James Gunn unveiled the first set photo of David Corenswet in costume as the revamped Man of Steel for his upcoming 'Superman' film -- which is supposed to mark his first real foray into DC as the head honcho ... and while it's cool to see, it's also drawing flashbacks.

The reason ... Dave and his Supes getup is, well, awfully similar to what Henry used to rock in his movies -- and frankly, David looks a helluva lot like HC in general here. It's kinda eerie.

The photo appears to show Dave (as Superman) putting on his boot while seated in a high-rise apartment while some big laser thing gets shot in the background of what appears to be a doom and gloom/under-attack Metropolis. Basically, it looks like an action scene of sorts.

It also looks like Dave himself has just gotten done doing battle -- his suit is dirty/scuffed ... while his face also looks a little worse for wear, like a superhero who's just gotten beat up.

Interestingly, though, the actual suit colors are a bit darker than what people were expecting.

Gunn has said his approach to 'Superman' would follow a different iteration of the iconic character -- including lighter and more vibrant depictions ... like from the 'All-Star' comic series. He also said he'd draw inspiration from the OG Christopher Reeve movies.

However, with this first look at Gunn's vision ... some are saying he might as well have brought Henry back -- 'cause the color scheme ain't all that different, neither is the design.

Time will tell if we'll get more sneak peeks at Dave's whole aesthetic -- we're sure we will, especially as it gets closer to 2025 -- but for now ... fans will have to just sit on this.