Summary

• Corenswet's Superman suit draws comparisons to past live-action versions through details like boots and the iconic red trunks.
• The DCU Superman logo, reminiscent of the Kingdom Come symbol, marks a notable departure from prior iterations in movies.
• Corenswet's suit features unique elements like a cape that connects differently and a high-collar design inspired by the New 52 Superman.

David Corenswet's outfit for the DCU's next DCU movie after 2024's Joker: Folié a Deux, updates about Superman have been highly anticipated.

This anticipation caused the first look at Superman set photos revealed new costumes, character dynamics, and the first look at the DCU's Metropolis, with Superman's suit being the most dissected. Combined with the official look at Superman posted by James Gunn on May 6, 2024, the set photos from the DCU production offer the chance to break down Corenswet's look, how it compares to past live-action iterations, and how it connects to DC Comics.

Superman's Boots

How Does Corenswet's Superman Footwear Compare To Other Iterations?

As far as costume elements go, it is ittedly more difficult to compare boots to other, more notable aspects. That said, some details can be pulled from the various set photos, with more available thanks to the image posted by Gunn (via Instagram). In the latter, Corenswet's Superman can be seen pulling his boots on before going to work as the Man of Steel. The boots are fairly clunky, looking more like footwear than usual superhero spandex offers, such as Spider-Man. The red coloring of the boots contrasts with the blue legwear and has lined patterns running down either side.

As alluded to, it is difficult to compare boots to other costumes be it live-action or comics, as footwear is hardly something that requires regular changes. However, the boots draw comparisons to Christopher Reeve's Superman costume from the 1978 movie. They have the same V-shaped delve at the top, an element shared by other live-action Superman actors including Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, and Tyler Hoechlin. This links to most iterations of Superman in DC Comics, with the boots not changing too much over the decades.

Superman's Trunks & Belt

The Trunks Return To Live-Action Superman

What the initial Instagram image did not make abundantly clear is whether the DCU's Superman would sport the iconic red trunks over his costume. Thanks to the newest set photos, the red trunks can be seen over the suit in classic DC Comics fashion. Interestingly, the trunks are longer than other iterations that wore them, namely Reeve and Routh. This extra length could be seen as making up for the lack of red trunks in more recent versions of Superman, with Cavill and Hoechlin forgoing the outfit detail.

For the first time in both mediums in a while, Superman will sport an iconic part of his original costumes...

The red trunks being part of Superman links to the comics, with most versions across the decades also wearing them. However, much like how Corenswet's Superman is bringing the trunks back for the first time in years in live-action, the same can be said for the comics. Most classic versions of Clark wore red trunks, though the New 52 DC rebrand saw the DC comic Superman costume change this. For the first time in both mediums in a while, Superman will sport an iconic part of his original costumes.

With the reintegration of the red trunks comes a reversion to a classic Superman belt. Due to the absence of trunks with Cavill and Hoechlin's versions of the Son of Krypton, their belts were simple red bands going around their waist. Before this, with Routh, Reeve, and the more classic comic book designs, Superman's belt is yellow to offset against the blue above it and red trunks below it. Corenswet's Superman has this belt also, though it is unclear whether it is emblazoned with the Superman logo as it was with Routh and Reeve.

Superman's Logo

The DCU Superman Logo Is Rare In Live-Action

The easiest aspect to compare between iterations of Superman is the iconic logo. Corenswet's new DCU logo has been visible in multiple reveals about the movie, marking a notable difference from prior versions. For only the second time in live-action and the first in a movie, Superman's logo will be reminiscent of the Kingdom Come symbol from DC Comics. Kingdom Come Superman was introduced in the 90s and had a distinct logo that less emphasizes the "S" shape of the symbol, something Corenswet shares with Routh's second version of Superman in the Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Aside from these two versions, no other Superman has had the Kingdom Come symbol. Reeve and Routh from Superman and Superman Returns respectively had very similar logos, sporting the classic "S." Cavill's appearance beginning with Man of Steel was slightly more modernized, but the S-shape was still clearly visible. The same can be said for Hoechlin, meaning Corenswet's Superman is breaking new ground for movies, linking to only one comic version of the character.

Superman's Cape

The DCU Superman's Cape Is Both Different & Similar To Past Versions

Concerning differences from prior iterations, Corenswet's cape in Superman is different from every other live-action version in one specific way. This detail surrounds how the cape connects to the rest of the suit. All other live-action versions have a cape that fastens normally, to either side of the neck. Corenswet's cape, though, goes further over the top of his shoulders and connects beneath the collar bones, giving the effect of the cape feeding into the suit material.

The style of cape fastenings links to the more alien look of Superman's origins than past iterations.

This is the main way the cape is different and links to the suit that inspired Corenswet's from DC Comics, the New 52 suit. The latter has the same cape-fastening details as the former which itself was a big difference from past comic versions. One way the cape is different from every other live-action version barring Reeve's is that it contains the yellow Superman symbol on the back, a detail not found in the DCEU, Routh's movie, or Hoechlin's series, Superman & Lois.

Superman's Collar

The Collar Also Links To The New 52 Superman

With the New 52-style cape of Corenswet's Superman costume comes the New 52-style collar. With the cape attaching differently to both suits, they have a high collar, which is a massive difference from other live-action Superman outfits. Most other Superman collars are much lower wrapping around the neck at the same height. With Corenswet's suit, his collar rises higher, almost halfway up his neck, solidifying its similarities to the New 52 Superman of DC Comics.

Superman's Overall Suit Texture

How Does The DCU Superman Suit Compare As A Whole?

The final element of Corenswet's suit worth pointing out is its overall texture. The suit has been somewhat criticized for being "MCU-ified" with needless lines separating aspects of the suit. These lines are found on both the top and bottom half of the DCU Superman costume, though are not too noticeable and are all the same color. These lines were not found on other suits, though Corenswet's shares similarities to Cavill's and Hoechlin's in its overall texture.

The texture is more alien, lacking the smoother, spandex-like texture of Reeve's and Routh's. This makes the most recent three iterations of Superman feel more like they are from Krypton, aided by the ribbed textures. This marks the last major element worth pointing out concerning Corenswet's DCU suit for Superman, proving it to be similar, different, and fresh in comparison to other iterations, all at the same time.