James Gunn reveals unexpected superhero inspiration for ‘Superman’

Filmmaker James Gunn has revealed an unexpected inspiration for his ‘Superman,’ starring actor David Corenswet in the titular role.

Released on July 11, the film earned $123 million in its opening weekend and surpassed $400 million globally.

James Gunn has now revealed that the inspiration for ‘Superman’ came from another DC character, Tom Strong, which was created by comic legends Alan Moore and Chris Sprouse.

In a post on Threads, the DC Studios chief said that a major source of inspiration for his ‘Superman’ and the DCU came from Tom Strong.

“The more I think about it, the more I realise what a significant influence Alan Moore & Chris Sprouse’s Tom Strong was on the DCU & Superman,” he wrote in his post.

Read more: Former ‘Superman’ reviews David Corenswet’s movie

James Gunn continued, “Like in Superman, we meet a character in a pulpy, fantastical world of pre-existing ‘Science-Heroes’ with established relationships and history. Although not in regular DC continuity, I’m grateful for the ways these comics have shaped our evolving DCU. You can get the collections in fine comic stores everywhere.”

It is worth noting here that Tom Strong first featured in Alan Moore and Chris Sprouse’s ‘America’s Best Comics Preview’ in 1999.

In the DC comics, the character lived with his family, including his wife, Dhalua, and daughter, Tesla, who both had enhanced physical and mental abilities.

While it remains unclear if fans will ever get to see a Tom Strong film, James Gunn is set to write and direct the next film in the ‘Super-Family’ at DC.

Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav confirmed that the ‘Superman’ filmmaker was set to write and direct the “next movie in the Super-Family.”