The Crazy ‘Superman’/Howard Stern Connection

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As a kid from the heartland myself, I, James Gunn, never took it for granted that I’d be able to truly capture Superman’s Kansas origins on screen.

So he called in some unconventional experts.

During his conversation on “The Armchair Expert” podcast with Dax Shepard, Gunn revealed an unforeseen tale from the making of “Superman,” a story that left everyone surprised.

On July 11, the upcoming movie features David Corenswet portraying Superman, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan in the role of Lois Lane.

In an interesting turn of events, it was disclosed that Gunn’s relationship with the long-term staff member of the “Howard Stern Show,” Richard Christy, significantly shaped his perspective when it came to portraying Smallville, the fictional hometown of the hero.

Christy joined the SiriusXM show in 2004 and served as a writer, producer and on-air personality.

Christy originates from Kansas, and her relaxed speech pattern is a clear indication. This often served as fodder for humor among Howard Stern and his companions, but Christy handled the teasing with poise.

That vocal pattern is what Gunn sought to honor in his Smallville sequences.

Richard is one of my friends, originally from Kansas. His family is also from there. Therefore, they provided the dialogue for me, and I passed it on to the actors to ensure an authentic Kansas accent in our production.

Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince play the roles of Martha and Jonathan Kent, who serve as our hero’s loving foster parents.

Christy shared more about the unusual “Superman” connection on his Instagram page.

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2025-07-10 01:03