Warning: spoilers for Superman are in play!
In an alternate universe, the 2025 movie triumph known as Superman may have been overseen by Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige. However, we live in the world where writer/director James Gunn is running the show, providing an adaptation that only the Guardians of the Galaxy helmer could.
Though Feige’s attempted DC hiring never went through, the man does have some notes on what he’s hoping to see in a potential sequel. Reading through what he has in mind, I’d swear the man was reading my notes.
EW, Mr. Gunn was able to chat about the similarities between the Superman clone Ultraman (both played by David Corenswet) and another, very specific DC villain. As it turns out, this baddie is exactly who Kevin Feige is hoping to see in the hypothetical future – with James Gunn revealing that information thusly:
It’s funny, [Marvel Studios President] Kevin Feige wrote me yesterday, He says he hopes his old pal Bizarro… [Laughs] He wants to see Bizarro.
To think that Mr. Feige and myself shared some similar thoughts walking away from Superman’s climactic ending is kinda cool. Then again, how can anyone not want Bizarro to show up in an entry of this franchise’s latest reboot, when James Gunn is at the wheel? He clearly loves working with characters people might see as “freaks,” and turning them into greater narrative foils.
That point in particular is something that shines in further remarks the Superman director provided in connection to some interesting details. You might be surprised with what we saw, and didn’t see, in Ultraman’s big screen debut.
James Gunn Cut Some Of Ultraman’s ‘Sadder’ Story Beats, And I’m Kind Of Bummed
I must preface the next remarks from James Gunn with the caveat that we don’t know that Ultraman will become Bizarro. That’s a pet theory of mine, and there’s compelling evidence to look over in Superman; especially for folks looking to revisit it in theaters, or through the eventual HBO Max subscription debut. With that in mind, here’s more from Mr. Gunn on how Ultraman’s role changed:
There used to be some sadder stuff in there at some point that I got from the script that I really liked. I didn’t have time for everything. … I don’t know if you noticed…David’s got prosthetics on [as Ultraman]. He’s got a chin that’s jutting out, his ears poke out, he’s got one eye kind of going in a little direction. [Luthor] took him out of the oven a little too quickly or something.
I know we’ve already got Creature Commandos’ complicated Eric Frankenstein representing Mary Shelley’s tale of bioethics and hubris. Which, if we’re being honest, already seems to be shaping up as a driving narrative for DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.
Having acknowledged that, I wouldn’t be opposed to a Superman story that explores Ultraman’s potential transformation into Bizarro, reckoning with his tragic status as a “defective” copy of Kal-El. It’d also be the ultimate test of Superman’s powers and kindness, watching how he handles his alternate self’s potential new identity.
We still saw some of that story play out in Superman, but these notes have me thinking that this could be the main thread of the more immediate sequels to follow. Kevin Feige is probably thinking the same thing about now, so can you really argue with this pitch? If you want to re-examine Ultraman’s storyline through these new remarks, you can still travel up, up, and away with Clark Kent at a theater near you.