David Corenswet as Superman in <em>Superman </em>(Credit: Warner Bros.)
“It’s a bird? It’s a plane? No! It’s….” well, you know the rest. Yes, people, SUPERMAN IS BACK! I’m super excited, as this was my most anticipated movie of 2025, and it’s finally here for us to enjoy in this extremely warm summer. Superman, as a character and as a movie franchise, had a special place in my heart when I was little, and afterwards during my high school years. I have fond memories of watching The Animated Series (at least a few episodes per season), and then I rediscovered my love for the comic book hero when Superman Returns (2006) landed in theatres. This got me exploring the Christopher Reeve movies, getting me primed for Henry Cavill to wear the big ‘S’ symbol in 2013’s Man of Steel…but to mixed reactions. Until today, we can all agree that the DC fandom was cautiously optimistic on Superman’s reappearance on the big screen in recent years. When James Gunn’s Superman movie was first announced and teased to the public, hardcore fans saw the CGI-heavy sequences and the first production stills of David Corenswet in a different kind of ‘super suit’. As we fans always do, we panicked too early, expecting the very worst. Were we wrong? I’m so happy to say that, for the most part, WE WERE WRONG.
Directed by MCU veteran and now DCU head honcho James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad), this is the first motion picture to be mostly focused on Superman since Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel in 2013. Expectations were either very high or very low, but it got fans talking. Let’s unwrap this new adventure!
Jumping into Superman by James Gunn, Warner Bros. and DC Studios took the gamble that you are already up to speed with the hero’ origin story – told time and time again in both movies like Superman: The Movie (1978) or TV shows like Smallville (2001-2017). In here, Gunn pull’s off what A New Hope is to Star Wars, meaning that stuff has happened prior to the opening and we land in the middle of a conflict.
David Corenswet as Superman in Superman (Credit: Warner Bros.)
We find Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet, great interpretation) three years into his journey in the city of Metropolis. The film opens with him stopping a war between two fictional nations, causing a major diplomatic incident (obviously linked to real-world politics, but it was safer to invent brand new countries). While he continues to earn public trust around the globe, his nemesis Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult, deliciously evil)—brilliant and manipulative—exploits Superman’s doubts and revelations about his Kryptonian heritage: is he meant to protect…or to dominate Earth? Alongside his now girlfriend and coworker Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan, excellent), the hard headed Krypto (his super-powered dog), and the Justice Gang (including Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl), Superman embarks on a journey of identity, origins, and his place on Earth.
Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane in Superman (Credit: Warner Bros.)
As I was sitting in my chair in a packed theatre, I was reassured and so happy to enjoy this as much as I did. This is a refreshing take on the character of Superman – this movie is both fun, but not too funny, and charismatic, but not too childish. It’s an accurate representation of who Superman is in the original comics, something we’ve been waiting a long time to see again: a profoundly good person who believes that he can bring hope to a world in disarray. Although the previous movies in Snyderverse had their strengths, gone is the grimness of the Man of Steel, Batman V. Superman (2016) and Justice League (2017). Gunn and his team brought their pink sunglasses to illustrate their optimistic vision, a moving image full of popping colours. This new entry brought me back to the look and feel of the original Christopher Reeve movies (especially the first two) as well as The Animated Series, in which Superman feels sincere, idealistic, and truly inspiring.
David Corenswet as the Man of Steel in Superman (Credit: Warner Bros.)
This Superman will make you smile and not depressed, that’s a guarantee! As we can expect from the director the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, the artist’s signature is quite present here as well. So, if those MCU movies were not your cup of tea, this movie might be your Kryptonite, but there’s a well-balanced blend of humour, emotions and cute character moments. The ones that got me going were those between Superman, his super robots stationed at the Fortress of Solitude and Krypto (chewing the scenes like a bone). Also, the deep discussion scenes between Lois and Clarks were warm and remarkable.
David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan in Superman (Credit: Warner Bros.)
As we still discuss the richest aspects of the film, it’s impossible to ignore the casting decisions here: this movie is very well cast. I usually place actors on a pedestal for their work in all the productions close to my heart, but there’s something to be said here. To keep it short, I’ll limit myself to the main cast members who are the heart and soul of the movie: David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
I’m ready to commit to this: David Corenswet is now my second favourite live-action interpretation of Superman after Christopher Reeve. He delivers a touching, and dare I say very ‘human’ version of the Man of Steel. Although we don’t get much screen time with his interpretation of Clark Kent at the Daily Planet, he nailed his superhero figure quite well. This guy did a good job of making us believe that he was raised by farmers with good manners from Kansas. The few scenes we got with his Earth family were wonderful! As for Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, she delivered so much as the Daily Planet’s top reporter. She gets to be incredibly smart at her job, investigating the current conflict, while also being a reassuring figure for an emotionally lost Clark Kent. As for Nicholas Hoult as Luthor, he was great at being both maniacal and smart, something we’ve been looking for ever since Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey played the role. For the first time in a while, his anger towards Superman was both believable and credible (sorry Jesse Eisenberg). An honorable mention to Skyler Gisondo as the comic-relifef Jimmy Olsen, he had quite a lot to do.
Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi in Superman
You’ve heard only praises for the movie so far, but there are some apparent flaws that keep it from being a superhero masterpiece (minor). To put it simply, I think the studio wanted to launch the new era of Justice League movies too rapidly, especially by adding the ‘Justice Gang’ (Green Lantern, Mister Terrific and Hawkgirl) in the mix of the first film of the franchise. The line deliveries might have been entertaining for the most part, but their presence in this film might not have been completely necessary; we would have been just fine with the main trio and secondary characters. In other words, Gunn geeked a little too hard into a comic book frenzy, also especially during the few scenes taking place in a supernatural environment (when you see those portals activated, you’ll know what I mean). We don’t get lost too much in the plot devices of the film, but for the moviegoers new to the DCU, they have left the cinema with more questions than answers.
Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor in Superman (Credit: Warner Bros.)
Most critics, myself included, agree that James Gunn delivered a hopeful and fun Superman film that stays true to the spirit of the comics and also the much-loved Animated Series (1996-2000). Considering the impressive number of failed launches in the DCU over the last 15 years, fair to say that this is FINALLY a strong launchpad for the new wave of DC movies moving forward. However, it always depends on what gets you going in this Universe – the deep inner journey into Superman’s psyche or a Saturday morning cartoon adventure. You get a little bit of both in here, but there’s a good dose of cartoon. From where I stand, we’ve had so much drama surrounding Superman during Henry Cavill’s tenure with the character, a softer tone was most welcome!
Although not completely flawless, Superman delivered as a highly entertaining superhero entry. Go see it in theatres with the whole family and your loved ones.
FINAL GRADE: 8/10
Live-action Superman motion pictures ranked (including Justice League and Supergirl).
GOD TIER MOVIES Superman: The Movie (1978)Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006) EXCELLENTSuperman (2025)Superman II (1980)
GOODZack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) Man of Steel (2013) Superman Returns (2006) AVERAGEBatman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)Superman III (1983)MEDIOCREJustice League (2017)Supergirl (1984)Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
David Corenswet in Superman (Credit: Warner Bros.)
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