James Gunn’s new Superman is made using practical effects and fighter jet filming techniques, with David Corenswet’s flying scenes shot in Top Gun style.
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New style of superhero flight
James Gunn ignored other cape movies and took inspiration from “Top Gun: Maverick” for Superman’s flying scenes.
“I wanted to create a feeling like shooting jet fighters,” says the 58-year-old filmmaker who is now co-head of DC Studios.
David Corenswet’s first flight
The new Man of Steel remembers that his first wire test was nothing special.
“It was just a test during the screen test, to see how we would feel up in the air,” he says—but flying in a proper Superman costume for the first time? Absolute magic!
Combo of Practical Effects and Movie Magic
In the scene where Superman yells “Hey buddy! Eyes up here!” to the fire-breathing kaiju, the team actually built a building facade and lit it with flamethrowers.
“Floating in the air and then flying straight up over a curb like a rocket… where else can you get such a real feeling of flying,” Corenswet happily explains.
Gunn’s Flying Philosophy
Before starting shooting, Gunn prepared a 20-page document in which he explained the entire philosophy of action.
His goal was to make Superman’s flight feel completely different from previous superhero films.
Camera Innovation’s Flight
Instead of traditional wire-work filming methods, Gunn used special stabilized camera rigs that are normally used for dialogue scenes.
“These pico and nano rigs give the liveliness of a handheld without making the audience seasick,” Gunn explains.
“You can go really close-up and come back smoothly because they’re so small.”
It’s not just Superman who’s flying
There are other flying heroes in the film, like Nathan Fillion’s bowl-cut Green Lantern (Guy Gardner) and Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, both members of the Justice Gang.
Answer to Fan Concerns
When the CG-heavy flying scene in the early trailer drew criticism, Gunn clarified: “Those were unfinished visual effects for a TV commercial—there’s actually no shot in the movie.”
Fighter Jet Experience
Extensive planning created what Gunn describes as “a totally different experience of shooting while flying. It’s like one fighter jet is filming another fighter jet.”
Superman will land in theaters on July 11 and will give audiences a fresh aerial perspective.
