James Gunn vs Superman

Does James Gunn Actually Get Superman’s Power Levels, or Is He Just Making It Up as He Goes?
Ah, Superman—the quintessential god among men, the strongest hero in DC’s lineup, the golden boy who’s always at the center of an exhausting debate. And now, thanks to James Gunn taking the reins of the DCU, we’re all back to asking the question: Does Gunn actually understand Superman’s powers, or is he just winging it?
If history has taught us anything, it’s that Superman’s strength is whatever the writers need it to be at any given moment. One day he’s bench-pressing the Earth for fun, the next he’s struggling against a villain who probably couldn’t even win a fistfight with Batman.

So, let’s unpack this whole power-level situation and whether Gunn really knows what he’s doing—or if we should brace ourselves for a Superman who gets KO’d by a strong breeze.

Superman’s Strength: The Never-Ending Tug-of-War.
Superman’s power levels have been a moving target since 1938. The guy used to leap tall buildings, and then—whoops!—somewhere along the way he was suddenly flying through galaxies and punching reality itself.

Let’s not forget the golden age of absurd power feats. You know, the era where Superman:

Juggled planets
Destroyed a solar system just by sneezing
Pulled the freaking Earth with a chain (for reasons science still hasn’t forgiven DC for)

But modern Superman? Writers have tried to rein it in, making him powerful but not ridiculous—a balance that’s hard to strike. Too strong, and there’s no real drama. Too weak, and fans lose their minds because… well, come on, he’s Superman.

James Gunn’s Superman: A Sensible Power Scale or a Disaster Waiting to Happen?
Now, enter James Gunn, the man who breathed new life into Guardians of the Galaxy and had the audacity to make The Suicide Squad actually good. But Superman? That’s a whole different beast.
So far, Gunn’s been vocal about wanting a more classic, grounded Superman, emphasizing hope and optimism over sheer brute strength. That sounds great, but let’s be real—does “grounded” mean we’re getting a Superman who breaks a sweat lifting a car?
Here’s the thing: Gunn isn’t an idiot, and he understands how ridiculous Superman’s powers can be. His DCU is shaping up to be a more cohesive universe, meaning Superman probably won’t be randomly leveling planets just to flex.
But that doesn’t mean he’s nerfing Superman into mediocrity. David Corenswet’s Superman is reportedly powerful—but reasonable. We’re talking strength beyond anything on Earth, but not so OP that he accidentally sneezes Metropolis into the Phantom Zone.

So… Does Gunn Actually Get Superman?
Honestly? Probably.
Gunn knows that Superman is a symbol first and foremost, and his raw power is secondary to what he represents. Expect a Man of Steel who is strong enough to awe audiences, but not so overpowered that every battle feels pointless.
Still, this is Gunn we’re talking about, so don’t be shocked if Superman randomly throws the moon at a villain just to remind people he can.
After all, what’s the point of being Superman if you don’t get to flex every once in a while?

What do you think? Will Gunn get Superman right, or is he about to break the internet with an overpowered mess?

-Jay Katz