As the hype aroundJames Gunn’sDC cinematic universe grows, so do fans' suspicions of what’s going on behind the scenes, asSupermangoes from the production phase into post-production. With principal photography coming to a close earlier this year, fans of the DC universe and of the director himself have kept a close eye on any information they can glean from set photos and, more recently, Gunn’s social media posts.
One specific worry fans have about the upcomingSupermanfilm is whether Gunn will employ the use of practical effects. However, in true Gunn fashion, the outspoken director recently took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to respond to a fan’s question about what kind of effects the filmmaker will be using to create DC’s fantastical world and the well-known characters within it.
A character that evoked much concern about his depiction on-screen is the iconic shapeshifter Metamorpho. Many fans, including one on X that got the director’s attention, are asking how Gunn will handle the imaginative character’s appearance. The director took it upon himself to quell fans' worries by responding to the question.Gunn revealed that actor Anthony Carrigan’s Element Man, also known as Metamorpho, used a practical effects costume for his elemental transformation in the upcomingSupermanfilm.Check out the post below.
Practical Effects Are Slowly But Surely Making a Comeback
Many comic-book movie fans, and movie fans in general, have lamented the controversial decisions being made regarding special effects, as CGI has become omnipresent in blockbusters. When photos of a practical stand-in took the internet by storm, Marvel confirmed that The Thing in its upcoming Fantastic Four film will be created using CGI, leaving many fans discouraged and cynical about practical effects having a place in other superhero films, like Gunn’s upcoming DC universe.
However, Gunn has made the deliberate choice to include several practical effects inSuperman. Photos from the set show that Gunn used wires in one of the film’s fights and filmed on location, instead of the typical superhero-movie blue screen studio. Photos also show David Corenswet, who is playing the eponymous hero, lifting actual props made to look like rubble, which gives hope to fans of practical effects.
Though a staple of Hollywood since its inception, practical effects may seem outdated to some modern moviegoers, butin many cases, they are the better choice when trying to create fantastical visuals.Modern filmmakers and producers seem tobe coming back around to appreciating the authenticity of practical effects with recent films, including the Oscar-winningEverything, Everywhere, All at Onceand the summer blockbusterTop Gun: Maverick. In the age of blue screens and CGI, practical effects and props are few and far between, but with directors like Gunn deciding to include practical effects in movies as big asSuperman,maybe there is hope for a continuation of the practical effects renaissance fans are desperately hoping for.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first movie in Warner Bros.' rebooted DC Universe to center around the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill’s departure from the role, honoring the character’s roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way.”
