James Gunn Says Making “Superman” Was the Hardest Film of His Career

James Gunn is already deep into pre-production on “Man of Tomorrow,” the follow-up to this summer’s “Superman.” The filmmaker isn’t just directing the movie — he’s also running DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, a responsibility he calls overwhelming.

Speaking on Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, Gunn described the project as “the hardest movie I’ve ever made.”

For Gunn, the heart of Superman isn’t power — it’s goodness.

“When I first talked to the cast and crew, I wanted to make something about goodness,” Gunn said. “This guy isn’t perfect, even though he’s Superman. He’s really just trying to do his best.”

Gunn explained that his version of Superman is not a godlike figure, but a sincere and sometimes awkward moral presence — someone who is kind, loving and believes in people. That idea became the foundation of the film.

He credits All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison for shaping that vision.

“That big lug of a superhero being genuinely kind — that’s what hooked me,” Gunn said. “That’s what I took from the book.”

Unlike his time making Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn said Superman came with far more pressure. The character has been around for nearly a century, and everyone has their own idea of who Superman should be.

“Everyone in the world thinks something different about Superman,” he said. “Everybody knows who he is.”

The stakes were even higher because the film is seen as a test for the future of DC Studios and the new DC universe.

“There were all the eyes on us — on DC, on the DCU, on everything,” Gunn said. “That pressure was real.”

Because of that pressure, casting Superman was critical. Gunn said he was prepared to walk away from the movie if he couldn’t find the right actor.

“If I couldn’t find Superman, I wasn’t going to make the movie,” he said.

That search ended quickly. David Corenswet was only the second actor Gunn auditioned.

“I remember thinking, ‘If that’s the worst we do, we’re in great shape,’” Gunn recalled.

With “Superman” set to define the future of DC and “Man of Tomorrow” already on the horizon, Gunn is betting that kindness — not just strength — is what audiences want to see in the Man of Steel.