7 major differences between James Gunn’s Superman and Man of Steel

Superman (2025) is an American superhero film based on the DC Comics character, written and directed by James Gunn. It marks the first film in the new DC Universe (DCU) by DC Studios and serves as the second reboot of the Superman franchise.

David Corenswet plays Clark Kent/Superman, joined by Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. The story follows Superman as he tries to prove himself as humanity’s protector while Lex Luthor schemes to turn the world against him.

Man of Steel (2013) is a superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and written by David S. Goyer, based on the same DC character. It launched the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) as a reboot of the saga, focusing on the hero’s origin.

Henry Cavill stars as the titular hero, while Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, and Russell Crowe star in leading roles. The film follows Clark Kent as he discovers his Kryptonian heritage and embraces his role as the hero, facing General Zod to prevent humanity’s destruction.

James Gunn and Zack Snyder’s movies both bring fresh takes on the iconic hero, but their approaches couldn’t be more different. From character dynamics to story choices and tone, Gunn’s vision sets itself apart from Snyder’s darker, grounded style. Here is a list of seven major differences between James Gunn’s Superman and Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.

Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.

7 major differences between James Gunn’s Superman and Man of Steel

1) Jor-El’s true motives take a surprising turn

In Snyder’s Man of Steel, Jor-El sends Kal-El to Earth, where the planet’s yellow sun will protect and empower him. He also urges his son to inspire mankind and give them hope, believing he can “give the people of Earth an ideal to strive for” and help them “accomplish wonders.”

To everyone’s surprise, it is revealed in Gunn’s movie that Jor-El and Lara had envisioned Superman to rule over Earth as king, filling the planet again with inhabitants as New Krypton.

Similarly, this complete Krypton message was not revealed to the hero himself until Lex Luthor invaded the Fortress of Solitude and revealed it to humanity. Nevertheless, some fans are justifiably cynical that the Krypton message had been incorrectly translated.

2) Gunn’s version knows he is not the last Kryptonian

Early on in Man of Steel in 2013, Kal-El believed he was alone when, for the first time, he learned about his Kryptonian origins. Then he meets Zod and the rest of his Kryptonian villains, but they are all killed.

In Gunn’s movie, Kal-El already knows that he is not alone due to Krypto the Superdog stopping by his fortress for a short while and his cousin Supergirl, who appears at the end of the film.

3) Clark and Lois are already together in Gunn’s movie

In Snyder’s Man of Steel, the Kryptonian meets Lois Lane, portrayed by Amy Adams, for the first time. By the end of the film, their relationship remains in its early stages and is further developed much later in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where Clark proposes, with much of their romance occurring off-screen.

In Gunn’s movie, Lois and Clark are a couple of weeks into their relationship. They are still figuring out if their relationship will succeed. The film ends with their romance further defined and even cemented for the long term.

4) Pa Kent lives in James Gunn’s version

Jonathan Kent in Man of Steel perishes attempting to rescue his neighbors from a tornado forming in their direction, not wishing to be rescued by his son and reveal his powers. Pa Kent also dies in the 1978 movie Superman: The Movie. In Gunn’s movie, Clark’s father does not die. Instead, he shares a heartbreaking moment with his son before the movie’s climactic third act.

5) Lex Luthor takes center stage from the start

The other major difference between the two movies is that Gunn’s Superman jumps straight into action with Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor as the primary villain. General Zod served as the primary antagonist in Man of Steel, while Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor did not appear until 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

In Gunn’s movie, Lex Luthor takes center stage from the start. It remains to be seen if the DCU will reintroduce General Zod as a future villain, echoing the approach of the original Donner movies.

6) Clark Kent gets more screen time in Gunn’s Superman

Clark Kent is also allotted far more screen time in Gunn’s movie than he is in Snyder’s adaptation. In the 2013 film Man of Steel, Clark Kent is primarily introduced through childhood flashbacks, highlighting his early struggles and the discovery of his superpowers.

As an adult, his first day at The Daily Planet is shown only at the very end of the film, marking the conclusion of the first DCEU installment. This leaves little time to explore Superman’s secret identity in a meaningful way. Gunn’s movie rectifies this by giving Clark Kent more screen time, allowing audiences to see his life and interactions beyond the cape.

7) Gunn’s movie embraces comic book fantasy over realism

It is not so much against Snyder’s more grounded interpretation of the titular hero. But how would the world respond if there were someone with this kind of power? James Gunn’s movie, however, feels more like the comic book version of Superman.

With numerous allies and foes, giant monsters, pocket universes, and even Krypto the Superdog, Gunn’s titular hero is quite a comic book come to life, and a much more vibrant one.

James Gunn’s Superman is currently playing in theaters, while Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Hulu, Netflix, and HBO Max.