James Gunn Completely Redefined Superman With One Detail Nobody Talks About

Like any good storyteller, James Gunn puts a lot of thought into the big and small details that make up his movies. For example, hints of Rocket's past are shown in the first Guardians of the Galaxy well before they were fully explored in the third movie, and Peter Quill's alien lineage was also set up early. Gunn did the same thing with Superman. The opening text gives the viewer a fair amount of information about the world they are entering, and the mural in the Hall of Justice is a look at heroes of the past who may or may not show up later on. Even Guy Gardner gives a suggestion about how Green Lanterns are selected, saying that he was "commandeered" by the Guardians, connecting to John Stewart's apparent origin in Lanterns.

Those are all pretty big hints that are hard to miss, but there is at least one element in Superman that has seemed to have been missed by audiences, and it shines a light on the Man of Steel's life, revealing a piece of his existence that feeds into David Corenswet's version of the hero and makes him a little more human. It's easy to miss, but once you see it, it becomes impossible not to think about when you connect it to everything else that we know of the latest live-action Last Son of Krypton. And the hint lies in Clark Kent's apartment. Or, what isn't in his apartment.

Clark Kent Has Been Very Lonely

Clark Kent is clearly getting a pretty good paycheck from the Daily Planet. His high-rise apartment at the heart of Metropolis is relatively small, especially compared to Lois Lane's abode, but it has those wonderful big windows that let him see the whole city (and come and go as he pleases). But the place is also pretty empty. The walls are barren and there is just a single lamp — with what seems to be a low-wattage bulb — to brighten the place up. But what really says a lot is the furniture. Or, rather, the lack of it. Superman's living room consists of a single chair with an ottoman to put his feet up on.

What this suggests is that Clark Kent isn't doing much entertaining. He doesn't even have a place for Jimmy Olsen to sit down if his best pal came by to watch a ballgame. More to it, it means that Clark Kent doesn't have much of a social life and spends most of his time alone.

This builds on other pieces of his life that are hinted at, if not directly stated. The opening tells us that Superman has been around for three years, which means that Clark Kent has more than likely been living in Metropolis for at least three years as well. But we also know that Clark and Lois have only been dating for three months. And we know that he has been resistant to joining the Justice Gang, keeping his fellow heroes at a distance as well. And as for Supergirl, she appears to spend more time off the planet than on it. It seems that for more than two years, Superman has been pretty lonely.

Clark Kent's Apartment Is A Showroom, But It's Becoming A Home

The book Superman: The Art and Making of the Film digs deeper into Clark Kent's apartment, with production designer Beth Mickle revealing more insights. According to Mickle, "James's idea for it was that it was almost a staged apartment, or kind of this very sterile, nondescript apartment somebody else had put together for a building, and he just wanted to live there." She goes on to detail other elements Gunn wanted for the apartment:

"He also liked the idea that Superman has hand weights just to justify that [Clark] is so big and strong, but he doesn't realize what pounds he would actually be able to bench press or curl. He just got these little two and five pound hand weights because he doesn't realize that he should have like forty-pound weights and dumbbells."

But audiences got a new look at Clark's apartment at the end of Supergirl, where some changes can be seen. For one thing, the apartment is brighter, with a standing lamp next to the chair. So, while the single seat shows that Clark still has some redecorating to do, he appears to be working on it.

All of this feeds into what he tells Supergirl about being worried that she won't find her "people" if she keeps taking off. Superman is just beginning to find his own people, and he wants his cousin to feel the connections that he is experiencing. it seems that, after three years, Superman is starting to feel at home in Metropolis. How much his apartment will have changed by the time we catch up with him in Man of Tomorrow remains to be seen, but hopefully he has gotten rid of the chair and added a couch for him and Lois to cuddle on.