James Gunn 1-on-1 talks the new Superman movie with Jay Towers

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The Brief

The new movie "Superman" by James Gunn hits theaters on July 11.

David Corenswet plays the title role in the newest attempt at launching the DC universe.

Gunn spoke with FOX 2's resident Superman expert Jay Towers about the new movie, and more.

FOX 2 - Writing and directing any film is a challenge, but when it's an iconic character who's been flying high since 1938, it becomes something much bigger.

The backstory

On July 11th, the world will see what James Gunn has planned for Superman. Superman flies into theaters this weekend, but this is no ordinary reboot. It launches a brand-new DC Universe, and it's in the hands of Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn.

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He is now taking on a well-known and often scrutinized franchise, hoping to make it fly higher than ever.

"I've met so many people who Superman means so much to and that makes this process a different process because I want those people, especially, to walk out of that theater feeling really happy about what they've seen," Gunn said.

The newest actor to don the Superman costume is David Corenswet, who was most recently in "Twisters." The new movie is in theaters Friday.

Over the years, fans have seen a lot of takes on Superman from TV to the big screen with actors suiting up like Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill.

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But for many, the gold standard remains Richard Donner's 1978 classic Superman starring the late Christopher Reeve, a film that believed in verisimilitude or making the unbelievable feel real.

Jay Towers: "The old word verisimilitude that Richard Donner used back in the day,this movie really has it when you think about The Daily Planet, the portrayal of the Kent family on that farm for 2025 was very moving. It was just right."

James Gunn: "I grew up in Manchester, Missouri in a semi-rural area and I was around farmers as a kid. And I wanted them to be real down to the earth you know, Kansas farmers."

Jay Towers: "I know you've talked about how, this isn't, it's not an origin story. Seeing the movie, I know that. However, there's so many places this can go, and I think that's what I think fans really want."

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James Gunn: "The most important for me is to make a movie that works in and of itself. But also, when I was a kid and I was reading comic books, I was entering this world of magic with Superman and his superhero friends and The Daily Planet, and robots and giant monsters and all that stuff.

"So I wanted to recreate that in a movie and so, in a lot of ways, this is much more based on my love of comic books than anything else."

Top: Cincinnati's Union Terminal. Bottom: "The Hall of Justice."

While the city of Cleveland, Ohio plays Metropolis, Gunn made a special stop in Cincinnati to a building that brings back some major, super nostalgia.

The "Hall of Justice" in the Super Friends cartoon and in DC comics was based on the design of Cincinnati's Union Terminal. This meant Gunn and company had to make the side trip from Cleveland there.

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Towers: To see the Hall of Justice and not have it be a CGI thing, and for it to be that building - that's huge.

James Gunn: "It's very meta, because that's what was used as a basis for the Hall of Justice and then we shot in the actual Hall of Justice."

And Jay couldn't leave a James Gunn interview without explaining why this assignment hit so close to home.

Jay Towers: "That's me. At 5 years old, which started it all.

James Gunn: Wow, look at that."Jay Towers: "Which led me to have this 'Fortress of Solitude' office at home."

James Gunn: "Oh, that's today?"

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Jay Towers: "That's my house."

James Gunn: "Oh that's amazing!"

Jay Towers: "Which led me to a brief role playing myself in ‘Batman V Superman.’"

James Gunn: "Oh my God."

Jay Towers - as "Jay Towers" in Batman v. Superman

Jay Towers: "Which led me bringing my date Sarah Douglas ('Ursa' in Superman I-II) to New York when I took this picture of you two."

James Gunn: "I remember that moment, yeah! That is so cool. I remember that, that was so cool, meeting her."

Jay Towers: "Which got me excited enough to yesterday. Now I have a Krypto on the other end of my office."

James Gunn: "Oh my god, look at that, wow!"

Jay Towers' very own Fortress of Solitude

Jay Towers: "And if that isn't exciting enough, your brother (actor Sean Gunn) is very nice to me."

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James Gunn: "Oh, there you go. No, he's an (expletive). I liked it all except for that last one."

Jay Towers: "So there you go. We're full circle."

James Gunn: "So you're full on Superman. Like this is a big part of your life."

Jay Towers: "I anchor the news in Detroit. I do a radio show in Detroit, but it has allowed me to host 'The Caped Wonder Superman podcast' and talk about the Christopher Reeve Superman films."

James Gunn: "That's really awesome."

"Superman" opens July 11 and for more on The Caped Wonder podcast, go here for the website.

The Source

This report comes from a 1-on-1 interview between Superman director and writer James Gunn and Jay Towers.

James Gunn and Jay Towers