James Gunn Just Compared Superman to Oppenheimer—and It Actually Makes Sense
James Gunn's Superman hits theaters July 11, and yes — the cast list is long.
Alongside David Corenswet's Clark Kent, you've got Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Krypto, the full Daily Planet crew, and a wildcard lineup of DC heroes like Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, Mr. Terrific, Metamorpho, and The Engineer.
Naturally, fans started asking: is this still Superman, or just a soft launch for the next Justice League?
Gunn's answer? Think Oppenheimer, not Avengers. Seriously.
In an interview with Esquire Philippines, Gunn said he's not worried about the ensemble size. He's already screened the movie for non-comic fans, and no one was confused about the focus. Here's his take:
"Superman is definitely the protagonist. He has his work friends and his play friends… just because they have insignias on their costumes or superpowers doesn't mean they aren't like any other supporting character. I think Oppenheimer has three times as many speaking roles as we do."
The Oppenheimer comparison actually makes some sense. Christopher Nolan's historical epic had a cast stacked with names — Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Benny Safdie, Kenneth Branagh, Rami Malek — but still kept the focus locked on one guy. Gunn's aiming for the same thing: a big universe around Superman, without letting the spotlight wander too far.
And he's got receipts. His Guardians of the Galaxy movies handled sprawling rosters without losing track of the core emotional arc. He points out that other superhero films — Captain America: Civil War, The Batman — also managed big ensembles without falling apart.
The marketing so far backs him up. The trailers are centered on Superman, Lois (Rachel Brosnahan), Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), and Krypto. No one's pretending Guy Gardner is the lead here.
The film marks the official start of Gunn's new DC Universe. It's the first big swing under his and Peter Safran's rebooted vision — and yes, it leans into a connected universe from the jump. But the name on the poster is still Superman, and Gunn's betting that audiences can handle a world that feels lived-in from the start.