James Gunn Almost Cut One of SUPERMAN’s Most Talked-About Scene After Test Screenings: “Why the F**k Is He Saving a Squirrel?”

When Superman hit theaters, fans couldn’t stop talking about one unexpected moment in the middle of one of the movie’s biggest battles… the Man of Steel lying in to save a squirrel. Turns out, that scene almost didn’t make it into the final cut, and it all came down to a rough reaction during test screenings.

James Gunn opened up about the behind-the-scenes debate in a recent interview with Rolling Stone:

"Yeah, although it was probably the second- or third-most hotly debated moment in the movie. Because we showed it to test audiences and some people did not like the squirrel. They’re like, 'Why the f*ck is he saving a squirrel?' Why is he taking time out, saving a squirrel?"

I’ll admit… I thought that when the scene played out! Gunn admitted he actually removed the moment at one point:

"There was a cut where I cut it out and I’m like, 'I really miss the squirrel. He’s gotta save the squirrel.' In addition, there were also some geographic problems with where he ended up if I didn’t have him fly over with the squirrel. So I put the squirrel back in despite the protestations of some of my people on my crew."

So why does Superman save a squirrel in the middle of a city-leveling battle? According to Gunn, it’s all about staying true to who Superman is at his core.

In the film, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) unleashes a massive kaiju on Metropolis as a distraction so he and his crew can break into the Fortress of Solitude.

During the chaos, Superman (David Corenswet) stops the creature from crushing a dog, a little girl, and later swoops in to rescue a tiny squirrel from being squashed.

Sure, it’s a quick moment, but it does capture what makes Superman different from every other superhero… every life matters, no matter how big or small.

Superman is in theaters now, so if you haven’t seen it yet, keep an eye out for that heroic squirrel cameo.