One of the most memorable sequences in the new behind-the-scenes documentary “The Adventures in Making Superman” is an emotional on-set discussion between writer-director James Gunn and lead actor David Corenswet while shooting Superman’s big speech at the end of the DCU movie.
As pointed out by Variety, Gunn posted this clip from the documentary – which is now available with Superman’s digital release – to his social media, saying he was “freaked out (and so happy) to find out it had been filmed.” You can watch the impassioned exchange in the video embedded below.
The nearly seven-minute long clip is a debate between Gunn and Corenswet that takes place in front of the whole crew and fellow cast members, including Lex Luthor actor Nicholas Hoult. It’s a rare look at the creative process on the set of a blockbuster where the clock stops so the director and actor can come to an agreement.
This was one of my favorite moments on the set of #Superman and was freaked out (and so happy) to find out it had been filmed.
This and many other moments were captured in
“Adventures in Making Superman,” a 60-minute making-of feature showcasing intimate behind-the-scenes of… pic.twitter.com/5bkFCRDZkO— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 15, 2025
The gist of the disagreement is about Gunn wanting a bigger, more passionate response from Corenswet after Luthor calls Superman a “piece of shit alien.” Corenswet doesn’t understand why this would still bother Superman so much considering his character had just had his emotional pep talk from Pa Kent that helps him come to terms with who he is.
For his part, Corenswet later said this wasn’t about him being difficult but rather, as someone with a theater background, needing to fully understand the text. “I need it to make sense,” Corenswet said in an interview included in the clip. “I need to know what I’m trying to do.”
Corenswet makes his case by telling Gunn, “If I say, ’That’s what it is to be human!’ that feels like I’m trying to prove it still, as opposed to, I really know it … I felt like shit about myself since the [Jor-El] recording came out. It’s just been like, ‘I don’t belong, I’m shit, everything’s a lie, I’m not who I thought I was.’ Is this not the moment where I go, ‘I was wrong to feel that way?’”
Gunn finally persuades Corenswet, whose chest he pokes to emphasize his point, “Your feelings about feeling bad are OK,” he says. “It’s not wrong for you to feel that way. … And in this moment, for you to talk about how it’s OK to be vulnerable, you have to be vulnerable, which means showing Lex that your fucking feelings are hurt.”
This proves to be a eureka moment for the actor who then rushes back to set to deliver Superman’s speech the way Gunn envisioned it. Gunn, in a later interview, said that “there’s no anger” in the exchange and commended Corenswet for prodding him. Indeed, in his social post of the clip Gunn called it “one of my favorite moments on the set.”
“There’s a reason why he’s asking all these questions. Because it makes it better,” Gunn said.
The home release of Superman also includes a four-part series of animated short films featuring the Man of Steel’s canine sidekick Krypto.
For more DCU coverage, read our spoiler-free Peacemaker: Season 2 review of Episodes 1-5 and find out about James Gunn’s next installment in the “Superman Saga.” Also be sure to check out our picks for the best Superman comics and graphic novels of all time.
