The new Superman trailer has dropped, and does something with Clark Kent that previous movies have consistently failed at.
It’s an ongoing joke that the people of Earth don’t realize Superman is Clark Kent, in spite of the fact that he looks exactly the same as the Daily Planet reporter, just without the glasses.
It’s why most superheroes wear a mask – so the likes of Batman and Spider-Man can keep their identities secret. Hence the phrase “secret identity.”
But Kal-El is having none of that, donning suit and tie over his Kryptonian costume, and fooling the world into thinking he’s a mild-mannered journalist rather than the Man of Steel.
How James Gunn’s Superman rights a wrong of past incarnations
James Gunn’s Superman is doing it differently however, giving Clark Kent a very different hairstyle to Superman. This is pretty much the opposite of what’s come before in the movies.
Christopher Reeve seemed able to transform physically between Clarke and Supes, making him a human special effect. But his hair didn’t do the actor any favors, with the side-parting moving across his head, but little else changing beyond a kiss-curl.
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Brandon Routh didn’t even change the side parting, which remained steadfastly in the same spot for Superman Returns… meaning that curl was doing a lot of work. While Henry Cavill’s Superman also had pretty much the same hairstyle, albeit his Man of Steel’s was a bit slicker.
But in the new Superman, David Corenswet’s version of the character looks markedly different. His Clark Kent has a mop of messy hair that leans into curls that fall forward. They can be glimpsed when he hugs his Dad on their porch in Kansas, and in more detail when he’s heading to the Daily Planet in Metropolis.
But his Superman tidies those waves up – save for the kiss curl – and sweeps them back, reshaping his face and turning man into Kryptonian.
Meaning he looks sufficiently different for Clark to better keep a lid on his secret identity, and also for audiences to better suspend their disbelief when they watch him switch this summer.
James Gunn’s Superman hits screens on July 11, 2025. For more on the movie, here’s why the Superman trailer is dividing fans, and how it suggests James Gunn understands Superman better than Zack Snyder, plus a guide to Superman’s composer and score.
