The Daily Planet - Superman News and Speculation Thread

[hopefuldreamer]

I think I'd be kind of ambivalent about trunks if they didn't represent a bigger issue of 'embarrassment' that I just rebelliously want to push back against.

I defend the possibility of trunks because I just don't accept that superhero outfits with trunks, as they have existed in comics, films & TV for generations, are too cheesy/cringe for modern audiences.

 

[Karelia]

I've been on this forum for so many years, I remember getting into an argument about Superman's suit would look way better if they removed the trunks. This was before they did it in the comics, and the guy said it would never happen. Then it happened lol.

Now that over a decade has past, I can say... I'm kinda down with seeing the trunks. However, not opposed to the suit being trunkless either. We've had trunkless in live action (Man of Steel/Superman & Lois) and I'm just kinda down with a more traditional Superman costume tbh.

 

[JakeStyles]

Focusing on "moving forward" is how you get MCUified overcomplicated costumes.

Trunks just break up the blue very well and are iconic. I'm indifferent over if they're there because I don't think it's that major of a deal, but keeping the trunks is hardly moving backwards for the same reason that Batman having a symbol on his chest ain't

Disagree, it's not black or white, either trunk or MCU type costume and I don't understand comparing trunks to chest symbols. Trunks made sense back in the days when it was a "strongmen" type of thing, now it's meaningless except for nostalgia. You can have classic looking suite without trunks, the cape what's matter, the chest symbol, the colors, trunks are just pointless for me.

If superman need trunks, then Batman with his grey suit needs pants, Robin need trunks with no pants and Nightwing need his disco suit because it was his first suit and it's comic accurate, which means no blue and black suit.

Arguing about is pointless though, whoever want trunks, he will get it, I guarantee that with Gunn, trunks are back in the game.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Removing the trunks immediately signals so many red flags about how a creator views the genre. It's not the biggest deal (though it does, indeed, look like ****) but there's something so embarrassingly self conscious about it.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Removing the trunks immediately signals so many red flags about how a creator views the genre. It's not the biggest deal (though it does, indeed, look like ****) but there's something so embarrassingly self conscious about it.

At least in Superman & Lois, his first suit had the trunks, even if the later model doesnt. Which by the way, Tyler totally pulls off without self-consciousness.

I don't hate trunksless suits. If we get one, fine. I just feel like bringing trunks back is a good way of reclaiming some of the Superhero energy that's been lost in an attempt to make everything 'grounded'.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I like grounded superhero stuff and still think removing the trunks is hardcore embarrassing.

 

[Dr.]

I think I'd be kind of ambivalent about trunks if they didn't represent a bigger issue of 'embarrassment' that I just rebelliously want to push back against.

I defend the possibility of trunks because I just don't accept that superhero outfits with trunks, as they have existed in comics, films & TV for generations, are too cheesy/cringe for modern audiences.

Especially nowadays, any sort of superficial/cosmetic change is imbued with “political” or “postmodernist” significance. :wink: Thus, if you ditch Supes’ traditional trunks, it might mean you’re repudiating other traditional aspects of the character too. And I could see why Gunn wouldn’t want to bother with that. I.e., classic iconography is “safe” and trumps hypothetical design variations.

But I never quite got the “color theory” argument in favor of trunks. To wit: the notion that a monochrome bodysuit is “too much” and needs a contrasting color to soothe the eyes. Needless to say, characters like Batman, Black Panther, et. al. seem to do okay with monochrome. And characters like the Flash and Shazam were always (as far as I know) sans trunks.

 

[LifesEnd]

eh i think the trunks look is more embarassing. You can embrace the comics by properly adapting the character. That's more important than the trunks.

 

[Captain Tired]

Imo people who are so gung-ho about losing the trunks (and there are plenty) are just squeamish about what they consider to be any overt reminders of the fact that they still enjoy what's basically children's entertainment or that has its foundations in children's entertainment.

 

[agomezv3]

The problem, I think, is that Gunn needs to make Superman attractive for younger audiences, both kids and teenagers, and they seem to be the audience who is most against the trunks

 

[SupermansPal]

But I never quite got the “color theory” argument in favor of trunks. To wit: the notion that a monochrome bodysuit is “too much” and needs a contrasting color to sooth the eyes. Needless to say, characters like Batman, Black Panther, et. al. seem to do okay with monochrome. And characters like the Flash and Shazam were always (as far as I know) sans trunks.

Batman, Flash and Shazam have belts to break the colors, I think even the most hardcore anti-trunks person agrees that Superman needs at least a belt to break the blue.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

The problem, I think, is that Gunn needs to make Superman attractive for younger audiences, both kids and teenagers, and they seem to be the audience who is most against the trunks

Feels like a chicken or egg thing.

Did superhero movies start removing trunks to keep up with the tastes of kids? Or did kids start to view superheroes with trunks as 'lame' because live action adaptions started making costumes look less 'silly' and more 'realistic/gritty', setting up a narrative that anything outside of that is too 'kiddie.'

 

[Dr.]

Batman, Flash and Shazam have belts to break the colors, I think even the most hardcore anti-trunks person agrees that Superman needs at least a belt to break the blue.

A belt is fine. Though… Unlike, say, Black Panther or Cat Woman, Supes has several other design embellishments that provide visual contrast: red boots, prominent chest shield and — most obviously — a red cape.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

I like grounded superhero stuff and still think removing the trunks is hardcore embarrassing.

Its a delicate balance what 'grounded' even means to different people.

I definitely want to see a story with emotional intelligence, strong and realistic character arcs, a plot with some real world resonance etc.

Just want to also maintain the fun escapist fantasy elements too.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

My problem with removing the trunks is most of the trunkless comic designs for Superman look like ****. Mostly because they try to "replace" the trunks with some awful design choice, like a red belt, or or the MOS suit piping around Cavill's mid-section, etc. If you are going to leave the trunks out, just leave them out and keep the gold belt (like most trunkless depictions of Batman's suit). If you feel the need to have something there to replace the trunks, maybe you shouldn't get rid of the trunks in the first place.

 

[Babillygunn]

I don’t understand the argument that trunks are unnecessary when we are talking about a guy who wears a cape.

Give the man his trunks!

 

[Boom]

Count me as someone who believes trunks would not impact the BO in a negative way.

 

[B]

The suit having trunks to me, is mostly irrelevant, I'm slightly against them purely because I don't think we've had a live action iteration of the character since Reeve that has actually made them look good. Meanwhile I think Cavill & Hoechlin's suit(s) that were trunk-less, have looked fine from a design perspective.

Despite saying this, I would like them to go super classic with the look, at least for the first film anyway & have a suit with trunks, effectively a take on Reeve's suit with modern matierals. But I've already got a bad feeling judging by the apparent logo that Gunn is of the 'it must be different than what has come before' mindset, so it wouldn't shock me if his take had a collar & red belt like the N52 suit or one of the radical designs from Injustice Superman's suits.

Hopefully I'm wrong, but that KC logo nameplate has already got me thinking it won't be the sort of shift back to the more classic Superman that I'd like for this take & the future of the DCU.

 

[agomezv3]

Please no collar :crybaby:

 

[emielaen]

I think its all about the color blocking whether it trunks or a belt or whatever. Thinking that keeping the trunks is all about nostalgia or "going backward" because it was originally inspired by strongmen, or that ditching them depicts some inherent negative attitude toward the genre all feels like massive overreactions imo.

 

[Babillygunn]

wouldn't shock me if his take had a collar & red belt like the N52 suit or one of the radical designs from Injustice Superman's suits.

 

[flickchick85]

Oh. We’re back to trunks-or-no-trunks again I see. Guess it’s safe to say there was no news lol.

 

[7heBoss]

If it's those dang youths that are saying we need to ditch the trunks, all the studio has to do is pay a few influencers to start wearing them and in no time they will all the rage. Anyone who isn't wearing them will be so cringe.

 

[Monochron]

Disagree, it's not black or white, either trunk or MCU type costume and I don't understand comparing trunks to chest symbols. Trunks made sense back in the days when it was a "strongmen" type of thing, now it's meaningless except for nostalgia. You can have classic looking suite without trunks, the cape what's matter, the chest symbol, the colors, trunks are just pointless for me.

If superman need trunks, then Batman with his grey suit needs pants, Robin need trunks with no pants and Nightwing need his disco suit because it was his first suit and it's comic accurate, which means no blue and black suit.

Arguing about is pointless though, whoever want trunks, he will get it, I guarantee that with Gunn, trunks are back in the game.

Of all the trunkless designs you went ahead choose one the worst suits in the history of the character to defend your point. Whoever approved that look should be prohibited from ever working on anything related to Superman.

 

[GreenKToo]

I don't care either way about the trunks as long as it looks good.