James Gunn Shows His Disgust For AI Generated Superman Clip On Social Media

James Gunn’s new DCU opens up with Superman next year, but some sources don’t seem willing to wait for the project to release official promotional footage for their purposes, and Gunn himself has made his feelings known about their chosen compromise.

Superman was a clear choice as the first salvo in Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU lineup following the overhaul of the previous franchise under Zack Snyder. However, fan-favorite Man of Steel Henry Cavill was confirmed to not be returning to the role, leading to a casting process fraught with speculation and false positives. The matter would eventually be settled when Gunn revealed that the mantle would pass to David Corenswet, who would take the subsequent months to bulk up considerably to perfectly portray Clark Kent and his alter ego.

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While Gunn recently unveiled some stunning new artwork of Corenswet as the DCU’s Man of Tomorrow, the upcoming project hasn’t released any official promotional videos at this time. As a result, one news source took matters into their own hands, much to the project filmmaker’s ire. While reporting on the recently released Super/Man documentary that details the life of the iconic Christopher Reeves, a French TV channel aired some AI-generated footage of what was supposed to be a trailer for Corenswet’s Superman, despite no such material being released to the public or industry insiders. Gunn took to X to respond, keeping it simple while perfectly passing across his feelings with the reply “🤮🤮🤮.”

The three vomit emojis make it very clear that the director wants nothing to do with the AI render, which is easily identifiable as fan-made work due to its low quality and unprofessional sequences. Many a creative filmmaker, visual artist, or even the odd light novel author has learned harsh lessons concerning AI the hard way, and many more have learned from their mistakes. Additionally, the viewing audience has received AI visuals with generally negative attitudes, with even CGI technology only recently gaining reluctant acceptance. Gunn, whose long career as a filmmaker has been notably unmarred by accusations of lazy or underhanded tactics, certainly wouldn’t want his upcoming masterwork tarnished by an association with AI. The filmmaker has been an outspoken critic of AI-generated content, even when it pays homage to his work in a non-commercial manner, so this response is perfectly in step with his previously expressed belief.

Fortunately, the clip certainly does not indicate what anyone in the industry would seriously consider. Reeves’ Superman is one of the best superhero castings in a movie adaptation ever, and Cavill managed to capture the hearts of the DCEU audience, meaning that Corenswet has a lot to live up to in his central DCU role. While it won’t be an easy task to tackle, fans can trust that Corenswet and others working on the project can rise to the occasion without resorting to cheap AI to shore up any issues.

Superman is currently expected to be released in theaters on July 11, 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.”

Release Date

July 11, 2025

Cast

David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , Nicholas Hoult , Isabela Merced , Nathan Fillion , Milly Alcock , Edi Gathegi

Franchise

DCU

Characters By

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

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Source: James Gunn/X