Published: 09 Jul 2025
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is delighted to announce that 14-year-old Elsie from Eastbourne, East Sussex, has won the latest Create The Card Competition, in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures for DC Studios’ Superman.
The judging panel – which included BBFC President Natasha Kaplinsky, BBFC CEO David Austin, and SVP Marketing at Warner Bros. Discovery, Alex Lewis – were blown away by Elsie’s winning entry. The electrifying artwork stood out for its brilliant and imaginative embodiment of filmmaker James Gunn’s Superman. The judges were unanimous in their praise, noting that the artwork captured a striking likeness to lead actor David Corenswet but also beautifully embodied the film's overarching spirit of hope, making it a truly deserving winner.
On receiving the news of her win, Elsie, a self-declared Superman superfan, was ecstatic to hear her artwork will be appearing before every UK cinema screening of Superman from 11 July and thrilled to learn she would be meeting the actors and director as the winner of the competition.
Elsie’s artwork
The vibrant and brilliant depiction of Superman created by Elsie showcases remarkable skill and artistic vision. Using bold watercolours and expressive brushstrokes, Elsie captures the film’s enduring spirit of hope and heroism. Superman is portrayed looking upward with quiet determination, set against an explosive backdrop of dynamic streaks in blue, red, black, yellow, and white, evoking a powerful sense of motion, energy, and the boundless sky.
The red and yellow emblem on Superman's chest stands out boldly, symbolising resilience and strength. Elsie depicts the modernised version of the classic Kingdom Come symbol used in the film.
Speaking of her artwork, Elsie said she drew inspiration from the film’s campaign. When asked about the creative process, Elsie said, “It took me two days, a weekend, [to complete]. I watercoloured it first and then went over with paint pens to make it pop.”. Elsie also revealed there were quite a few unfinished versions before she landed on her winning submission.
From the composition of the piece, it’s clear Elsie had thought about how her artwork would work as a BBFC Black Card, as her design translates excellently for the big screen and complements the orange ‘12A’ BBFC age rating symbol.
Meeting Superman
As part of the exclusive winner’s experience, Elsie met the film’s actors, David Corenswet (Superman/Clark Kent), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), and Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), alongside filmmaker, James Gunn. During the meeting, which took place on 2 July in London, Elsie was presented with a signed copy of her artwork and in a special moment, David Corenswet surprised Elsie with a gift – tickets to the Superman UK Fan Event in Leicester Square that evening.
After the meeting, Elsie said she was feeling “super-wonderful” and “really overwhelmed, but in a good way”, adding it was “such a surreal experience - I couldn’t believe it!.” Elsie and her family were then taken on a tour of the BBFC office at 3 Soho Square, where BBFC CEO, David Austin congratulated her on her ‘super’ artwork.
Later that evening at the Fan Event, Elsie and her family walked the red carpet and enjoyed a Q&A session by the actors and director who had signed her winning design and Elsie’s BBFC Black Card was, for the first time, projected on the big screen ahead of exclusive footage being shown from the film.
Elsie, Superman BBFC Create The Card Competition winner, said, “As soon as I saw the new Superman film was coming out, I was so excited. I couldn’t believe it when I found the competition - it was perfect for me. Winning feels SUPER! Meeting the actors was so cool and I can’t believe my artwork will be in cinemas too!”
British Board of Film Classification President, Natasha Kaplinsky OBE, said, “Year after year, we've been blown away by the ingenuity, originality, and creativity of the BBFC Create The Card Competition entries, and this year is no different. It was a very tough decision as we had so many outstanding entries, but I am thrilled to congratulate Elsie as our very deserving winner. Elsie's beautifully crafted piece, filled with hope, is perfectly suited for a BBFC Black Card and will have such an impact on the big screen.
“Our Create The Card competitions continue to connect artistic creativity with film classification, and the vital role age ratings play in shaping young people’s viewing experiences. A huge congratulations again to Elsie for creating such a phenomenal piece of artwork. I can’t wait to see it in the cinema.”
Alex Lewis, SVP Marketing, Warner Bros. Discovery UK and Ireland, said: "As we anticipated, James Gunn’s reimagining of Superman has inspired a great many young artists across the UK to create their own vision of this icon. On behalf of everyone at Warner Bros. and DC, a huge congratulations to Elsie for creating such a fabulous work of art. And a big thank you to everyone who felt moved by the all-new Superman to take part in the competition.”
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the independent film and video regulator for the UK. We are here to help everyone choose age-appropriate films, videos and websites, wherever and however they watch or use them. We do this primarily through our widely recognised and trusted age ratings and content advice.
We work to protect children and vulnerable adults from potentially harmful content and to empower audiences, particularly parents and those with responsibility for children, to make informed viewing decisions.
All BBFC classification decisions are based on our Classification Guidelines, which are updated every four to five years to ensure our standards continue to reflect the expectations and values of people across the UK. Please visit bbfc.co.uk for further information.
For more information, please get in touch with Georgia Morian on +44 (0) 7946 423719 or press@bbfc.co.uk. Further information and press assets can also be found on the Media Centre.
The BBFC Create The Card Competition encourages creativity while educating entrants about film classification and the importance of age ratings in protecting audiences. It also promotes critical thinking in young people about the content they consume, helping them to make informed viewing choices. All competition entries were assessed on originality, creativity, and relevance to the film. The judging panel comprised:
BBFC President, Natasha Kaplinsky OBE
BBFC Chief Executive, David Austin OBE
BBFC Education Manager, Sarah Peacock
Alex Lewis, SVP Marketing, Warner Bros. Discovery
Martin Gough, VP Marketing, Warner Bros. Discovery
Josh Robinson, Marketing Manager, Warner Bros. Discovery
Ten runners-up will also receive a BBFC goody bag and tickets to a Superman screening of their choosing.
Images courtesy of the British Board of Film Classification. Video footage courtesy of the British Board of Film Classification / Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Studios heads Peter Safran and Gunn are producing the film, which Gunn directs from his own screenplay, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. DC Studios Presents a Troll Court Entertainment/The Safran Company Production, A James Gunn Film, Superman, which will be in theaters and IMAX® on 11 July 2025, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and fifty languages.
