After weeks of rampant impatience from fans on social media, James Gunn unexpectedly dropped the first official image of David Corenswet’s Superman on Threads and Instagram…and if you know the DC fanbase too well, then you know the reaction has been anything but unexpected.

The image itself is simple: Superman sitting in his apartment with a subdued look on his face, putting on his boots and preparing for action, while some seemingly cosmic rays are firing in the sky above Metropolis outside, presumably from the threat that he’s about to face head-on.

The thing is, as simple as that image might be, taken by frequent Gunn production still photographer Jessica Miglio, it says a lot more than fans realize, and it’s not just about what Gunn is conveying in the image itself. In fact, the image is actually a commentary on DC Fandom at large, specifically in how you choose to react to it.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: The image was likely dropped because they’re about to start filming outdoors where they can’t hide the suit from outside cameras and they wanted to get ahead of the leaks and set photos that we’re about to see. Outstanding. That’s Superhero Movie 101 when it comes to marketing and narratives.

It’s also pretty clear that Gunn’s version of Superman is likely a more down to earth character, but is clearly having to deal with larger than life situations, like whatever is happening outside his window. One could guess that’s where the trademark heart that Gunn’s films all seemingly have will come into play, giving us yet another more relatable Superman on screen, one would think.

After that, the rest of the image is all about revealing what kind of fan you are, and your reaction to it is as subjective as any other opinion you could have about anything.

If you’re bothered that he’s sitting down because you think he should be standing tall and stoic like you’ve always imagined and seen the character to be, then you’re not really digging the down to earth potential here, because akin to a lot of Superman gatekeepers, you think he should be larger than life at all times and not really show his more vulnerable, human tendencies. He’s not human after all, right? He’s Superman. He’s supposed to be better than us, in your minds.

You probably also wish he was standing because then you’d emphatically win the battle of “Trunks or No Trunks,” provided you’re in the Trunks camp. You’ve been waiting literally since the movie was announced to be able to gloat to all those mean and nasty Snyder cultists that Gunn is finally going to “fix” Superman by giving him his classic look back the way you think it’s supposed to always be.

That’s why it’s utterly hilarious that Gunn decided Corenswet would be sitting for this first look, because not only does it hide most of the red trunks look and eliminate it as a major focus of the image, but it also forces the overly obsessive Trunks crowd to excessively zoom in and focus on Superman’s crotch, confessing that it’s the most important part of the character for them, for whatever reason.

If you don’t think Gunn did that on purpose, whether he openly admits it or not, then you arguably haven’t paid much attention to his work in the past decade. Seriously.

If you think the costume is “CW quality” or “Marvelized,” then you’re likely holding it to the same standard as Henry Cavill’s Superman costume from the Zack Snyder Trilogy, designed by Michael Wilkinson, which isn’t entirely fair if you really think about it. Granted, comparing Superman costumes over the years is a given thing that fans do, but expecting Gunn’s costume designers to produce a look that emulates or flat out copies Man of Steel OR Superman ‘78, isn’t supporting the creative freedom many fans claim to want for creatives, which just proves they’re only interested in that freedom for their preferred creatives and no one else.

It shouldn’t surprise you one bit that Corenswet’s Superman costume has a “Marvel Studios” touch to it. It’s literally the aesthetic that Gunn has been working with in his superhero movies for the past decade. So yes, you’re going to see a touch of Guardians of the Galaxy in the texture and design. No, it’s not going to look like Man of Steel or Superman ‘78. If that bothers you, that is wholly a you problem, because when you hire the guy that built his name in superhero movies at Marvel Studios to make your DC films, you’re going to get the aesthetic that fits his style best, and it’s not any of the previous ones you might still prefer.

Now, you can let that sour you on this Superman movie and you can even whine about it on social media, but get ready to do that for the duration of DC Studios existence while it’s being run by Gunn and Peter Safran, because this costume aesthetic is going to be a thing going forward for DCU. If it worked for Marvel Studios for the past 16 years, then there’s no reason for Gunn to change it, not even if YOU hate it. It’s not about you, no matter how much your reactions admit that you think it is.

If it bothers you that Corenswet’s Superman isn’t smiling in the image and that the room he’s sitting in appears to be a “brooding” motif, you’re the least surprising detractor of them all, and since we know that smiles and saving cats out of trees are the most important things about Superman for you, let’s see if you come for James Gunn the same way you did for Zack Snyder. Judging by the memes that have already been made recoloring this first image into “Superman ‘78 mode,” maybe you will. Sadly.

Obviously, you don’t have to like this first image of Superman from Gunn’s film, and you can have all the nitpicks and gripes about the setting and costume that you like, but make no mistake, the person to blame for those nitpicks and gripes is yourself, not Gunn. All he’s doing is presenting his version of the character for consumption. YOU choose whether or not you will accept it, and if you don’t, it’s nothing that he made you do. YOU decided not to like it. YOU decided to complain about it. YOU decided to be upset about it.

If fans would own their own behavior more often when these things are released, then maybe social media would be a little less hostile when it happens. Wishful thinking of course, but one can hope and dream, right? Maybe not.