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Our last cinematic Superman, Henry Cavill, did all he did without a signature part of his character's wardrobe - those bright red trunks. When it came time for writer/director James Gunn to reinvent the Superman movie franchise, he wasn't sure if he'd use Superman's trunks either - after all, even fans can admit they're a bit anachronistic and at times fanciful. In the end, it was new Superman actor David Corenswet who managed to convince him to return to the iconic red Superman trunks... and he did it using pro wrestling.

How DC Studios' Superman got his trunks back

The first Superman costume David Corenswet tried on for the film was one without the trademark trunks. In June 2023 screen tests, Corenswet and the other candidates used a leftover suit from Henry Cavill's portrayal of the Man of Steel (a eerie commonality with Supermen over the years, many of whom made tests using the previous actor's costuming). Now, Gunn has come out to say that a no-trunks Superman was a possibility even with his 2025 Superman film, with he and Corenswet even doing later screen tests with potential designs for their Superman with and without the trunks. The writer/director explained it was Corenswet who convinced him to bring the trunks back, and it was through professional wrestling.

"We were trying on all these different versions, and we screened tested with trunks and no trunks," Gunn told Gizmodo's German Lussier. "And one of the things David said is that Superman wants kids to not be afraid of him. He’s an alien. He’s got these incredible powers. He shoots beams out of his eyes… He’s this incredibly powerful, could be considered scary, individual and he wants people to like him. He wants to be a symbol of hope and positivity. So he dresses like a professional wrestler."

Superman's shared history with pro wrestling

Although Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, to my knowledge, never said where their idea for Superman's costume (and trunks) came from, the idea of what some people would call 'underwear' being visible like that was strongly prevalent in professional wrestling at the time (as it is now), as well as in circus strongmen - which was the rage at the time. Although pro wrestling and Superman seem miles apart now, WWE wrestlers have been featured by name in Superman comics as early as the 1960s, and pro wrestlers were the models for the original Superman cartoon and have been cast in various roles in all the Superman TV series and movies.

As Corenswet related to Gunn, the somewhat unrealistic garb of a pro wrestler can help separate it from the gritty reality of an immensely strong individual - like a Superman - from the general public.

What Superman has in common with pro wrestling, according to James Gunn

"He dresses in a way that makes people unafraid of him, that shows that hope that shows that positivity," Gunn said, relating Corenswet's argument. "And that really clicked in for me. And I think trying to pretend that Superman’s costume doesn’t have some frivolity to it at its base, trying to make it look serious, is silly because he is a superhero. He’s the first one, brightly colored and that’s who he is."

As a Superman fan and a pro wrestling fan, you need to embrace the "frivolity" as Gunn puts it to balance out the actions, deeds, and person doing it.

James Gunn's Superman hits theaters July 11, 2025. 

James Gunn's Superman is flying into theaters soon enough, and Popverse has all you need to prepare. Refreshing your cinematic memory with our Superman movie watch order, learn what we know about the upcoming Superman movie, Superman's S-Shield through the ages, and read about what DC is doing ahead of their flagship hero's triumphant return.