An alternate design for David Corenswet’s costume in Superman has been revealed, and it makes a major change when compared to the final product. On Instagram, Maybelle Pineda, who worked on the film as a costume graphic artist, shared a series of images reflecting on the process of designing the new Superman suit for the DC Universe. Included in her post is a photo featuring a rendering of an alternate costume hanging on a board. This version of the Superman costume does not sport the character’s trademark red trunks. Instead, there’s only the bright yellow belt.
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In her post caption, Pineda looked back at her experience on the project and thanked various members of the Superman crew for their help and support. She noted that she joined the film “a bit late in the process” and primarily worked on “refining and supporting the already established designs of the superman suit.” Check out her post in the space below:
The trunks debate is always a hot-button issue whenever there’s a new live-action adaptation of Superman in the works. Superman director James Gunn even consulted Zack Snyder about this while his film was in development. Snyder, of course, previously brought Superman to life in the DC Extended Universe. Snyder eschewed the red trunks, opting to give Kal-El’s costume a more grounded, tactile look.
It was actually Corenswet himself who settled the matter for Gunn. He explained he was in favor of the trunks because he felt Superman shouldn’t be afraid to “look a little silly” in an effort to appear friendly and welcoming to young kids. Corenswet shared that Gunn had attempted to “find a reason for them,” but struggled with that detail. Corenswet was the one who suggested the reason for the trunks was to make Superman seem approachable to the regular people he’s committed to protecting.
The costume is one of the most important elements when putting together a superhero movie; the right design can become instantly iconic, but a wrong step can spark fan backlash. Something like Superman’s red trunks seems like a small detail in the grand scheme of things (story and how the characters are portrayed are arguably more pertinent for a film), though it’s easy to see why Gunn thought long and hard about this in pre-production. Superman, a character who’s been around for decades, has an iconic look fans all around the world are familiar with. Superman had to honor that rich history while also doing what was right for its own narrative.
It’s good that Gunn did his due diligence and at least saw what the suit looked like sans trunks. Being able to compare the two versions side by side makes it easier to determine which one is a better fit for the film. It’s arguably for the best Gunn’s Superman has the trunks. Throughout his career, the director has shown a willingness to embrace comic book sensibilities and doesn’t shy away from inherently silly concepts from the source material (see: his ability to elevate obscure characters like Polka Dot Man and Mister Terrific to fan favorites). Something might have felt a little off with Superman if the costume didn’t have the trunks. Corenswet’s iteration, praised as one of the film’s highlights, feels very much like a superhero who goes out of his way to appear relatable to the everyday people of Metropolis.
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