Considering how much power Superman wields, it’s often been discussed what it’d be like if he went off the deep end and used his abilities for his own benefit – or for evil. In recent years, the Injustice video games and comics have done a fine job of exploring this concept. Similarly, writer Mark Waid showed us what it’d be like if an analog for the Man of Steel, the Plutonian, walked this path in Irredeemable.
Without having to acquire any licenses from either DC Comics or Boom! Studios, screenwriters Mark and Brian Gunn have managed to bring this idea to the silver screen with the upcoming horror film, Brightburn. Even though their brother, James Gunn, is name-dropped in the marketing campaign, it’s important to note that he serves as a producer. David Yarovesky, meanwhile, handles directorial duties.
Now that opening weekend is within reaching distance, the studio has let loose the final trailer, which can be viewed at the top of this article. In it, we see a young boy who came to Earth in a much similar fashion to baby Kal-El, yet he begins carving a bloody path throughout his hometown. My guess is that a lot of “nature versus nurture” arguments will grow out of this one.
Though we’ve covered the basics above, here’s the official synopsis for the heck of it:
What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister? With Brightburn, the visionary filmmaker of Guardians of the Galaxy and Slither presents a startling, subversive take on a radical new genre: superhero horror.
Brightburn opens in theaters this Thursday, May 23rd, and Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones and Meredith Hagner star in the picture. Will you be checking it out, though? Or do you have other plans for the long weekend? Be sure to let us know by dropping a comment down below.