By now, James Gunn has proved he can make everything about comic books cool again. From the Guardians of the Galaxy to the Creature Commandos, Gunn’s unique take on comic book culture offers a fresh perspective into characters that should only work in printed comics. I mean, I cried when Polka-Dot Man died in The Suicide Squad. Polka-Dot Man. The man could turn Condiment King into a tragic hero, and I would still watch it.
That being said, reinventing classic characters works best for IPs that didn’t exactly stand the test of time. I doubt anyone really cared about Vance Astro being absent from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, for example. That doesn’t apply to characters with a well-established legacy that fans are massively familiar with, like, you know, Superman.
In many ways, it appears as if Gunn aims to celebrate the things that make Superman a comic book (and cinema) icon. Part of this celebration includes paying homage to classic Superman moments from all of his publication history, including some niche aspects of the lore that had yet to see a live-action adaptation – like Krypto the Superdog.
However, one thing that immediately stood out to fans is the fact that the upcoming Superman movie rescues one aspect of the classic Superman mythos that Zack Snyder completely erased from the Snyderverse. Just as Batman has his Batcave, Superman needs the Fortress of Solitude as a real, tangible place – not as some sort of mental palace. And James Gunn finally brought back the Kryptonian fortress in the film’s first teaser trailer, no less.
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Back Home At Last
Something that’s been made abundantly clear by now is that James Gunn is a total comic book geek. As such, it makes perfect sense for him to include as many classic Superman references as possible in the first solo movie the Man of Steel has received in over a decade.
Eager Reddit fans noticed Gunn’s Fortress of Solitude looks just like the crystalline palace we’re used to from classic Superman media – at least from the outside. What the Fortress looks like on the inside is not precisely (crystal) clear yet, even though we get some tiny glimpses in the trailer.
One thing is clear, though: Gunn will use the classic Fortress of Solitude design we all know and love. That alone is an upgrade over Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel, who had to make do without a proper Fortress. Knowing Gunn, his Fortress of Solitude might even feature the gigantic golden key – mostly as an easter egg for eager fans, I’m sure.
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Keeping Classics Alive
Remember when comic book movies felt like they were made by people who actually read comics? Not just flipped through a few issues or read a couple of Wikipedia articles, but really lived with these characters? That’s what makes Gunn’s approach so relatable – it’s not just about making another superhero blockbuster (even if Warner Bros. desperately needs that); it’s about understanding why these characters have endured for nearly a century.
The cynical take on Superman – believing that he’s too perfect to be relatable for modern audiences – has dominated the discourse for too long. Superman’s greatest power isn’t his ability to run faster than a speeding bullet or cause a slight bout of amnesia with his kisses. It’s his unwavering belief in humanity’s potential for good.
What Superman sees from the Fortress isn’t a world that needs to be saved, but a world worth protecting. With Gunn bringing back so much of what makes Superman such a unique character, I think we’re in for one of the most genuinely inspiring comic book movies DC has ever released – right when we need it most.
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Are you glad the classic Fortress of Solitude is back in James Gunn’s Superman?
