There are plenty of weird and unexpected moments in James Gunn’s Superman, but one of the most unexpected has to be when he saves a squirrel in the middle of a giant battle. Not a human, not a group of animals, but a single, solitary squirrel. It speaks to the character’s kindness and respect for all life in a fun, quirky way, but apparently not everyone liked it.
“It was probably the second- or third-most hotly debated moment in the movie,” Gunn said in a wide-ranging interview with Rolling Stone. “Because we showed it to test audiences, and some people did not like the squirrel. They’re like, ‘Why the fuck is he saving a squirrel? Why is he taking time out, saving a squirrel?’ There was a cut where I cut it out and I’m like, ‘I really miss the squirrel. He’s gotta save the squirrel.’”
And so, Gunn put it back in. Especially because, if he lost it, the flow of the editing of the battle got messed up. “In addition, there were also some geographic problems with where he ended up if I didn’t have him fly over with the squirrel,” Gunn said. “So I put the squirrel back in despite the protestations of some of my people on my crew.”
Is Superman saving a squirrel extraneous? Possibly. Does it make sense? Absolutely. We know he loves animals from his attitude and interactions with Krypto. Plus, in a populated city like Metropolis, there aren’t going to be many wild animals running around. But one that would certainly be there is a squirrel. And, don’t forget, Gunn is the filmmaker who made a three-film Marvel series that centered around the origins of a talking raccoon. So, of course, Superman was going to have a soft spot for furry creatures.
Head over to Rolling Stone to read much more from Gunn, especially regarding its music. Superman is now in theaters.
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