"Look up."
It's more than a catchy moniker at the end of a preview; it's a request for all fans of DC Studios and Zack Snyder zealots. Looking up implies to keep your head up, find something out there in the ether that is otherwise not visible. To look up means to have eyes on the horizon because there—and only there—is where something bright rests in the future.
It was defined for fans once upon a time. That insignia on this hero's chest. Although it looks like a letter "S," Lois Lane, and the countless millions who swear Henry Cavill's rendition of Superman is the best any DC property will ever make, was told differently. Remember?
That's the kind of deft touch Zack Snyder created with his Man of Steel universe. He's a master at painting a story in the blank canvases of the mind. His vision about what Kal-El should be was memorable and magnificent. But that was then, long ago. And through egregious mismanagement and ham-handed ideation, fans have finally stumbled past the heartache of the "Josstice League."
There is only one problem: Zack Snyder's Justice League created an even darker hole in the hearts of many. #ReleaseTheSnyderCut was resurrected when James Gunn was first mentioned as co-CEO of the newly formed DC Studios alongside Peter Safran. Those same hopeless fans don't believe DC and Warner Bros. can make anything together except a dumpster fire and a fantastic place for superhero s'mores.
Then, something interesting happened. Gunn made Kal-El human with a trailer, which led the world to what happened this past Superman Day—something fascinating, something hopeful.
Up, Up, and Here to Stay
It was no secret that James Gunn would do something for "Superman Day." Still, no one had any idea it would be an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into his version of Superman, which is more powerful than the trailers and five-minute clip, together.
Despite the cavalcade of early characters in the comics, such as Mister Terrific, Metamorpho, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and, of course, Krypto, the trailers weren't enough to win over the most ardent Snyderites. And who can blame them?
Man of Steel is one of the greatest superhero origins—if not, the greatest—ever made. Batman V. Superman is a polarizing but fascinating creation. And no one can deny the saga Zack Snyder created with his magnificent version of Justice League.
That trilogy will haunt Gunn's and Safran's efforts until July 11, but by the look of this riveting 2:18 documentary-stylized video, it just might give up the ghost.
While cynicism prevails, Deadline spoke to Warner Bros. Pictures CEO Mike DeLuca about the recently completed film. He calls it a "five-star movie" because, of course, he would. Yet, there's something compelling about this quote.
""I love Superman. I think James Gunn has crushed it. It’s got tons of his trademark heart and humor and the action is jaw dropping. It’s the Superman I grew up with, so I get choked up when I watch it. I think it’s so epic and visually arresting and emotional.""
"Epic." There is no alternative. Superman has to be epic. Everything is riding on it and the flowing red capetails behind it. The movie could be a wreck, but that opinion is waning by the moment. Instead, it indeed looks like a reckoning.
Look up because that is the only place to find the elation and hope that look created.