The filmmaker said the David Corenswet-led film also comes at a "particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people’s goodness."

James Gunn, writer and director of the off-kilter "Guardians of the Galaxy" films, tussled with various ideas on how to deliver a new take on Superman to the big screen. Gunn said he was aware of the many ways the noble hero had been approached since his 1938 debut,