This Throwaway Henry Cavill Line in Batman v Superman Shows How Different Zack Snyder is From James Gunn

Henry Cavill's Superman in the center with images from James Gunn's Superman and Ben Affleck's Batman — Image by Morena Perez Vitale

James Gunn’s Superman movie is set to start the new DC Universe on the big screen, doing so with a more classic interpretation of the Man of Steel. This comes after the somewhat divisive version of the hero played by Henry Cavill in the DC Extended Universe, with David Corenswet’s Superman being in a much more traditional mold. One scene in the movie’s recent trailer paints a polar opposite picture from the second DCEU movie.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and James Gunn’s Superman seem like strange movies to compare, but their plot beats might be somewhat similar. Ironically, the outlaw characterization of Superman is much like how Batman was seen in the former movie. Not only does this reverse the DCEU while evoking a certain era in Superman’s history, but it also recalls another scene from Dawn of Justice.

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Batman and Superman face off in the rain in the DCEU — Image via Warner Bros.

Superman’s entire characterization in the DC Extended Universe was a lot different from the norm, with the Man of Tomorrow being somewhat more hesitant in going public. There was generally a strong, somber sense of melancholy to Henry Cavill’s version of Superman, and he many times only came off as truly comfortable when he was around his mother or Lois Lane.

Despite his immense power, he was largely seen as a force for good, but others, namely Bruce Wayne/Batman, initially only saw his destructive potential. Ironically, Superman wasn’t Batman’s biggest fan, either, especially given how the Dark Knight violently dealt with criminality.

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The newest trailer for James Gunn’s Superman reboot was recently released, with the new Superman film announced in late 2022 when Gunn announced his plans to end the moribund DC Extended Universe. His goal is for many of the DC heroes to be portrayed in a way closer to how fans and audiences are used to seeing them, as opposed to the more divergent paths taken with the DCEU.

This includes David Corenswet’s version of Superman wearing the classic trunks, as well as many visual and narrative aspects being taken from the Richard Donner Superman movies, the Silver Age Superman comics, and their modern update in the form of the classic series All-Star Superman. To this end, Corenswet and Cavill’s versions of Superman are far different, and this can be seen in the more overt actions of the former. Ironically, this puts him in a similar situation to the DCEU Batman in terms of his characterization.

As seen in a clip showcasing an interview between Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane, the DCU Superman thinks nothing of international laws that would impede him from saving innocent people who were otherwise in danger.

This makes it work a lot more than the scene in Africa in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was in many ways an example of the cynicism on display in the DCEU. Even the piecemeal-by-way-of-the-Silver-Age version of Superman in the DCU feels more authentic than Snyder’s version played by Henry Cavill, which used esoteric elements from the hero’s history to justify some of the changes. Gunn is clearly going for a more recognizable take on the Man of Steel, albeit one who’s not afraid to ruffle feathers if it means protecting innocent people.

Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.