James Gunn’s much-anticipated reboot of Superman just hit theaters as part of the 2025 movie lineup, and everyone is saying it’s an awesome way to kick off the new DC Universe. The film holds its own up against some of the best Superman movies out there, but when the trailers dropped, a lot of people were picking apart this one shot—the snowy barrel roll. Thanks to some behind-the-scenes footage, I finally found out how they filmed that scene, and honestly, it’s not what I expected at all.
The Slither filmmaker recently posted a behind-the-scenes video on his Instagram showing the cast and crew filming a shot that’s gotten a lot of flak. In the clip, Supes actor David Corenswet is strapped into a rig on a soundstage at Trilith Studios. A crew member spins him around to create a cool mid-air roll effect while giant LED screens display a snowy mountain backdrop that was filmed in Svalbard, Norway. Check it out below.
The footage shows a blend of classic practical effects and modern digital backgrounds, putting to rest earlier ideas that the shot was fully CGI. It’s pretty similar to how Disney’s The Mandalorian (streaming with a Disney+ subscription) and the Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon, are filmed. They use this cool tech called "The Volume," or StageCraft, which replaces traditional green screens with a massive curved LED wall and ceiling. This setup displays real-time, super realistic backgrounds that are created using Unreal Engine.
This flying sequence in particular got people talking when it first showed up in a Superman TV ad earlier this year. Some fans thought it looked a bit “off” and even claimed that Corenswet's face had been digitally altered. But James Gunn cleared it all up with a behind-the-scenes look a while back. He straight-up addressed those rumors and complaints, revealing that there was “zero” CGI used on Corenswet’s face, but the difference fans were picking up on was because of the wide-angle lenses, which tend to warp people's faces when shot in profile.
The new video reveals that the Pearl performer is actually on a physical rig, with real elements in the shot, contrary to what many people thought. Gunn’s reveal gives us a peek into the creative process that makes Superman’s flight feel so real. It’s not the first time he’s done this, though; he used the same tech for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 during the Adam Warlock flying scenes, which now seem like a bit of a trial run for how he approached Supes.
It's worth noting that the specific barrel roll sequence that prompted so much online discussion does not appear in the film as it did in the trailers and TV spots. The movie’s team used some visual effects to enhance the shot, making it appear much less jarring in the final film. In case you somehow missed it, I encourage everyone to see Superman, as it's terrific, still playing in theaters, and serves as the kickoff for DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.
