However, another big "star" who almost steals the spotlight from the flying alien superhero is his super-powered, red-cape-wearing pet, Krypto. The dog, brought to life through computer-generated imagery, is modeled on a 3D scan of the director's real-life pet, Ozu — named in tribute to the late Japanese film master Yasujiro Ozu.
Gunn adopted Ozu when the dog was just eight months old, choosing the scrawny, skittish puppy from among some 60 rescue dogs confined to a single backyard. The pup's visible fear, he says, was what drew him in — a timidity that quickly vanished once Ozu settled in and seemed to take command of the household.
"He influences my life by destroying all my things. I adopted this terrible dog, and he came in and chewed up all my stuff, and he wouldn't let me pet him. He was just casually being terrible: casually going outside, getting mud all over himself and doing all the bad things dogs shouldn't do," says Gunn, with a big smile.
"I thought, I'm glad he doesn't have superpowers. And that's when I put him in the movie. I just started writing the movie at that point. That was really the beginning — it was all spurred on by Ozu, who is my dog. He doesn't know it, but he's everywhere," he adds.
Asked about Superman's cultural legacy, Safran — who serves as co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Gunn — describes the iconic hero as "the origin of all superhero stories", adding that the new film marks a breakthrough by presenting Superman as a "fully fleshed-out character" and bringing new emotional depth to the role.
Reflecting on his long-standing collaboration with Gunn since 1998, Safran says making a Superman film felt like a dream come true, the one he had envisioned for years.
"When people talk about superhero fatigue, I always say that it's mediocre movie fatigue. People just want better movies in every genre. I think superhero movies maybe got a little bit lazy and relied on visual spectacle rather than real human stories with genuine emotion and empathy," shares Safran.
"So, I think this generation is as excited as every prior generation about great superhero movies. And when you make one, like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the audience is really excited about it. I really believe that Superman can be part of that, and part of rebuilding the relationship between DC and that new generation, that new audience," he says.
