James Gunn’s “Superman” is positively overstuffed with ideas. Whether you see that as a good thing or a bad thing is mostly dependent on how you feel about his take on the titular character, which makes for a stark contrast with Zack Snyder’s gritty and grounded approach to the Man of Steel (one that, arguably, never fit him very well).
Rather than continue to chase the trend of dark comic book movies made by Snyder, Gunn has swerved in the opposite direction with the first movie in his newly-launched DC Universe. In doing so, he fashioned Superman into a character who carries the future of Metropolis on his shoulders, balancing between sadness and hope in ways that speak to the superhero’s enduring 80+ year run as the embodiment of justice in pop culture.
But comic books aren’t all just battles between good and evil. They can also feature some really wild and crazy turns, with super dogs and robot butlers that feel normal to any comic book veteran but look bizarre from an outsider’s point of view. And Gunn loves to indulge in these strange characters. Hell, he basically made “The Suicide Squad” into a love letter to forgotten C- and D-tier supervillains. And “Superman” is no exception.
Throughout “Superman,” we’re introduced to a bevy of minor characters with deep backstories, ranging from Nathan Fillion’s smug Green Lantern Guy Gardener to Antony Carrigan’s surprisingly soulful Metamorpho. However, it turns out none of them hold a candle next to the gonzo backstory for Gunn’s “favorite” character in the film: Mr. Handsome.
