The DCU’s first official reveal of Superman has generated a lot of conversation since James Gunn unveiled it, and inevitably, it’s also inspired a raft of fan edits offering alternate takes on David Corenswet’s Man of Steel. One recently revealed creation has reminded me of everything I actually wanted from that first DCU look. I’ve loved Superman since Christopher Reeves’ DC movies, and while I’m not conceited enough to believe my opinion overrides creative vision, it’s difficult not to acknowledge what was missing.

The first of DC’s upcoming movies has a lot riding on it: like Man Of Steel, David Corenswet’s new hero has been entrusted as the founding stone of a whole new expanded universe. Millions of dollars will be invested in the promise of creating a cinematic answer to decades of DC comics stories, and a strong start is essential. That’s not to cast any doubt, of course: Superman’s individual parts look excellent: the cast is eye-catching, to say the least; the story hints are intriguing; and in James Gunn, DC has not only a gifted and proven film-maker, but also a confessed Superman fan.

This Superman Fan Art Is What The DCU Reveal Was Missing

Released by artist Jobhutz on X.com, this Superman art, showing David Corenswet’s Man Of Steel perched on a cloud and almost playfully posing for the camera is a truly impressive creation. There’s an endearing charm to the way Jobhutz has captured DC’s famous superhero, and a real nod to the tone of Christopher Reeves’ take on the character. Most importantly, of course, it also captures something of what Gunn promised the character would show in the DCU reboot: lightness to balance any darkness.

The eternal challenge of capturing Superman on film is that he is capable of incredible feats, because he’s more than a man. He’s a god, and the DCU’s first chapter being titled Gods & Monsters very much promises that that origin, and Superman’s essential difference, will be major themes. As the director himself told THR, capturing how different – how alien – Superman is, is precisely why the character is so popular.

“I completely relate to Superman because he’s everything I am. He’s somebody who is an outsider who feels like an alien, but also the ultimate insider, because he’s f*cking Superman. And that’s kind of like what I feel like.”

That’s exactly why the character has been so compelling to fans like me for decades: the god among us storyline. We don’t necessarily want to see a deconstruction of Superman, and a story that explores how to un-deify a god, because it’s more interesting to see how he integrates and how he hides. An alien god who opts into saving a planet that he wasn’t born on.

In contrast to the workman-like Superman presented in the DCU reveal (and that was by design), the Jobhutz artwork captures the alien aspect perfectly: showing off the suit, but also celebrating the fundamental strangeness of Superman.

That it also promises lightness and hope – major parts not only of the character’s symbolism, but of his long-running visual and cinematic history – is another bonus. Major praise really has to go to the artist.

The Official DCU Superman Reveal Was Disappointing, But I Get It

It would be fair to say that James Gunn’s first official reveal of the new Superman costume was somewhat divisive. But despite a lot of bad faith takes on the Superman reveal, and despite it not being what I would have wanted, it is a good reveal. It represents more than just a suit reveal, and very much fits with James Gunn’s earliest promise that his DCU will be a lived-in world of established superheroes.

Superman here is resolute, workman-like because he knows exactly what’s needed: his intervention. The mysterious attack in Metropolis’ sky behind him is no more remarkable than countless other things he’s had to deal with. His suit is marked with the scars of heroism, and when he’s needed, he gets to it, and he puts his boots on. That is, despite the criticism, a powerful message.

What’s missing for me is the alien aspect: ironically, juxtaposing Superman against a large-scale alien attack in this manner makes him seem oddly… human. Relatable. And there is absolutely something to be said about the idea of seeing Superman in a world where he is unremarkable. Where his newness and his otherness are not entirely linked to his novelty, but can be explored in other ways.

There is a lot to read in how James Gunn chose to show his Superman for the first time, and what he chose not to show. Putting aside my own personal preferences, I can appreciate the reveal for what it is: something different. And if there’s one thing every new iteration of a character should be as a baseline, it’s different. As long as Superman is made with the very obvious love of the character Gunn has already shown, I think everyone can put aside some of their own ideas (or the weight of what came before) and embrace it.