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Movie key to remake of Warner Bros-owned DC Studios

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Film starts hitting theaters on Wednesday

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Superpowered dog Krypto joins Superman as sidekick

By Rollo Ross

LOS ANGELES, July 7 (Reuters) - James Gunn, writer and

director of the off-kilter "Guardians of the Galaxy" films,

tussled with various ideas on how to deliver a new take on

Superman to the big screen.

Gunn said he was aware of the many ways the noble hero had

been approached since his 1938 debut, initially in comic books

and then radio serials, television shows and movies.

The challenge was to deliver something fresh that would

appeal to a new generation of moviegoers and reinvigorate Warner

Bros Discovery's ( WBD ) DC Studios.

His vision, in the movie titled simply "Superman," starts

rolling out in international theaters on Wednesday and in the

United States and Canada on Friday.

In the opening scene, Superman, played for the first time by

David Corenswet, is seen bloodied after a fight, an unusual

portrayal for the Man of Steel.

"I wanted to take the character of Superman and just focus

on a piece of him that we haven't necessarily seen before," Gunn

said.

Gunn surrounded Superman with elements that enthralled him

from the comics as a child. Superman lives in a world, Gunn

said, with "superhero friends and giant monsters and flying

dogs, robots and all this magical stuff."

The new film includes Superman's four-legged sidekick, a

superpowered dog named Krypto first introduced in a 1955 comic.

The latest version is based on Gunn's real-life, misbehaving

rescue mutt.

Warner Bros is counting on "Superman" to start a new era at

DC Studios, which has failed to match the superhero success of

Walt Disney ( DIS )-owned Marvel. Gunn, who made the "Guardians"

movies for Marvel, was named co-CEO of DC Studios, alongside

producer Peter Safran, in 2022.

The pair have plotted a long-term slate that features a

Supergirl movie for June 2026, a film based on Swamp Thing and

TV shows for HBO Max. Wonder Woman and Batman also are expected

to return to cinemas.

Gunn said the aesthetic that audiences see in "Superman"

will not necessarily foreshadow future DC Studios endeavors.

"I want to be really certain that every project has its own

unique flavor," Gunn said.

"We're doing Clayface, and that doesn't feel like this

movie. It's an R-rated horror movie. We're doing 'Lanterns,'

which is an HBO show, which feels very much like an HBO show,

very grounded, very kind of brutal. We have 'Peacemaker,' which

is an adult show with a lot of emotion and a lot of comedy."

Gunn admitted he has felt the weight of responsibility to

produce a hit.

"I've felt pressure all along," Gunn said. "That's been

difficult."

But as he started to see initial reaction to the film, "I'm

feeling pretty good," he said. "It's pretty fun. I'm seeing the

effect the movie has on people."