James Gunn Reportedly Cut a NSFW Joke From SUPERMAN
James Gunn has never been shy about injecting irreverent humor into his movies. Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad are proof of that. But, when it comes toSuperman, the tone is a little different.
The Man of Steel isn’t a rebel or an antihero; he’s DC’s symbol of hope. So while Gunn still brings his trademark wit style, and direction, it’s not shocking to hear a NSFW joke got the axe before the film’s release.
The cut gag didn’t come from Superman himself, but from one of his new allies. According to X user @ViewerAnon, the joke appeared during a major action sequence where Superman (David Corenswet) battles a kaiju-sized monster unleashed by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult).
The fight is a big spectacle and it’s also where the Justice Gang joins in on the fun: Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabella Merced), and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi).
The heroes team up to bring the beast down, though Superman insists on avoiding killing the creature. In the aftermath, things get lighthearted, at least in the original cut, when Guy lobbed this NSFW line at Supes:
So, the deleted #Superman joke I hope I haven’t oversold. After the kaiju is killed and Superman says he wishes he could have taken it to a zoo, this was the original exchange:
— ViewerAnon (@ViewerAnon) July 13, 2025
GUY: Dude, don’t be such a pussy.
SUPERMAN: Hey, there are kids around!
GUY: That’s why I said DON’T!!
While the exchange reportedly drew laughs, Gunn ultimately decided it crossed the line. The reason? Kids. Not only are there children in the scene celebrating the heroes, but the film itself is a PG-13 family event. Pushing Guy Gardner’s “lovable jerk” persona too far could’ve easily tipped into “inappropriate for Superman’s world.”
Interestingly, Gunn didn’t scrub all the edge from the script. One joke that survived… after Lois roasts Guy’s haircut at the Hall of Justice, he fires back with, “384 women would say you’re wrong!” It’s cheeky, flirty, and a little crass, but vague enough to slide under the radar of younger viewers.
Cut or not, this doesn’t mean Superman is humorless. The film is full of Gunn’s irreverent style, just a little more refined than his R-rated projects. The characters still pop, Metropolis feels alive, and Nathan Fillion’s cocky Green Lantern and Corenswet’s earnest Superman bounce off each other perfectly.