, and he is a friend of Clark Kent as well as Superman along with Lois Lane.

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The character has been played by many actors earlier. Marc McClure played it in Christopher Reeve’s Superman films, Sam Huntington played it in Superman Returns, Michael Cassidy in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and many other actors portrayed it on TV shows as well.

Now in James Gunn‘s upcoming Superman, Skyler Gisondo will be seen as Olsen, and the director has recently revealed his first look on the anniversary of his character’s first appearance in 1941. However, fans’ opinions are divided regarding the appearance.

Some netizens compare Zack Snyder and Gunn’s vision and believe that Gunn is trying to overcorrect everything that didn’t fit well in Man of Steel. In Snyder’s film, Olsen was not comic accurate. He was given a more serious appearance and was killed by the terrorists within a few scenes in Batman v Superman.

Zack Snyder had his fair share of criticisms for Man of Steel. Giving a completely different dark tone to Superman, with inconsistencies in his character arc and so on. Among them, one major criticism was the abrupt death of Jonathan Kent, played by Kevin Costner.

Jonathan Kent dies due to a tornado while protecting his son’s identity as Superman. This scene was quite controversial, as some believed Clark could have easily saved his father, and preserving his own superhero identity should not be higher than his father’s life. 

However, Snyder told GQ that according to him, after Jonathan stopped his son from rescuing him, Clark decided to protect the idea that his father was trying to protect, which was his superhero identity.

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Differences in opinions and loopholes like these are still well remembered by fans, and that’s the reason why many are accepting every new thing with a pinch of salt.

James Gunn’s Superman Is More Comic Accurate

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

One thing that Gunn has made sure of with his new movie is to make it more accurate to comics. Starting from the first look of Superman’s suit, which showed a lighter shade of blue, the ‘S’ symbol is inspired by the Kingdom Come comic book storyline, and the most significant change will be the return of the iconic trunks.

Apart from the suit, Gunn has also taken comic book references for some iconic scenes. One leaked image from the production shows a Daily Planet headline reading “Superman Fulfills A Dream.” This is a reference to All-Star Superman comics, where Superman takes out all cancer patients from a hospital to visit the Pyramids.

Moreover, Snyder tried to portray Superman as a hero who makes mistakes, but sometimes it backfired. Superman was shown fighting with Krytonians in Metropolis, breaking buildings and stuff, and killing many civilians. It can be understood why he did that, as he wanted to set up for Batman v Superman.

But, while trying that, it made Superman less of a hero, in spite of having God-like powers. This was not exactly accurate to comics. However, in Gunn’s version, the on-set images and the tone of the film hint at a more positive hero image of Superman.

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Now, with all previous setbacks and loopholes, it will be a challenge for James Gunn to impress fans, who will already come with a baggage of expectations.

Superman will be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.

Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice are available to stream on Max.

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