Comic book movies are full of Easter eggs and intriguing details for fans to spot, and James Gunn’s Superman is no exception. With the film now available on home media, viewers have been enjoying rewatches, keeping an eye out for anything they might have missed in theaters. Especially with the follow-up Man of Tomorrow already announced, some might try to figure out if there are any teases in Superman for the sequel. But not every small reference or detail is part of Gunn’s overarching plan for the DC Universe. Some pertain to something quite niche — like the logistics of bathrooms in pocket dimension prison cells.
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On Threads, Gunn — always one to interact with fans on social media — answered a query about how things work in the clear prison cells Lex Luthor has set up in his pocket dimension. “No privacy. Those things in the back left of each cell are toilets,” Gunn wrote in response to a post featuring a still of Superman punching his way out of his cell (see below). As for where the waste goes after one is done using the facilities, “Into the bottom of the toilet and there are slots where the waste can be removed (likely by Mr. Handsome, and probably not often). You might think we don’t think about this stuff but we really do.”
James Gunn’s Detail-Oriented Approach to the DCU
Pocket universe toilets shouldn’t have any major ramifications on Gunn’s 10-year vision for the DCU’s core narrative, but the fact that he’s actually put thought into something as minor as this (something that likely didn’t even cross most viewers’ minds when they were watching Superman) shows why he was the best choice to spearhead the new shared universe. It’s an illustration of Gunn’s commitment to detail, an approach that’s already paying dividends and should continue to do so as the DCU goes on. Gunn’s comments may seem silly at face value, but they’re proof the DC creative team is keeping the macro and micro in mind when developing a project.
It would have been easy for something like pocket dimension bathrooms to be an afterthought. After all, Luthor’s interdimensional prison doesn’t have the most screen time, and how its toilets operate is inconsequential to Superman‘s plot. Gunn taking the time to figure out how they work, however, is a sign that nothing on screen was included just for the sake of it. Gunn’s admitted he doesn’t have the time to approve every piece of set dressing, but it stands reason to believe most of what we see had at least some thought behind it — those Batman references being spotted in Clayface set photos likely aren’t just for show.
Gunn’s keen attention to detail is a staple of his filmmaking style, though some fans likely wish the director would have kept this reveal to himself. The pocket dimension prison was already quite upsetting, highlighting Lex Luthor’s cruel mistreatment of his enemies. The lack of privacy in the cells just makes things worse, but it’s in line with the evil side of Lex’s character. He doesn’t care about the feelings of those who have wronged him, so it doesn’t affect him if people are uncomfortable in their cells. One also has to feel for Mr. Handsome, who has a rather thankless job. It’s going to be hard for people to not think about all of this whenever they watch Superman again.
Lex being so nonchalant about his prisoners’ wellbeing is interesting to consider, and it remains to be seen how Man of Tomorrow reconciles with this. Gunn’s described how the portrayal of Lex in the sequel is different, teasing a “heroic” angle that gets into the heart of Luthor’s character. It might be difficult for some fans to fully buy into that, knowing what Lex is capable of, but it also has the potential to be a poignant arc that further fleshes out what’s already one of the best cinematic interpretations of Luthor yet.
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image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
