SUPERMAN (2025) proves DC- and hope in humanity- are back

“You think everything and everyone is beautiful.” 
“Maybe that’s the real punk rock.”

James Gunn’s big, colorful, hilarious, and wildly entertaining SUPERMAN took to the skies this weekend to launch a new DC universe spearheaded by Gunn from top to bottom in a mega gamble which, according to the $200+ million worldwide gross, seems to be paying off.

SUPERMAN drops us into the middle of a fully developed world: no hours-long origin about Clark growing up in Kansas, learning his powers, getting his suit, or any of the ground that has been covered across dozens of TV shows, movies, comics, and more. 

Superman, a fresh-faced and endearing David Corenswet (seen in last year’s TWISTERS) is caught in the middle of two wars: the literal brewing one between the fictional countries (which feel especially real in today’s geopolitical climate) that he intervened in, and the one brewing at home- a war he doesn’t know he’s fighting against mega-billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). 

Superman also fights to occupy the same space as his celebrity superhero counterparts: The Justice Gang, a corporate-sponsored trio of Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl. 

All while Clark Kent is trying to maintain his relationship with co-worker Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and grapple with the conflicting legacies of his Kryptonian parents and his adoptive Kansas family. 

SUPERMAN previous cinematic outings- the broody and quasireligious MAN OF STEEL, the grim and sobering BATMAN V SUPERMAN, and the disastrous JUSTICE LEAGUE- are all forgotten here in this rebooted and more comic-book styled universe, subtitled “Gods and Monsters” which plays more like early-series “Smallville”, DC comics Silver Age yarns, and DC’s highly influential animated stories including “Superman The Animated Series” and “Justice League” / “Justice League Unlimited”. 

James Gunn, an artist who wears his heart on his sleeve, is no stranger to earnestness- while his “Guardians of the Galaxy” with Marvel were sarcastic, sweet, and often sardonic heroes, his ability to seamlessly tap into the multiple levels of DC heroes has proven him to be the foremost expert on what sets DC apart from its timeless rival- and how to do it. 

Gunn’s DC resume includes “The Suicide Squad” and HBO’s “Creature Commandos” as well the streamer’s “Peacemaker”, and while the three of those are darker-leaning, they still find a way to bring genuine heart and tear-incuding moments of character drama. 

With SUPERMAN, Gunn leaves behind the grime and guts and presents us with a story that feels (and looks) like its been ripped off the page. 

Corenswet’s Superman is truly genuine with no trace or irony or reluctance- far removed from Henry Cavill’s dour Superman which carried the weight of the world (literally) on his shoulders. 

Gunn understands, perhaps most importantly, that the best part of Superman’s mythos isn’t his super-strength, his various powers, or his costume (which is especially colorful this go around), it’s what makes him relatable, which obviously includes his relationship with the whip-smart Lois Lane (Brosnahan). 

An all-star at juggling massive casts, Gunn lets every character here shine from Jimmy Olsen (a hilarious Skylar Gisondo), to the Justice Gang with scene-stealing turns by Nathan Fillion, Edi Gathegi, Isabella Merced, and even bit players like Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) and of course Superman’s sidekick, Krypto the Superdog, reinterpreted here as a scrappy mutt and not the stoic golden retriever he’s so often depicted as. 

This new Superman is not presented as an untouchable deity- he is a man in a cape. A tangible, obtainable, flesh-and-blood role model. 

We see Superman save people, dogs, squirrels, alien babies, and even see him mourn a giant monster that he wishes could have been spared. We see him interact with the people of Metropolis, we see (and are not told) how his Kansan parents Jonathan and Martha raised him. 

At the film’s climax, when Superman confronts Lex Luthor, despite everything Luthor has thrown at him, despite the bodies at the man’s feet, Superman tells Lex that he is intelligent and resourceful, and should be using his talents for the betterment of mankind, and perhaps that is the single most Superman-like thing that this new interpretation nails. 

Gunn’s SUPERMAN is a two-hour thrill ride that is sure to play well to families across the board with romance, humor, action, and plenty of heart. 

The original film’s tagline, “You will believe a man can fly”, was a promise to audiences in 1978 that they would see the cutting-edge of visual effects. 

This film’s tagline should read “You will believe *you* can fly”, because you will leave the theater wanting to be a better person- you will step out of that auditorium with a renewed hope not just in the DC Universe, but in yourself, and more importantly in humanity.