Superman soars in a bold, earnest and action-packed film.

With an endearing and sincere lead performance from David Corenswet, Superman is brimming with heroism and thrills, anchored by an emotional through line that gives it gravitas.

While there are some bumps along the way, particularly with a bloated supporting cast and some noticeable visual effects gaffes, the film carries a genuine heart that starts with the titular character and extends to the world around him.

Directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first film in the new DC Universe. Following the studio-plagued DCEU, which started strong but ultimately faltered under the weight of course corrections and soft reboots, the new DC Universe looks to start fresh and tell a new story. Much like opening a random issue at your local comic book store, Superman drops you straight into the action, counting on the audience to already be familiar with the characters and world. While, it’s a unique approach to a film adaptation of the character, it mostly works.

The World and Tone of Superman (2025)

Gunn’s iteration of the character takes inspiration from multiple touchpoints in Superman’s history. The version of the DC Universe we see in Superman is one already full of super-powered heroes, magical villains, and a distinct fantasy feel. The Silver Age of DC Comics definitely had a strong influence on this film’s design language, characterizations, and tone throughout.

Superman features a younger, pure-hearted, and more optimistic version of the Man of Steel. Narratively set in an episodic-like structure, the film features Superman tackling different villains, disasters, or international conflicts in a matter of days. The result is many heroic scenes from the Man of Steel but the pacing stays lightning fast, which hurts moments that needed some breathing room. The film could have definitely benefited from another 15-20 minutes, especially lacking scenes of Clark Kent as the mild-mannered reporter. However, the lean runtime keeps the focus on the action, which this film provides in spades.

From a directing perspective, Gunn is working out of his comfort zone here, and it leads to some of his best work. Rather than relying on morally gray protagonists like Peacemaker or a rag-tag group of relatively unknown characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy or The Suicide Squad, Superman presents a unique challenge for a director like Gunn. Capturing Superman’s pureness, optimism, and strong moral compass without falling into caricature is a fine line to walk. There’s also the pressure of adapting the most iconic comic book hero, rather than the lesser-known characters he’s used to repainting with a fresh brush. For what it’s worth, Gunn accomplishes the task of bringing Superman to life with flying colors, anchoring his otherworldly powers and ability to his intrinsic humanity and need to protect innocents.

How James Gunn’s Superman differs from Zack Snyder and Richard’s Donner’s take.

Following Zack Snyder’s grounded take on Superman with Henry Cavill, it would have been quite easy for Gunn to simply do a Richard Donner rehash. After all, Snyder’s Superman had mixed reactions among critics, despite performing well at the box office and continuing to have a strong fan following. Gunn thankfully deviates from doing a parody version of the character like in 2017’s Justice League or a continuation of the Donner films like Superman Returns. Instead, the director opts to go with a full-comic-book fantasy in his approach, and it pays off.

One thing Donner and Snyder’s versions had in common was focusing on Superman’s place in our real world. Donner’s Superman, played by the iconic Christopher Reeve, was built on an upbeat foundation, responding to an audience coming off the brutal Vietnam War. Snyder’s Superman, on the other hand, is a direct response to a post-9/11 America, one where xenophobia, fear of the unknown, and skepticism embedded itself into stories like 2013’s Man of Steel and 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In short, each Superman was created for the audience of that generation.

The reason for this quick aside and look-back into Superman’s film history is to inform readers how Gunn’s Superman is doing something different for the audience. 2025’s Superman is deeply rooted in a sense of escapism and wonder, without fully shedding the issues of our time. It’s here that Gunn’s writing and directing truly shine in a way it hasn’t before, and it doesn’t happen without an actor to embody the character’s traits.

David Corenswet – A Worthy Addition to the Legacy of Superman

Superman himself, played by David Corenswet, shines with a heartfelt and honest performance. Corenswet brings a keen boy scout energy to Superman, while grounding him in his birth culture on Krypton and his upbringing as a human. Whether as Clark Kent, Superman, or Kal-El, Corenswet’s portrayal brings an earnest transparency in his portrayal and will win the hearts of fans.

Corenswet’s Superman is informed by many versions of the Man of Steel throughout the character’s 87-year history. His costume is a mix of the old and new, taking cues from eras like the New 52, Kingdom Come, and the modern era. His personality is more youthful than other portrayals, feeling like a mix of Superman: The Animated Series and Smallville, while also having the earnest feel of Christopher Reeve’s Superman embedded as well. Apropos of the original title of the film, Superman: Legacy, Gunn’s Superman feels like a love letter for everything that came before and Corenswet takes inspiration from it all while bringing something new to the table.

A Solid but Bloated Supporting Cast

Superman is backed by a solid supporting cast. Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor with the same ruthless ambition that we’ve come to know of the character. Hoult’s Lex feels like a mix of Michael Rosenbaum’s calculated portrayal in Smallville and even has some shades of Jesse Eisenberg’s performance in Batman v Superman. As the main antagonist of the film, Lex’s dynamic with Superman is central to the story. While some of the narrative beats with him can get a little silly, the core of Hoult’s character is great.

Likewise, Rachel Brosnahan brings a strong performance as Lois Lane. Very much in the vein of Superman: The Animated Series, this version of Lois has a tenacious spirit, sharp dialogue, and is fearless to get into the action. Similarly to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, Gunn’s Superman doesn’t wait long to establish that Lois is aware of Superman’s secret, which allows the audience to bypass the charade often played during the Donner films. It’s a good decision and one that keeps the films in line with the current status quo for the character across all media.

Although the rest of the cast, such as Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, and especially Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, have solid moments, they tend to bloat the film and detract from the central storyline of Superman and his immediate supporting cast. With the Justice Gang, Gunn feels at his most comfortable as a writer, and while that might be great for avid fans of his work, the film’s tone and humor quickly become closer to Peacemaker than the more nuanced work being done with Superman, Lois, or Lex. To me, a version of this film without these extra heroes would have made for a better experience.

Rough Around the Edges and an Unpolished Feel

While Superman succeeds in telling a strong story about the titular character, there are a few things that hold it back from being his best cinematic outing. The design language for the costumes, production design, and world are quite strong, but the cinematography and color grading are step down from previous Superman film. Henry Braham’s work here feels flat, more similar to 2023’s The Flash than his prior films. While he’s talented, his last two superhero films look unpolished and dull at times, something that hurts an otherwise strong Superman film.

Similarly, John Murphy’s score, while definitely having some standout moments, relied heavily on John Williams’ iconic work from the 1978 film to feel distinct on its own two feet. Going for a fresh score à la Hans Zimmer on Man of Steel would have greatly helped this film’s soundtrack to feel memorable and further carve its own space.

From a writing perspective, when Gunn is challenging himself to go outside his comfort zone and being as earnest as possible with Superman, the film is at its absolute best. This is a double-edged sword because when Gunn goes back to his comfort zone, showcased particularly in this film with the Jimmy Olsen subplot, the film falters, and that leads to an uneven tone. Without getting into spoilers, there is a controversial plotline that might not affect most general audiences, but a Superman fans like me was taken aback by it. While there is always room to retcon it in the future, it didn’t seem like the best creative decision. The good outweighs the bad for sure overall, but the film truly works best when the writing is as pure as the titular character.

The Heart of the Film – Where Superman Truly Triumphs

There’s a central through-line to James Gunn’s Superman, and it’s relevant across each act and most moments in the film. At the heart of Superman is an international war. Whether it can be perceived as a stand-in for Israel’s war on Gaza or not, this fictional war in the DC Universe touches at the heart of Superman’s morality. Is there a line that Superman can’t cross to protect the innocent? Would Superman intervene to save children about to be killed by an oppressive regime, even if that regime is an ally of the United States? While unfortunately not explored to its full capacity, and is still pretty surface level, it’s the most compelling narrative in this film. According to some whispers in the industry, earlier drafts may very have tried to do more with this plotline.

For what’s is left of that plot in the final release of Superman, there’s enough to infer that this version of the character is not beholden to political interests, but an inherent need to save lives. It’s not a new theme, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice explored a similar concept quite well, but Superman’s earnest outlook in Gunn’s film does a fine job establishing the character’s moral compass. While the episodic nature of the film has Superman fighting world-ending threats and Lex Luthor’s latest schemes, the through line of children calling for Superman to save them from the horrors of war remains the most compelling of Gunn’s career work.

Ultimately, Superman accomplishes the task it set out to do. It establishes a new DC Universe with a clean slate and entry point for fans new and old. It reintroduces a Superman pulled straight out of the comics, with influences from every era to satisfy fans of all ages. The film provides a ton of escapism and an action-packed fantasy adventure, but also has enough gravitas that allows Superman to be an inspiring hero to a worldwide audience.

4/5