Superman is currently dominating the box office in Vietnam. As of the afternoon of July 16, the film has earned 720 million VND from 8,012 tickets sold across 1,671 screenings. Its total revenue after five days stands at 15.8 billion VND.
Superman marks the return of the nearly 90-year-old superhero franchise. Notably, the new version brings back the original Superman look, complete with the iconic red briefs.
The blue suit paired with red briefs has been a key part of Superman’s iconic image. In previous film and TV adaptations, especially those starring Henry Cavill and Tyler Hoechlin, the red briefs were removed after years of debate.
The Debate Over Superman’s Look
Superman first appeared in 1938. From a comic book character, he quickly grew into a blockbuster film franchise. Along with his powers came what Wired called a “bizarre and sensitive” costume.
The red briefs, along with Superman’s overall visual design, have sparked controversy for decades. As early as the 1950s, when George Reeves starred in The Adventures of Superman, he commented that the briefs were too revealing.
“I’m a bit too old to be running around in my underwear,” Reeves said.
In the 1978 documentary Superman: The Movie, Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane, revealed costume tests for Christopher Reeve’s Superman. She recalled producer Alexander Salkind saying, “Either he has a big bulge in his briefs or nothing at all.”
The costume team prepared various sizes of padded inserts for Christopher Reeve’s red briefs. Margot Kidder humorously recalled teasing Reeve by flicking the large metal pad, which made a “ding ding ding ding” sound.
In 2005, when Brandon Routh’s first image as Superman in Superman Returns (2006) was revealed, the costume sparked a heated debate among media and fans over Superman’s “bulge.”
Writer Regina Lynn commented, “If the real goal was to avoid distracting the audience, it backfired. They just made sure everyone watching the movie would be staring closely at Superman’s red briefs. That’s the real intention behind all this.”
The New York Times quoted costume designer Louise Mingenbach saying, “People talked more about Superman’s ‘package’ than anything else on the suit. Is it too big? Not big enough? Too pointy, round, or offensive? Someone spent about a month just adjusting the shape of the butt pad. It was crazy.”
Even when Nicolas Cage was cast as Superman in the canceled 1998 film Superman Lives directed by Tim Burton, the red briefs were controversial. According to the documentary The Death of Superman Lives, Cage said during costume testing, “The only thing wrong with the original suit is that he wears his underwear outside. I think a darker blue would be better than bright red. Basketball shorts would be a better choice,” the actor said.
Future costume designer Colleen Atwood said, “We actually tried every possible way to avoid it because people always tend to mock that element of Superman.”
Actor Henry Cavill also shared his views on the issue. In 2011, right after his first Superman look was revealed, Cavill supported removing the bright red briefs.
“Why wear underwear when you can look so much cooler without it?” Henry Cavill said.
However, a decade later, when asked by Stephen Colbert about the missing red briefs, Cavill showed more openness: “I really like my suit, I think it’s pretty cool. But if it happens again, I’d definitely be open to adding the briefs back.”
Boldly Bringing Back the Red Briefs
Now, with David Corenswet starring as Superman in the latest film, the red briefs have returned. This was a decision the lead actor strongly advocated for, determined to bring the “original Superman” image back to the big screen.
Writer and director James Gunn said, “We experimented with all versions and tested both the briefs and no briefs options.”
Gunn added that Corenswet wanted to keep this detail because Superman aims to be a figure children won’t be afraid of.
“Superman is an alien with incredible powers, shooting beams from his eyes. He’s extremely strong, can be intimidating, and has a strong personality but wants people to like him. He’s a symbol of hope and positivity. So he dresses in a way that doesn’t scare people,” the director explained.
After hearing Corenswet’s reasoning, Gunn said it inspired him to bring the character back. “We’re not trying to make the character look too serious, he has to be a bit silly in a superhero way. That’s who he is,” the director added.
This choice has paid off as the new Superman film has earned an impressive $122 million in North America during its opening weekend. The movie is also performing well internationally.
Following the strong box office report, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav said, “Three years ago, I hired James Gunn and Peter Safran to reshape and unify the creative direction of DC. I needed leadership that would bring new energy and excitement to the world’s most iconic comic book brand. James’s commitment to honoring the DC Universe legacy while creating something fresh and engaging is truly admirable.”
The return of the red briefs is more than just a costume change, it honors Superman’s legacy and essence as a symbol of hope and positivity, especially for younger audiences, according to Wired.