During his first public appearance following his latest box office hit, the filmmaker earned a standing ovation from the Hall H crowd while choking up as he talked about his love of the comic book medium.

James Gunn's new Superman film sparked an unexpected audience debate over a quirky squirrel-saving scene according to the director.

Another important influence was the pre-existing mural in Cincinnati's iconic Union Terminal train station; the location that inspired the Hall of Justice's look since 1973's animated series Super Friends - which is still prime for a film adaptation. That shooting location also threw the following curveball at Mickle and her practical set building: