Warner Bros. Discovery gave the world its first look at the poster and score for its upcoming Superman reboot by James Gunn along with a premiere date for the film’s long-awaited teaser trailer.
Look Up. #Superman #FilmedForIMAX @IMAX
Sign up to get Fan First updates on all things DC Studios at https://t.co/XbE8mYnZBw pic.twitter.com/X6u2MfpQbW— Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) December 16, 2024
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In the video poster featured above, we see David Corenswet as Superman flying up with his arms back and chest out, showcasing the Kingdom Come stylized Superman logo. He’s surrounded by bold primary blues, reds, and yellows. The tagline for the movie is also revealed.
“Look up.”
Short, simple, and extremely effective given the nature of the source material. It’s a tagline that evokes hope and wonder, an awe-inspiring moment that beckons the reader cast their gaze skyward to a symbol of truth, justice, and the American way.
Simply put: James Gunn got this one right.
Superman in Kingdom Come #1 (1996), DC Comics
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Then there’s the music. We get our first taste of the Superman score here, and the ethereal choir voices and steady gentle tone once more perfectly encapsulates the heart of the character of Clark Kent, Kal-El, Superman.
It’s simple, because so is he.
He’s not a god the way certain other up-their-own-you-know-what directors have insinuated in some less than subtle ways. He’s just a small town man from the heartland, raised the right way by a good man and a good woman. He was taught to be strong, to be fair, and above all else, to be kind.
Superman in a church from Man of Steel – Max
And that’s what we hear in the music that accompanies this poster. We hear a gentle kindness, a calm simplicity that speaks volumes.
But that’s not all we hear.
Because in those final twenty seconds, we start to hear something vaguely familiar. A simple three note sequence that repeats itself once, almost daring the listener to question “did I just hear that?”
Tyler Hoechlin as Superman in Superman & Lois (2021), The CW
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And then, as if confirming our greatest hopes and bringing back the assurance of our youth that good triumphs over evil, it happens.
We get the final piece of the John Williams Superman theme. The song that first made us believe that a man could fly.
But that’s not all. The soft otherworldly melody also evokes Hanz Zimmer’s score from Man of Steel, merging effortlessly in with the Williams inspired music to find a perfect balance between the idealized Golden age Richard Donner film and the dour grittiness of the Zack Snyder DC universe.
Which is exactly where this new Superman needs to be.
Tyler Hoechlin as Superman in Superman & Lois (2023), The CW
What we’ve had up to this point have been two polar opposite takes on the Last Son of Krypton. And, like so many other matters in this world, what we truly need lies somewhere in, as the saying around here goes, “the mainstream middle and the sensible center.”
DC and WBD also announced a release date for the long-awaited Superman teaser trailer.
#Superman #trailer Thursday. pic.twitter.com/6NKS0DencA
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 16, 2024
The camera pans down toward the Superman symbol before we see the words “Look Up” yet again. Then we get a shot of space with the words “TEASER TRAILER THURSDAY.”
Tune into That Park Place on Thursday for a full breakdown and report on the Superman trailer.
Superman: Secret Origin #3 (2010), DC Comics
There’s a lot riding on this movie as it’s the first cinematic entry into the new James Gunn-led DC Universe. If this movie fails then the entire DC Universe is off to a very rocky start. And this trailer on Thursday will be our first indicator on how it will go.
Are you excited for Superman? Do you think James Gunn will stick the landing? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
