Zack Snyder's Explanation For DCEU’s Superman Having No Trunks Totally Justifies The DCU Adding Them Back In (2024)

With Superman set to kick off the DCU with a version of the hero that wears trunks over his costume, Zack Snyder's 11-year-old explanation for omitting them in Man of Steel justifies the move. Superman will be released on July 11, 2025, and features David Corenswet in the eponymous role, taking over from Henry Cavill's celebrated depiction of Superman three years after he was last seen in the DCEU in Black Adam. Principal photography for Superman wrapped in July, leaving an entire year of post-production to get underway before the DCU launches in earnest.

Despite Superman's official costume reveal consisting of an image that obscured his mid-region, set photos exposed the production's decision to include a pair of red trunks as part of Superman's costume. As was the case before Henry Cavill's iteration was unveiled, these images were released amid spirited debates over whether Superman's trunks are necessary. Wherever fans land, however, Zack Snyder's comments around the time of Man of Steel's release make the DCU's decision completely justified.

Zack Snyder's DCEU Superman Costume Explanation Justifies The DCU's Changes

Superman's DCEU Suit Was Kryptonian

Zack Snyder had a decent justification for omitting Superman's external trunks from his suit beyond the notion that they look kind of silly. In a featurette for the movie from The Feed (via YouTube), Snyder stated that making Superman's suit part of Kryptonian fashion made a tradition of wearing external trunks much harder to justify. Thankfully, Snyder's version of Superman's costume is largely celebrated by fans, vindicating his decision. Zack Snyder states the following:

We knew were were gonna make the suit cultural to Krypton, right - it’s going to be a Kryptonian invention - and not the Martha Kent sewn from a blanket version. So once we did that, we knew that we were going to have a whole culture then of people wearing skinsuits that were similar to Superman - and I thought ‘yeah, I don’t think a whole country or whole world/planet of people wearing their underwear outside of their pants is gonna be cool’”.

Superman's suit being a Kryptonian invention is a departure from the original Superman lore. In contrast, it seems as though Superman will hone in on a more classic comic-accurate rendition of the character with a suit that is made on Earth - though whether it will be Martha specifically that sews it remains to be seen. Without the excuse of Superman's suit being an alien custom, Superman could never have justified removing the trunks beyond it being a conscious fashion choice and departure from the comic book standard.

Why The DCEU & DCU Superman Suits Make Sense For Their Respective Franchises

The Suits Strike Distinct Tones

The DCEU's Superman was created as part of a grittier interpretation of the DC universe, with the character even breaking his "no killing" rule in his debut movie. This made the original brightly colored, sewn-together suit much harder to incorporate, as it would undermine the more austere tone struck by the DCEU. The otherworldly design also gels with Superman's alien identity, which the DCEU makes sure to focus on throughout his big screen appearances.

Superman, meanwhile, seems to be striking a brighter tone altogether in both its color palette and narrative, for which Superman's more classical costume makes sense. Short of story details for Superman emerging soon, both Corenswet's costume and those of the characters pictured around him on set help indicate the spirit that can be expected from the DCU. James Gunn's reported inspirations for Superman also hone in on the more human element of Superman as opposed to his alien heritage, which warrants a homemade suit.

The DC Universe Superman Suit Always Needed To Be Different To The DCEU

The DCU Needs To Distance Itself From The DCEU

Given there will only have been three years between the last appearance of Henry Cavill's Superman and the debut of David Corenswet's, the DCU needs to differentiate the two as much as is reasonable given that they are the same character. Ensuring there is a marked difference between their costumes is one way of achieving this. These superficial differences also help to illustrate how the two versions of Superman will differ on a deeper level - especially as it pertains to the DCU reboot.

A series of poorly received installments including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League has made it prudent for the DCU to distance itself from the previous franchise. While Superman's suit was low on the list of criticisms leveled at the DCEU, ensuring both iterations of Superman look different is a useful way of doing this. In that regard, simply adding a pair of trunks to the eponymous hero of Superman is practically all it takes.

Superman (2025)

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."

Director

James Gunn

Release Date

July 11, 2025

Writers

James Gunn

Cast

David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , María Gabriela De Faría , Edi Gathegi , Nicholas Hoult , Frank Grillo , Nathan Fillion , Milly Alcock , Sara Sampaio , Pruitt Taylor Vince , Skyler Gisondo , Anthony Carrigan , Wendell Pierce , Beck Bennett , Sean Gunn

Upcoming DC Movie Releases

• Joker: Folie a Deux

  Release Date

  October 4, 2024

• Superman (2025)

  Release Date

  July 11, 2025

• Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

  Release Date

  June 26, 2026

• The Batman Part II

  Release Date

  October 2, 2026

Source: YouTube