Would the Rebooted DCU's Superman Kill to Protect Somebody’s Life? James Gunn Says Yes — but It Would Be 'Hard for Him'

One of the longest-running superhero debates: would Superman kill?

Henry Cavill’s Superman did, of course, kill General Zod as a last resort to save lives in the DCEU. But would David Corenswet’s Superman make the same choice in the rebooted DCU?

This new Superman is a far brighter character than the more grounded, naturalistic version from the SnyderVerse that came before. In the film, we see Superman deeply care for all forms of life—human, animal, and alien alike. For new viewers, this may raise the question: why doesn’t Superman kill?

In a Wired video, Corenswet shared his take, which aligns with everything we’ve long known about Superman: “I think the main reason is that he sees the good in just about everybody, maybe to a fault,” he said. “He even sees the good in those trying to do him harm.”

In the same video, DCU steward James Gunn added: “I believe he believes in a basic right to life. That’s just not in him.”

But Gunn also clarified that this Superman would still act if necessary. “But I’m not a purist in that respect. I think that if, for instance, he had to kill to protect someone’s life, he would probably do that, even though that would be hard for him.”

Warning! Spoilers for Superman follow: