Would the Rebooted DCU's Superman Kill to Protect Somebody’s Life? James Gunn Says Yes — but It Would Be 'Hard for Him'

It’s 1 of the longest-running superhero debates: would Superman kill? Henry Cavill’s Superman did of people termination General Zod arsenic a past edifice successful bid to prevention lives successful the DCEU. But would David Corenswet’s Superman bash the aforesaid successful the rebooted DCU?

This caller Superman is an altogether brighter matter compared to the much grounded, naturalistic SnyderVerse mentation that came earlier it. We spot Superman attraction profoundly for each forms of beingness successful the movie: human, animal, and alien. For newcomers, this possibly begs the question: wherefore doesn’t Superman kill?

In a Wired video, Corenswet offered his answer, which tallies with everything we’ve travel to recognize astir Superman implicit the years: “I deliberation the main crushed is that helium sees the bully successful conscionable astir everybody, possibly to a fault,” helium said. “He adjacent sees the bully successful those trying to bash him harm.”

In the aforesaid Wired video, DCU steward James Gunn chimed successful to add: “I judge helium believes successful a basal close to life. That’s [killing someone] conscionable not successful him.”

But Gunn goes connected to accidental that this Superman would termination if helium had to. “But I’m not a purist successful that respect. I deliberation that if, for instance, helium had to termination to support somebody’s life, helium would astir apt bash that, adjacent though that would beryllium hard for him.”

Warning! Spoilers for Superman follow:

We spot the suggestion that Superman kills successful the caller Superman movie, specifically during the conflict betwixt Superman and Ultraman, who is revealed to beryllium a clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor. But we bash not spot Ultraman die, alternatively thrown into a achromatic hole. Indeed, determination is simply a beardown instrumentality mentation that Ultraman whitethorn instrumentality successful aboriginal DCU movies arsenic Bizarro.

Gunn’s comments, however, suggest the movie-maker would person Superman deliberately termination nether the close circumstances successful a aboriginal DCU film, pursuing Snyder’s pb with Cavill’s Superman. The decease of Zod successful 2013’s Man of Steel was a blistery taxable passim the full DCEU’s run, and nary uncertainty it would beryllium the aforesaid if Corenswet’s Superman ever followed suit, though that would possibly beryllium a amazingly darker infinitesimal that we’ve seen from the tonally upbeat Superman Gunn has present established.

Snyder himself has explained wherefore helium had Superman termination Zod successful Man of Steel. In an interrogation with GQ, Snyder said Zod “wasn’t gonna negociate an outcome, truthful it was either Zod oregon us. And that was beauteous overmuch the game. There was nary mediate ground. Zod said helium would combat until either you termination me, oregon I termination you. That’s the game.

“And they’re like, ‘But wherefore would you enactment Superman successful that position?’ I’m like, 'Well, if Superman can’t grip that presumption past he’s fake.' He’s got to code the scenarios that travel to him. He can’t prime and choose, arsenic you can’t prime and choose.

“If the quality tin respond successful a mode that solidifies his humanity, past he’s stronger.”

Whether we spot Gunn’s Superman enactment successful a akin presumption successful aboriginal DCU films remains to beryllium seen, though we bash person Supergirl to travel adjacent year, and the imaginable for a Justice League squad up with Batman and Wonder Woman.

Superman itself got the DCU disconnected to a flyer with a planetary play instrumentality of $217 cardinal astatine the container office. Its $122 cardinal home instrumentality was capable to marque it the biggest North American motorboat ever for a solo Superman film, not adjusted for inflation.

Check retired IGN’s Superman reappraisal to find retired what we think, and past caput implicit to our Superman Ending and Post-Credits Explained to find retired what it each means.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].