Over the years, there have been many interpretations of the iconic DC character Superman, with many of the actors leaving an indelible mark on the character’s legacy. The 30-year-old actor David Corenswet is now set to take over the iconic role in Superman: Legacy after Henry Cavill. And it may allow the actor and filmmaker to explore some of the untapped possibilities within the character’s weaknesses.
Although the DC superhero is known for his superhuman abilities and near-invincibility, the extensive list of powers can be easily overshadowed by some of his lesser-known weaknesses that range beyond kryptonite, a weakness that almost every Superman fan knows. The following list explores six of these vulnerabilities that could add a challenging dimension to Corenswet’s Superman and potentially allow him to rise above Cavill’s portrayal and bring a new perspective to the iconic character’s enduring legacy.
Man of Steel Can be Vulnerable to Electricity
One of the weaknesses of the DC superhero that is quite prevalent and well-known is Kryptonite, and it is often used by many of the antagonists to go against the superhero. However, one supervillain who might not need a piece of Krypton to face off against the DC superhero is Livewire. The character first introduced in Superman Adventures #5 can manipulate electricity to an extreme level. Superman: The Animated Series highlights this weakness perfectly in a battle against the DC supervillain.
Not just Livewire, Batman also uses electricity against him in The Dark Knight Returns #4. While Superman: Legacy might not feature Batman as James Gunn suggested in his latest update, the element could still pose some unexpected challenges to David Corenswet’s portrayal, ultimately contributing to a portrayal that could potentially surpass Henry Cavill’s iconic performance in Man of Steel.
Kal-El is Not Immune to Telepathy
Another weakness that James Gunn’s upcoming film could tap into is telepathy or mind control. While the superhero is certainly resistant to such tactics of the supervillains, there have been instances that proved that he is not immune to telepathy. Villains like Queen Bee have been depicted as gaining control over the superhero’s mind, and Maxwell Lord also did the same in Wonder Woman #219.
Wonder Woman #219 highlights one such incident where Maxwell Lord is finally able to control the Kryptonian superhero’s mind after he finds the right combination of mental suggestions. He then manipulates the Man of Steel to destroy the Justice League during which he almost killed Wonder Woman.
Read More: 5 Superhero Movies James Gunn’s DC Universe Should Use As Inspiration For Its 5 Announced Titles
Lack Of Yellow Sunlight Could Make Superman Lose His Powers
Superman gets his extensive powers from Earth’s yellow Sun which makes him stronger, faster, and denser than the normal people on Earth. However, his powers come particularly from the yellow sun, as exposure to the Red Sun or the lack of yellow sunlight could adversely affect the superhero.
As depicted in Flashpoint #3, if the superhero can be retained from getting yellow sunlight, he could lose his powers. The comic book issue features a version of the Kryptonian superhero barely in control of his powers and remarkably thin and sick, emphasizing the significance of the yellow Sun in sustaining the superhero’s powers and the potential consequences, if this vital source is compromised.
Super-Hearing Can Have Adverse Effects On the Superhero
Among many of the super abilities, such as super strength, super speed, and laser vision, is also super sensitive hearing. While it can have its benefits, super hearing might not always serve as the best of his powers, and it has been depicted as a weakness on several occasions with characters like Lex Luthor, Batman, and Brainiac using sonic attacks to take the superhero down.
Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman features the Dark Knight using a pair of high-pitched frequency guns. While the high-pitched guns did not beat him, they certainly weakened the superhero. Superman himself uses it to beat a villain who copies his superpowers in Action Comics #1058 by promptly overwhelming the villain with his newfound super-sensitive hearing.
Read More: 6 Reasons Superman: Legacy Will be Better Than Man of Steel
Kryptonians Have Pressure Points Just Like Humans
Batman #130 explores an unexpected vulnerability of the Kryptonian superhero during his battle against the android Failsafe, who discovers a surprising and somewhat shocking weak point of the Man of Steel.
The android reveals that Kryptonians, similar to humans, have pressure points, which he later uses to exploit his superpowers and cause Superman’s heat-vision to spiral out of control and be reflected into his own face. Failsafe also uses his knowledge of Kryptonian anatomy to swiftly render the Man of Steel unconscious.
Magic is Kal-El’s One of the Greatest Weaknesses
While Kryptonite is often described as one of the greatest weaknesses of the superhero, Magic is also considered equally threatening to Kal-El. And it gets more critical with the presence of multiple magical characters in the vast universe of DC comics, some of them also being Shazam, Zatanna, and Black Adam.
Characters with magically enhanced superpowers, like Shazam, have demonstrated the ability to restrain Superman’s formidable abilities when he was under the influence of Eclipso. Black Adam can also pose substantial challenges to the superhero.
Anticipation for the upcoming DCU film Superman: Legacy is high, and it would be interesting to see how Corenswet could bring a fresh perspective to the iconic character under James Gunn’s direction.
Superman: Legacy is set to release on 11 July 2025.
