SUPERMAN TV Spot Shows James Gunn Swapped Out Divisive Flying Shot After Fan Backlash

When the first Superman TV spot dropped, it didn’t take long before fans on social media found something to pick apart, specifically, a flying shot of David Corenswet's Man of Steel that just didn’t sit right with some viewers. The flying shot is a close-up of Superman's face as he comes out of a barrel roll to avoid some rocks of mountain. Fans were saying the look on Superman’s face was "goofy", while others blamed the VFX.Now, it looks like James Gunn decided to make a change.In a newly released TV spot, that same flying moment has clearly been updated. It looks much slicker and is better composed. It captures Superman mid-air, and it’s undeniably a visual improvement. And yes, Gunn confirmed he made the swap, though he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the original shot to begin with.“It was a TV commercial and it wasn't a finished visual effects shot,” Gunn explained in response to the initial backlash. “So the part of him flying, it was a photograph of his face and him flying. It was a photograph of a drone flying in front of an actual background. So all the pieces were real, but it was incorporated in kind of a funky way.”He went on to admit the first version just wasn’t up to his standards: “I didn't love the shot, so it's not even the shot that's in the movie. Sometimes I'm pretty strict about when I'm going through a trailer and looking at each of the shots, but sometimes the commercials, I forget to look at this closely. So that one kind of got by me.”When a fan later asked him on Threads, “Hey James, how come you removed the barrel roll shot?! It was dope dude! It was a unique way of seeing Supes in flight,” Gunn clarified: “I didn't remove the shot. I changed out a particular take of the shot.”Gunn is no stranger to fan engagement, and while he’s not one to cater to every internet hot take, it’s clear he’s paying attention.Whether or not these changes will win over everyone remains to be seen, but they do hint at a filmmaker who’s actively shaping his vision for the film, with one eye on the fans and the other on the final cut.You can check out the updated TV spot for Superman below. New 'Superman' NBA Finals TV spot pic.twitter.com/qXyKRwRBOW— DCU Superman News (@DCUSuperNews) June 23, 2025 Before and after pic.twitter.com/T6ikqUcUby— DCU Superman News (@DCUSuperNews) June 23, 2025

Jun 24, 2025 - 08:10

SUPERMAN TV Spot Shows James Gunn Swapped Out Divisive Flying Shot After Fan Backlash

When the first Superman TV spot dropped, it didn’t take long before fans on social media found something to pick apart, specifically, a flying shot of David Corenswet's Man of Steel that just didn’t sit right with some viewers.

The flying shot is a close-up of Superman's face as he comes out of a barrel roll to avoid some rocks of mountain. Fans were saying the look on Superman’s face was "goofy", while others blamed the VFX.

Now, it looks like James Gunn decided to make a change.

In a newly released TV spot, that same flying moment has clearly been updated. It looks much slicker and is better composed. It captures Superman mid-air, and it’s undeniably a visual improvement. And yes, Gunn confirmed he made the swap, though he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the original shot to begin with.

“It was a TV commercial and it wasn't a finished visual effects shot,” Gunn explained in response to the initial backlash. “So the part of him flying, it was a photograph of his face and him flying. It was a photograph of a drone flying in front of an actual background. So all the pieces were real, but it was incorporated in kind of a funky way.”

He went on to admit the first version just wasn’t up to his standards: “I didn't love the shot, so it's not even the shot that's in the movie. Sometimes I'm pretty strict about when I'm going through a trailer and looking at each of the shots, but sometimes the commercials, I forget to look at this closely. So that one kind of got by me.”

When a fan later asked him on Threads, “Hey James, how come you removed the barrel roll shot?! It was dope dude! It was a unique way of seeing Supes in flight,” Gunn clarified: “I didn't remove the shot. I changed out a particular take of the shot.”

Gunn is no stranger to fan engagement, and while he’s not one to cater to every internet hot take, it’s clear he’s paying attention.

Whether or not these changes will win over everyone remains to be seen, but they do hint at a filmmaker who’s actively shaping his vision for the film, with one eye on the fans and the other on the final cut.

You can check out the updated TV spot for Superman below.