Why does Superman bleed in the first sequence of the latest trailer? James Gunn discusses the battered state of Superman

One of the most anticipated movies of next year is Superman. The teaser, released on 19th December, has received over 40 million views on the official DC YouTube Channel. The popularly received footage shows the Man of Steel in a vulnerable, bleeding position. When asked about it, James Gunn explained that a hurt and bleeding Superman represents a battered and divided US.

During a Q&A session at the press event for the Superman trailer, James Gunn gave the answer to the question, "Why does Superman bleed?" He explained that Superman serves as a stand-in for the innate kindness of humans, which some may not take seriously.

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What did James Gunn say about the state of Superman?

In the opening moments of the Superman teaser, we see Clark crash landing on an icy landscape, probably close to the Fortress of Solitude. Then, we hear Superman wheezing, and his face is bruised, suggesting that he is hurt. Then, he coughs out the blood and whistles out on the horizon, resulting in the most adorable moment, Krypto the Superdog's entry.

While Krypto captured the hearts of viewers, people still were asking the question, "Why does Superman bleed?" People still think that it has something to do with kryptonite, but Gunn did not confirm the presence of the radioactive mineral. Instead, he said:

"We do have a battered Superman in the beginning. That is our country. I believe in the goodness of human beings, and I believe that most people in this country, despite their ideological beliefs, their politics, are doing their best to get by and be good people — despite what it may seem like to the other side, no matter what that other side might be.

He continued,

This movie is about that. It’s about the basic kindness of human beings, and that it can be seen as uncool and under siege [by] some of the darker voices are some of the louder voices.”

He also discussed the teaser in a Variety interview in which he expressed happiness in exploring Clark Kent's humility and kindness instead of his powers. This is what Gunn said about it:

"I'm excited for people to get to see the essence of what we’re doing, because it really has been like this private secret that we’ve all been hoarding. We felt really good about it, like from a moral place, even from the beginning. We all felt like we were doing something good, both in terms of quality and in terms of actually something that’s not a fascistic power fantasy. I’m not saying that about other hero movies in general. But it felt good to be doing something that was about a person’s kindness."

Gunn also explained Superman and Krypto's relationship in the movie to Vanity Fair:

"His relationship with Krypto is…complicated. He’s not nearly the best dog. There’s a lot more to Krypto than you see in this trailer."

In the same Vanity Fair interview, Gunn explained this Superman movie in this way:

"This movie, at the end of the day, is not about power. This movie is about, in the loose sense of the word, a human being struggling with his day-to-day life. And we see a different aspect of him at the beginning. I thought it was a cool place to start the trailer—and the movie, frankly."

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Speculations about why Superman is bleeding in the teaser

It is a popularly known fact that one of the weaknesses of the Man of Steel is kryptonite. Kryptonite is fragments of destroyed Krypton that are green in color and contain the radiation of the red sun that destroyed Krypton. Because of the red sun radiation, kryptonite is deadly for Superman and any Kryptonian. While Gunn did not confirm the presence of the radioactive mineral, we see Lex Luthor in the teaser.

He is standing in a very James Bond-like pose holding a gun. This gun probably contains kryptonite bullets that can kill Superman. Apart from the gun, we also see a ring in his hand. Usually, there is a kryptonite right in the center of the ring. Unless confirmed otherwise, we have to presume that Kryptonite plays a role in this Superman story.

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Are you still asking, "Why is Superman bleeding?" Seems like we will have to wait to get the answer in the movie. Superman directed by James Gunn, will release in cinema halls across the world on July 11th, 2025.