Movies

James Gunn’s Sneaky Camera Trick Made David Corenswet’s Superman Tower Over the DCU

written by Leo Hartwell

September 26, 2025 10:55 am

James Gunn’s Sneaky Camera Trick Made David Corenswet’s Superman Tower Over the DCU — Image credit: Legion-Media

James Gunn reveals the old-school set trick that made David Corenswet’s Superman loom even larger in a key scene — a subtle cheat exposed in the film’s home release commentary.

James Gunn pulled a simple, old-school trick to make David Corenswet look even more like a skyscraper in Superman. Not VFX, not camera sorcery — just a little casting sleight of hand that works because your eye can’t help comparing everyone in the frame.

The Daily Planet entrance, explained

In the director’s commentary on the home release, Gunn breaks down how he staged the shot where Clark walks into the Daily Planet’s offices. Corenswet is already 6'4", but to really sell the size difference, Gunn stacked the scene with background players who were 5'6" or shorter. It’s one of those inside-baseball choices that seems obvious once you hear it — and it plays great on screen.

"One of the reasons we can see how big he is is because I got all extras who were, I think, 5'6" or under."

A clip of that bit from the commentary has been making the rounds online, which tracks — fans are already combing through this movie frame by frame now that it’s at home.

What we know about Man of Tomorrow

Release date: July 9, 2027
Who’s back: David Corenswet (Superman/Clark Kent), Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane)
Plot details: still locked up. The title is one of Superman’s long-running nicknames, it’s been used on a few comic runs, and there’s the 2020 animated film Superman: Man of Tomorrow — but it’s unknown if the DCU movie will pull from any of that.

Superman at home

Superman is now available to rent or buy on digital platforms, including Apple TV and Fandango at Home. As the first big-screen feature of the new DCU, Gunn’s take leans into his usual blend of epic action, humor, and heart — centered on a Superman driven by compassion and a belief that people are, at their core, good. And if you like hearing how the sausage gets made, the commentary’s worth a listen.