Taking the internet by storm, James Gunn recently revealed the classic Superman stories that inspired him to make his hotly-anticipated Superman reboot.

Although in his recent Instagram post, Gunn shared a ton of Clark Kent stories that heavily influenced his upcoming blockbuster, fans seemingly set their eyes on one particular panel.

James Gunn | image: Inside of You/YouTube

While James Gunn’s primary influences stem back to 1939 Superman #1, fans are hooked to the specific panel from All-Star Superman, which seemed to be a home run, if included in the upcoming movie.

Witnessing the particularly enticing panel from All-Star Superman as an inspiration for Gunn’s Superman, fans almost forgave the DC CEO for booting Henry Cavill.

James Gunn Cited His Inspirations for Superman 

Although we’re still more than a year away from when James Gunn’s Superman will hit the theatres, the DC head knows how to keep the buzz alive on the internet.

With production picking its pace, the director is beginning to spill some details about the upcoming project. Taking to his Instagram account, Gunn thus revealed all the Clark Kent stories that inspired his Superman reboot.

James Gunn’s Superman | image: DC

Giving fans a glimpse at the various versions of Superman he’s drawing inspiration from, James Gunn shared a ton of Clark Kent stories. Claiming that “there are too many to count”, Gunn added 1939 Superman #1 as his initial inspiration. Followed by 2005 All-Star Superman and Max Fleischer’s groundbreaking Superman cartoons, Gunn cited a few others.

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lark Kent stories that inspired Gunn’s Superman reboot | image: Instagram/@jamesgunn

1986’s Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow and the 1962 The Superman Family are among a few of his inspirations for the upcoming Superman reboot. But while the director shared a number of comic strips that influenced him, fans seemed hooked to one particular panel.

The Significance Behind the Panel From All-Star Superman 

Having their eyes set on the panel of All-Star Superman (2005-2008), shared by James Gunn, fans expressed their unanimous excitement over this particular strip. Witnessing the iconic bit of the comic strip that featured Superman saving a teenager by convincing them against suicide, fans simply lost their minds.

Popular segment from All-Star Superman | image: YouTube

This particular segment from All-Star Superman is one of the most significant bits that truly brings out Superman’s essence. Showering light upon Superman’s most important power – his heart and compassion, this particular panel brings out the human-like side of the hero.

Superman saves Regan in All-Star Superman | image: YouTube

Artist Frank Quitely incredibly summed up everything that Kal-El is about, through his famous image in All-Star Superman. In this bit we see Superman saving a suicidal teenager named Regan, by comforting and offering them clarity about life. This shows the more human side of the Man of Steel’s story, which is a significant part of his character alongside his strength and otherworldly powers.

Fans Almost Forgave James Gunn for Replacing Henry Cavill 

Noticing this particular panel from All-Star Superman among James Gunn’s inspiration for the Superman reboot, fans hailed the director for his work.

As of now, the particular panel is among several other inspirations and it’s yet to be confirmed if the reboot will feature that particular bit. But if it does, it’s going to be a definite home run. Netizens therefore appear hopeful and truly excited about that particular inspiration.

Overwhelmed with excitement, fans appear to have forgiven Gunn for booting their favorite Man of Steel actor – Henry Cavill. Previously criticizing James Gunn for his decision to replace Cavill with David Corenswet, fans now appear to have moved past the incident and almost forgiven the director. Currently all focused on Gunn’s inspirations for Superman, netizens appear to have long forgotten and forgiven the DC CEO for Cavill’s replacement.

James Gunn’s Superman will fly into theaters on July 11, 2025.