It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s DC’s last, best chance to make a movie that rivals Marvel.

James Gunn, who was hired by Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav to reinvigorate DC’s cinematic universe after a series of duds like “The Flash” and “Justice League,” took the stage at CinemaCon on Tuesday to share what he’s been cooking up. And the project that he’s most personally invested in, “Superman,” also saw him write the screenplay and direct the comic book adventure. The idea is to offer audiences a brighter, more optimistic do-over after DC went down a darker, dour path with the Snyder-verse.

“This is a movie that celebrates kindness and human love,” Gunn promised theater owners.

That was certainly what was on display in the trailer that DC shared during Warner Bros.’ presentation to theater owners, as well as in behind-the-scenes footage that the studio premiered. There was lots of red, white and blue optimism, as well as scenes of Superman getting interviewed by Lois Lane and saving people from collapsing buildings. There was also a shot of Lex Luthor brandishing a very big pistol (we’re guessing it was loaded with Kryptonite bullets).

Gunn said he was first offered “Superman” in 2018, but opted to make another DC film, “The Suicide Squad” instead, believing its R-rated, ragtag ethos was more aligned with what he’d done on “Guardians of the Galaxy.” But the idea of taking a character “perceived as old fashioned” and making it resonate with “a modern audience” appealed to him. Eventually, Gunn had a eureka moment. He was able to devise “…a story [that is] both utterly human and utterly fantastic at the same time.”

One character, Superman’s pup Krypto, came in part from his experiences rescuing an emotionally damaged dog named Ozu, who would run away from him, destroy his furniture and electronics and, during conference calls, attack Gunn’s feet, forcing him to climb on the kitchen counter to escape his jaws. That made him think: “What if my dog had super powers? I’d be fucked.”

Krypto seems likely to steal the show when “Superman” flies into theaters on July 11. In the trailer, he is shown licking a badly battered Superman, then dragging him to the safety of his icy headquarters, the Fortress of Solitude, where a crew of robots ministers to the fallen hero. After he’s back on his feet, Krypto, in true Ozu fashion, can’t stop nipping at his master’s heels.

David Corenswet, best known for his work in Ryan Murphy’s “Hollywood,” stars as Clark Kent/ Superman, while Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) plays Lois Lane. The rest of the cast includes Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, as well as Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion and Isabela Merced.

“These stories are at their core about the power of hope…and the fight for good to conquer evil,” Brosnahan told theater owners. “That’s always worth fighting for,” she added.

The actors said it was an honor to play characters who were so iconic and had become such a part of the culture. But not everyone got the role they initially tried to land.

“I auditioned for Batman and Superman — I didn’t get either,” Hoult confessed. Then Gunn suggested that rather than portray the hero, he play the villain.

As for Gunn, he got a little confused about the name of the conference he was attending, mixing up the annual exhibition industry trade show in Las Vegas with Comic-Con the San Diego event aimed at fanboys and fangirls of comic books and genre fare.

“I didn’t mean to demean CinemaCon — it’s much, much better than Comic-Con,” Gunn joked.

Careful James, or Ozu won’t be the only thing taking a chunk out of your shin.