DC’s New Superman Suit Shows Precisely Why the Flash’s CGI Costume Failed

DC’s new Superman show, My Adventures With Superman, shows precisely how Gen-Z nanotech suits can be made exciting and visually appealing.

Nanotech costumes have recently become commonplace in both DC and Marvel and have totally replaced practical costumes. However, these ultra-modern suits are often CGI creations, leading to uninspired and often non-existent ‘suit-up’ sequences.

For instance, Ironman’s elaborate ‘suit-up’ sequence in Iron Man film is much more satiating than Ant-Man’s helmet and suit appearing out of nowhere in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

The recent Flash movie is the best example that these hyper-modern suits are just an excuse for the actors to use CGI suits rather than real ones. 

DC’s My Adventures with Superman also uses a nanotech suit, but it uses it in a way that just connects more with the audience.

Superman has one of the most iconic superhero costumes in history and replacing it with a Kryptonian nanotech suit was a rather risky idea. That said, the makers managed to pull it off and gave one of the best ‘suit-up’ sequences for a superhero fashioning a nanotech suit.

Watch the transformation sequence below in a tweet recently shared by DC:

Tweet Loading…

The above clip has been taken from episode 2 of My Adventures with Superman, in which Clark discovers his Kryptonian roots for the first time and receives a suit.

This transformation sequence seems heavily inspired by transformation scenes in anime and Tokusatsu series, like Sailor Moon’s transformation sequence.

Instead of a swift and monotonous transformation, the show manages to do something creative and extensive with it, leaving a mark on the viewers’ minds.

CG superhero suits are just a part of a larger problem regarding how making films nowadays is more about experimenting with CGI than actually making films!

For instance, The Flash’s third arc was almost entirely CGI. Although these CGI sequences are some of the best available, they just can’t match up with the charm of actual actors acting it out there with real props.

Similarly, seeing Spider-Man’s mask appear out of thin air or Iron Man getting suited up in no time isn’t as charming for the audience as experiencing the process first-hand.

Suit-up sequences are supposed to be very special for both the actor and the audience, and My Adventures with Superman does justice to that.

We understand that the visual language of an animated creative is not the same as that of a live-action movie or show. 

However, live-action or not, makers should ensure that suit-up sequences don’t look dull and uneventful in any comic book adaptation. 

About

My Adventures with Superman is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics character Superman. The series is developed by Jake Wyatt and produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios.

The series premiered on Adult Swim on July 7, 2023, with episodes releasing on Max the following day.

The story follows Clark Kent, as he builds his secret identity as Superman and explores his own mysterious origins, and Lois Lane, on her way to becoming a star reporter, whom Clark has a crush on, and vice versa. Teaming up with photographer Jimmy Olsen, they break the stories that matter and save the day against many villains.