James Gunn Corrects False Fan Critiques About CG In New ‘Superman’ Trailer

The most recent trailer for the new Superman film was received poorly by nitpicky fans because they thought they identified bad CG in the 30-second trailer.

On Jan. 26, acclaimed director and leader of the DC cinematic universe, James Gunn, shared a brief teaser on X of his new Superman film to be released on July 11. The contents of the trailer are extremely brief and vague as it offers only 30 seconds of various shots from different scenes of the movie. Though the trailer gives little to no context of the film’s overall plot, this is the internet and some people just had to find something to critique, though it might not be for the reasons you would think.

One of the shots in the teaser shows a close-up of the newest Superman actor, David Corenswet, flying over a snowy landscape in classic Superman fashion. Many people began to make fun of this shot due to Corenswet’s facial expression and believed that it was the result of poorly used CG. The comments about CG use became so rampant that Gunn actually responded to the rumors and memes on Threads. 

“There is absolutely zero CG in his face,” Gunn said to one user’s comment. “People’s faces can look different when you put a wide-angle lens up close. The background plate in Svalbard is 100% real as is David.” Another user on X noted that when the shot is brightened, there does not appear to be any CG on Corenswet’s face, further proving Gunn’s note about how the style of a production can make an actor look different. 

The fact that so many people assumed CG was being used on Corenswet’s face and went on to critique and outright make fun of it is upsetting and maybe even disturbing. It’s so strange that we live in a time where an actor’s bare face is being mocked because viewers assume that any asymmetry in his facial expression is the result of poor CG. The fact that people were so quick to assume it was the work of CG before even considering that’s just what Corenswet’s face looks like in a particular shot really shows how skeptical and critical people can be towards actors and the film industry as a whole. 

I for one am hopeful for the film and excited to see more updates on this new rendition of Superman, especially with the return of the Man of Steel’s lovable sidekick, Krypto.