This one change in DCU’s Superman might just make it better than Man of Steel

Some online users have reportedly been calling James Gunn's Superman "weak" since the release of its latest trailer. Itshows the Kryptonian hero bruised on a battlefield, feeling hurt and defeated. He is not presented as an invulnerable superhero like some previous movie adaptations like Zack Snyder's Man of Steel.

That has been a point of contention for a chunk of the DC hero's fans, who are looking at the hero's vulnerability as his weakness. However, that seemingly minor change might actually make it better than previous DC movies. Before diving into the reasons, let's first look at how the trailer portrays the Kryptonian hero.

DCU's Superman feels different than the Man of Steel

Clark Kent in the trailer (Image via YouTube/DC)

In the Superman teaser and trailer, the hero gets beaten or hurt a couple of times. He doesn't win every single fight. Instead, he also needs a civilian's help to get out of the rubble. He gets criticized by the people, the authorities, and also by Lois Lane throughout the trailer. It doesn't show him magically rescuing Lois or anyone else from danger. Instead, it shows him getting emotional over the loss of a droid outside his fortress of solitude. He embraces his father and sleeps with his dog Krypto on his bed in the farmhouse.

The trailer also shows him standing up for what he believes in even if it means getting reprimanded for his actions. During an interview with Lois, Clark also points out that he wasn't representing anyone but himself in another country. So, DCU's depiction of Clark Kent presumably diverges from a jingoistic notion. In the trailer, he is shown getting arrested by the Engineer and presumably Ultraman. Overall, he looks flawed, and these imperfections make him seem more human. That seems to be James Gunn's intention behind his Clark Kent.

In an interview with Variety in 2023, Gunn said,

“The next Superman has to be someone who has all the humanity that he has but he’s also an alien. It’s gotta be somebody who has the kindness and the compassion that he has and be somebody who you want to give a hug.”

With the latest trailer, Gunn's vision behind DCU's hero becomes more apparent than before. However, some DC fans are reportedly not happy with these changes. Possibly for the same reason, the trailer changes a blink-and-you-miss-it moment from the teaser. Earlier, it showed a man throwing a can at the hero, making him flinch. However, the trailer has seemingly removed that flinch, even if that display of emotion made him look like a human.

Here's why Superman not being invincible might be for the better

Superman is often portrayed as invincible, unable to feel pain or emotion. That makes him seem like an entity separate from humans. Canonically, that might make sense. After all, Kal-el is technically an alien to the Earth since he comes from Krypton. Those origins also give him Invulnerability, a power that makes him immune to any physical injury or illness. However, as mentioned before, it can make him seem one-dimensional as a perfect savior.

DCU's Superman is seemingly avoiding this trope about his character by portraying him as capable of feeling emotions. His sensitivity can make him connect with humans more than before and offer an interesting character dynamic that has rarely been explored before. Much like any other adaptation, it is bound to bring its interpretation of the character, and a hero being capable of feeling pain feels like a mature choice.

Otherwise, we have seen the misuse of similar powers by Sentry's Void (or Val, who manipulates Bob) and by Homelander from The Boys. So, DCU's Superman might be understanding the responsibility that comes with power better than before.