Viewer response to a recent Superman test screening may have led to sweeping changes for the upcoming James Gunn movie.
According to a report from World of Reel, major last-minute changes have rocked James Gunn’s Superman reboot, including the removal of nearly 25 to 30 minutes of footage, the replacement of an editor, and the addition of a second composer.
Superman withstands fire in the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC
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These changes reportedly stem from mixed Superman test screening reactions, prompting executives to rework the film in a bid to avoid yet another box office embarrassment for the DC brand.
A Reboot in Turmoil?
Behind the scenes, tensions are reportedly running high. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, along with DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, are said to be deeply involved in the final stages of post-production—scrutinizing every frame to avoid the kind of misfires that tanked The Flash, Shazam 2, Wonder Woman 1984, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, Black Adam, Blue Beetle, and so on.
Superman arrested in the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC
Sources claim Gunn’s original cut leaned more heavily on humor, a creative decision that apparently didn’t land with early audiences—or executives. In response, multiple comedic beats were cut from the film entirely, bringing down both the tone and the runtime. What was once a more lighthearted take is now said to be significantly “leaner” and more serious in presentation.
Editor Quietly Replaced, Scenes Restructured
One of the more surprising developments is that a key editor was “quietly removed” partway through post-production. This prompted a structural shake-up in the story, with scenes reportedly being shuffled and some minor additions inserted during recent reshoots.
David Corenswet as Superman flying in James Gunn’s “Superman” – YouTube, DC
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While insiders describe this as a “slight tweak,” the fact that changes were still being made weeks before the final cut suggests deeper creative uncertainty.
Musical Chairs for the Score
In another eyebrow-raising move, Warner Bros. also brought in a second composer to help reshape the score. This kind of mid-stream adjustment typically reflects tonal concerns at the executive level—and reinforces the narrative that the film’s direction has been in flux even deep into post.
Superman saves a little girl in the Superman teaser trailer – YouTube, DC
One insider described the entire process as a “slight course correction,” but the amount of behind-the-scenes overhaul could indicate more than a minor pivot.
What the Final Runtime Tells Us
The film’s official runtime was revealed earlier this week, clocking in well below what many fans expected for a major superhero reboot. While early cuts were said to stretch well over 2.5 hours, the final version now runs significantly shorter, right around two hours. This led many to believe WB is hoping to keep the pace tight and the reviews stronger.
Superman grimacing by a Stagg Industries sign in the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC
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The final Superman test screening is reportedly happening this week, and whether these sweeping changes have made a difference remains to be seen. For now, insiders say there’s “a tad more confidence” from studio heads that Superman will deliver the clean slate DC desperately needs.
A Make-or-Break Moment for Gunn’s DCU
With this being the first full-length film in Gunn’s newly rebooted DC Universe, the stakes couldn’t be higher. WB has already faced a wave of skepticism from fans over recent casting and tonal decisions, and now the Superman production saga is adding more uncertainty.
There’s no official comment from Warner Bros. or James Gunn at this time, but the buzz surrounding these last-minute adjustments is hard to ignore.
Superman wounded in the snow in the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC
If Superman fails to soar, the entire future of the DCU may come crashing down before it even gets off the ground.
What do you think about these rumored changes brought on by a bad Superman test screening? Sound off in the comments and let me know!
The infamous WB exec interference at it again
Lest we forget: many of the “misfires” were because the audience knew way, way ahead of time that DC was closing the Snyderverse. There was less incentive to invest in dead end moves of a dead end franchise.
And, let’s face it, the movies weren’t that great, some were marginally entertaining, but few reached the level of “good movie” and only a couple could be called “great” by small pockets of viewers. Maybe if they had been the best superhero movies ever, WB would have reconsidered, but under the personnel and story decisions made under Snyder’s leadership, there wasn’t much chance for that.
I am surprised they would mingle composers for the score though. They already had two perfectly AMAZING scores from John Williams and Hans Zimmer they could have remixed and used throughout this movie (the way they have done already with William’s Superman March). And, as someone who has a great love for – and collection of – movie scores I can say the Hans Zimmer work on Superman may be one of my favorite in that collection.
I should add that, all this news aside, this and Spiderman are likely to be the only superhero movies I see in the theater through 2026, regardless of how Marvel or DC muck around with their release schedules.
And I’ll have to see how Pedro Pascal changes over the next few years before I commit to seeing Doomsday, even though I like much of the rest of the cast one bad apple spoils the barrel.
Lastly, OMG they made Nathan Fillion look like a tool with the hairstyle they gave him for Green lantern. What, in the name of all things holy, possessed them to create such an abomination of a hair style???
I’m not a fan of the cinematography. I’m glad it actually has a color palette, but like most modern movies, it appears to be allergic to contrast and shadow. This makes it look much more like a TV show. The trailer had the same look as the CW’s Flash. If you have a movie-sized budget, it should not look like a weekly TV series.