SUPERMAN

Director
James Gunn

Starring
David Corenswet
Nicholas Hoult
Rachel Brosnahan

Set three years after Superman [Corenswet] has first come out to the public and been performing feats of heroism throughout Metropolis, the story opens with Superman experiencing defeat for the first time. On top of that, his recent interference in a military operation between two foreign countries has caused many to accuse Superman of acting in defiance of international laws. With his confidence on the ropes, he’s forced to lean on the support network of his girlfriend Lois Lane [Brosnahan], his fellow superheroes, and his mischievous dog Krypto – all of whom struggle to actually provide what he needs. And all the while, billionaire villain Lex Luthor [Hoult] and his army of resources pull multiple levers to tear the hero down further.

Mirroring the approach of many character debuts (or reintroductions) over the past decade, Superman isn’t an origin story. Although there are plenty of clues and breadcrumbs throughout, it’s expected that audiences are already coming into this film with plenty of preconceptions and ideas of who this man is and where he came from. But this is one of the first times we’ve seen the character start so low, so early on. Opening in media res with defeat, showing his fledgling relationship with Lois as new but still a little uncertain, having his interactions with other superheroes loaded with tension and cynicism, we’re given the platform for which this hero exists. From the jump, it feels like the odds are against him. Yes, this man is a god and yet his north star intention to do the right thing no matter what, to see the good in others, and try to find a peaceful solution to a conflict are traits that are setup against him, due to how the world at large works. And it’s evident that in trying to make this undeniably inaccessible character work, Gunn has focused on both the core humanity and his purest qualities to illustrate how much of a bastion for hope this individual can be, without coming off as twee or over-sentimental to the point of feeling false. A challenge all who have taken on Superman have encountered.

And yet, this movie is the embodiment of pressure and expectation, not only as a standalone Superman story but as the cornerstone for this entire DC shared universe. At a time when superhero fatigue may or may not be a legitimate concern, there’s a noted expectancy on this film to succeed. A point which is highlighted by the unbelievably intense marketing campaign in the run-up to the film’s release. It’s been a full-on charm offensive because, frankly, Warner Bros need this to work. They’ve already put so much in motion that it simply has to resonate and do well at the box office; they can ill afford another chaotic false start. Thankfully, a great deal of time, care, and consideration has been given to the world building vibe and aesthetic without feeling restrictive for future releases. This clearly isn’t a story set in a reflection of our world, there’s an almost cartoon sheen and simplicity to it which helps set it apart and feel both fresh and familiar. Additionally, while it’s not an actively political movie, when you have a character who stands up to bullies (whether they are nefarious business moguls or corrupt nations) you’re going to get a lot of parallels that will give bad faith agents enough ammunition to say it’s actively targeting real world individuals, while inadvertently telling on themselves when saying “Do you not see how this cartoon campy villain is clearly similar to this famous counterpart?” It’s not the movie’s fault that we have billionaires manipulating events and several genuine military conflicts that reflect the events on screen.. not to mention the literal army of monkey bots spreading hatred across social media.

While there’s a distinct amount of effort injected into how this world looks, feels, and operates, in truth, it’s all about setting a tone – almost all of which is achieved through the performances. Granted, there’s a whole roster of supports from the reporters at the Daily Planet, to the cavalier heroes in the corporately sponsored Justice Gang, Luthor’s many henchmen, and the various robots manning the Fortress of Solitude, but in actuality it comes down to nailing the trifecta of Superman/Clark, Lois, and Lex. And this casting has so much potential. Corenswet gives us a great dual Clark and Kal-El, as well as a simultaneously grounded and relatable figure as the public facing Superman. The absolute peak example of proving this point being the moment he takes the time to save a single squirrel during a monster attack. Brosnahan also feels like she was born to play this role; confident, steadfast, intelligent, yet plagued by doubt and suspicion. And then we have possibly the best live action interpretation of Lex Luthor, with Hoult’s version being categorically cruel and evil. Yes, allow the villain to believe they are doing what’s best (that’s what makes them compelling) but don’t go so far that you convince the audience they are right. Luthor genuinely believes his mission is just but he’s clearly delusional and is given so many wonderfully blunt lines of dialogue like “they chose him, let them die” to underpin that point. Individually this would makes for an incredibly strong lineup but the interplay between them is what elevates the whole feature and makes it so foundationally significant.

Touching on the technical side of things, steps have been taken to make Superman’s flight feel as natural and “accurate” as possible, and there is a mountain of VFX work doing so much heavy lifting and, for the most part, achieving amazing things. Similarly, the sound design is fantastic and while I don’t like that we’re once again recycling the 70s Superman theme, I can’t deny the leitmotif is put to good use and is complemented by the other new themes, rather than simply feeling like a record scratch that takes you out of the proceedings. But there are definitely a handful of decisions that bring the film down somewhat and will be points of contention for many. But to discuss them properly, we need to get into spoiler territory.

**Spoilers throughout**
With all the aforementioned anticipation and inevitable scrutiny, there were always going to be bold choices that either missed the mark or became more distracting than intended. Many will assume I’m referring to the comedic approach but I think the levity works extremely well. To my mind there are four angles that are somewhat controversial. Firstly is Krypto. Choosing to model Superman’s dog on James Gunn’s real life dog, Ozu, in both his look and mannerisms is a double edge sword that doesn’t always work as we may like. On the one hand, showing us what an untrainable dog with superpowers would look like is going to endear so many. But on the other his inclusion feels somewhat egregious and tonally jarring at times. Then we have the plot being somewhat derailed by Superman’s imprisonment in a pocket universe and suppression at the hands of Metamorpho. In terms of the cosmic weirdness of it all and Anthony Carrigan’s portrayal, it all gets a pass, it just feels like a slightly half baked approach. Speaking of adversaries, I have no problem with Ultraman (in the comic being an evil Superman from a different universe) actually being an interpretation of the character Bizarro, nor do I mind that Luthor has been attempting to clone a trainable Superman of his own, or that he’s played by Corenswet with longer hair. My issue is that after all the lengths the film goes to to illustrate that Superman protects all life, he does kinda just chuck him into a black hole to fend for himself. It’s not indefensible but it does seem a little lazy from a writing point of view. But the most head-scratchy “don’t worry, we’ll come back to this later” is the twist that the full message from Kal-El’s parents starts off hopeful but ends up as one of subjugation and dominance. It’s a bold, unorthodox choice and I’m sure it’ll be explained away later with a “ah but the translation was inaccurate” but, again, it feels like goading outrage for the sake of it.

Ultimately, Superman’s biggest problem isn’t the task of trying to humanise this character or fuel this film with genuine hope (rather than power and violence masquerading as benevolence), it’s the extent of setup and what’s to come. The balance of closure and open ended threads to resolve and expand on in future releases. Sure, we’ve got a really fun, solid release here that feels more hopeful and optimistic than most superhero films of the last decade, but on a structural level it has so many roles to fulfill that it could never achieve them all with precision. But for everything it accomplishes, it honestly deserves to be a phenomenal hit and the bedrock for a long running and beloved franchise.

Release Date:
11 July 2025

The Scene To Look Out For:
The juxtaposition between the approaches set out respectively by Superman and the Justice Gang when it came to the kaiju attack was exceptional shorthand writing. Not only do we get an introduction to a ragtag trio of metahumans with wonderfully antagonisitc anti-hero chemistry, but we get to see how this contrasts with the purity of Superman’s attitude. Not to the extent that Mr Terrific, Hawkgirl, and Green Lantern are malicious or vapid, nor that Superman is infallible – merely highlighting that while looking for a solution that could keep the creature alive, Superman is obviously prolonging the conflict, rather than simply ending it. But, isn’t that the right thing to do?

Notable Characters:
In a film stacked with cameos and small appearances, I always have time for a well-drawn Ma and Pa Kent. Moreso than ever, these two feel less like scholarly pillars of wisdom, and more like comfortable and emotionally accessible family that we all wish we had. Martha Kent [Neva Howell] calling to check in on her son but struggling with the smart phone, and Jonathan Kent [Pruitt Taylor Vince] being stoic and quiet but turns to mush when explaining how proud he is of his son? That’s gonna cut through even the hardest of hearts. Which is something Gunn knows all too well, which is why they are such a subtle focal point for Clark and this movie.

Highlighted Quote:
“Deep slow breaths ma’am, you’re gonna be fine.”

In A Few Words:
“An incredibly strong foundation and launching point but in trying to achieve so much in a single release, there is notable room for improvement.”

Total Score: 4/5

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