[Weekly Update] Just a rant about James Gunn's Superman design

Took a break for the past few days due to burn out but I'm back!

CHANNEL UPDATE

Work for the next video is still on going. It'll be about movies from around the world that are set in the same time period. Not necessarily the same year, but approximately the same century at minimum. The first draft of the script is mostly Chinese films contrasted against Hollywood movies. I'm taking extra time to include movies from India, Japan, and hopefully a few more countries just for variety. I'll be heading to the library tomorrow to grab a hunch of movies.

For next month, we only have one video planned. I want to spend some time to finish up some back burner videos, including the video I filmed during the solar eclipse earlier this year. It means the next few videos will finally be bigger, longer, with more in-depth research.

We had a movie watching party on Discord and it was loads of fun. It's neat introducing movies to a live audience, and see everyone's reactions. We'll be doing one again towards the end of the month. Let me know if you have any movies you are interested in seeing.

MEDIA TALK

Every time I open up Facebook, or more accurately Messenger on desktop, I get exposed to a war of nerds. On the left are the Superman fans who are excited about finally seeing a bright and hopeful Superman. On the other end are the Snyder-verse fans. I'll let you guess what was said by the latter group.

To be fair, being invested in a fandom only for it to be screwed over by studio executives is not a great experience for anyone. But that misplaced frustration shouldn't go towards James Gunn and his projects. After all... We don't know if Gunn will be screw over either lol.

Cynicism aside, reception regarding the new Superman costume has been divisive. Some people love it. Some hate it. Some don't know what to think about it. If you have been following us on Patreon for a while, you know I have very specific tastes when it comes to Superhero costumes. My views don't usually align with most fans, either. Most people don't seem to like the Robert Pattison Batman cowl. I, however, love that it looks like a masquerade mask.

So, here's my thought for the new Superman costume: I'm... somewhat skeptical.

For the most part, the costume looks like the New 52 Batman costume, except with trunks. It has the longer cape. The costume has those inlet patterns. The high collar and the padded material makes it look more like a uniform that a classic skin tight superhero suit.

In concept, that all sounds good. The costume looks like something you can buy with a couple thousand bucks, rather than classic movie probs that look impossible to be real. Having materials that are more tangible works well with a more personable Superman.

Yet, this non-film aesthetic may also be its flaw.

For one thing, Gunn has directed another project with grounded, personal interpretation of superheroes: Peacemaker. With costumes taken from the internationally campy The Suicide Square, Peacemaker is a TV series that almost set entirely in realistic American suburbs, filmed in a way that's deliberately anti-cinematic. Everything looks over the top, to a point where the heroes look like cosplayers. It's meant to look funny, which works for that show, but not necessarily with Superman. Thus, fans, especially fans of Snyder who prefers fantastical visuals, became skeptical of Gunn's approach. Is he gonna turn Superman into a cheese-fest?

My concern, though, is how well this costume is going to age. Sure, the suit's design caught people off guard. But ultimately, it's just the new 52 suit. It isn't the bold reinvention it may initially seem to be. In short, the costume is sending me mixed signals: it's trying to invoke the classic look by having the trunks, like the Reeve Superman. But it's also trying to be modern and up to date by borrowing from the New 52 design. It's both trying to be new but also not new. It's looking for sincerity in embracing the cheesiness of Superheroes, yet seemingly too afraid of commit fully. It is a little too self-aware of its own strangeness, and it breaks the fourth wall in the process.

Confused? Just think of how Wolverine looks in Deadpool & Wolverine. Hugh Jackman wore the classic yellow Wolverine suit with pride. But it never stops feeling comedic, because of the inherent tone of the film and the design. If Superman does that, fans may not react well.

Anyway, that's my thought on the new Superman suit. Do I like it? Do I not like it? Honestly, it remains to be seen. James Gunn, for me, has always been a hit of miss kind of director. But you can't deny the man often takes creative risks with his projects. Even if the film fails spectacularly, at least I'm sure he'll end up doing something different. Right now, Hollywood definitely needs something different.

But what's your thought on the new Superman suit? Do you care at all about it?

I'll see you soon-ish with a new video!