When Superman gets drawn into conflicts at home and abroad, his actions are questioned, giving tech billionaire Lex Luthor the opportunity to get the Man of Steel out of the way for good. Will intrepid reporter Lois Lane and Superman's four-legged companion, Krypto, be able to help him before it's too late?
Director: James Gunn
Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rated PG-13 for violence, action and language.
Runtime: 2h 9m
Review:
James Gunn's Superman forgoes all the dour, grittiness of Snyder's take on the character by going in the opposite direction by embracing a more colorful, less grounded approach that allows for him to have more fun with the character and his heavily populated comic book world. Gunn doesn't bother with the usual origin story instead he gets right into the action almost immediately which gives the film a strong headwind that rarely lets up throughout its runtime. The world he splashes onscreen is fully formed, already populated by villains and heroes who battle regularly. It all leans heavily into its comic book roots which feels like it unburdens him and his cast to just have fun with the characters and story. The action sequences are bombastically big and fun however this version of Superman is beaten around on more than a few occasions. This version of the character is established but also still green enough to give moments of trepidation and self-doubt. David Corenswet easily steps into the role with a disarming, boyish charm that fits the character perfectly especially when he's in his Clark Kent guise. He has the perfect "Aw, shucks" quality that Christopher Reeve brought to the role back in the 1978 version that makes the character easy to like. This is very much the boy scout version of the character who's straightlaced, well intentioned and ultimately just trying to do the right thing. Rachel Brosnahan is equally impressive as she takes up the Lois Lane mantle with her performance being a mix of Margot Kidder and Dana Delany's animated versions. Her Lane is plucky enough to hold her own against the Man of Steel as exemplified with a wonderful character moment during a private interview with him. Corenswet and Brosnahan share excellent chemistry together, something that shines through in that scene as they bounce off each with believable ease. I personally would have preferred a bit more focus on them at the cost of some of the more extraneous characters we get time with. The "Justice Gang" made up of Green Lantern, Mister Terrific and Hawkgirl played by Nathan Fillion, Edi Gathegi and Isabela Merced are fun when they pop up on screen, but we're given the tiniest bit of information about each. Fillion has a blast playing up the jerk angle as Guy Gardner's Green Lantern while Merced does what she can with the limited amount she's given to work with as Hawkgirl. Edi Gathegi gets more screentime as the super genius Mr. Terrific, playing him mostly like a human supercomputer with occasional flashes of personality. He gets a fun action sequence that feels like Gunn is plagiarizing his own work from Guardians of the Galaxy as it feels fairly similar to Yondu and his arrow. In the same vein, Krypto essentially serves as this film's version of Groot with his appearance being well used for relatable pet comedy. On the downside, Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor is more of a mixed bag as he comes off more like a hodgepodge of previous versions but missing the cold calculating, genius from the best take of the character which was Clancy Brown's work in Superman The Animated Series and Justice League. Additionally, the film is overstuffed with ideas and plotlines that the film almost buries the titular character under the sheer weight of it all. Still, it’s hard not to appreciate what Gunn and his cast accomplish with this restart of the DC movie universe with this easy to enjoy and incredibly fun version of Superman.
B+
