Superman (2025) is facing an uphill battle, perhaps to an unfair degree. This isn’t just the latest big-screen adaptation of one of history’s most beloved superheroes; it’s also the grand kickoff to an ambitious multimedia franchise that has already invested hundreds of millions of dollars. Filmmaker James Gunn, the co-CEO of the newly formed DC Studios, has placed the extreme burden of launching the new DC Universe (DCU) on his own shoulders, serving as the sole writer and director of Superman. Having previously helmed the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel Studios and The Suicide Squad (2021), this seems like a safe bet for success. However, it’s seemingly life or death under Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
For Gunn’s sake, Superman needs to be a smash hit, or else his “Gods and Monsters” DCU slate might not make it far under Zaslav. The WBD CEO has built a notorious reputation at the studio, shelving completed projects (such as Batgirl) or selling them (like Coyote vs. Acme) to make a quick profit. After the massive failure of the previous DCEU franchise, Zaslav desperately needs the DC brand to achieve the same level of financial appeal as the competing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even if the MCU has faced plenty of its own setbacks in recent years, it feels as if history is repeating itself (Zack Snyder was essentially given the same task with 2013’s Man of Steel).
Super-Sized Expectations
The pressure on writer-director James Gunn could not be higher… so much so that almost impossible expectations have been placed on the film. Aside from the aforementioned box office prospects, DC fans have been foaming at the mouth for a more “hopeful” cinematic interpretation of Superman, which Gunn has promised to deliver. In addition to this, following the DCU’s soft launch in the Creature Commandos animated series, the world presented on screen is expected to be already populated with recognizable characters from DC Comics. All of this combined has led to the notion that Superman is going to be this next-level adaptation that will usher in a fresh generation of comic book movies.
In truth, fans must bring these immense expectations down to reality. James Gunn’s Superman is a solid start to the DCU, mainly elevated by its all-star cast. By all means, this is arguably the most sincere and pure-hearted adaptation of the titular hero since Christopher Reeve’s staple interpretation — an achievement that makes this movie worth the price of admission alone. In order to appreciate Gunn’s successes, though, viewers will have to trudge through his messiest plotting yet. Superman’s attempt to launch a new franchise is unprecedented, thrusting audiences right into the middle of a booming universe with tons of heroes and villains already at war. It’s an ambitious approach that, at its lowest points, can be downright alienating.
The DCU is Now in Full Swing
An entire screen’s worth of expositional text opens up Superman, explaining that superpowered metahumans have existed on Earth for 300 years. Kal-El (David Corenswet) crash-landed in Kansas as a baby 30 years ago and has only been publicly operating as Superman for 3 years. Moviegoers are then immediately introduced to the hero as he attempts to recover from the very first loss in his crime-fighting career. It’s a brilliant setup that leads to the kind of infectious energy that one feels when picking up issue #1 of a comic series where a different writer has just taken over the storytelling duties of a top-selling character. As amazing as this sounds, a few caveats come with this fast-moving approach.
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
James Gunn writing his script like a revamped comic book series will be highly appreciated by fans, yet it leaves little room for the uninitiated to latch onto these characters. Kal-El recently establishing his dual identities as Clark Kent/Superman off-screen is one thing. But right from the get-go, he is also already in a romantic relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) of the Daily Planet and has the maniacal CEO of LuthorCorp, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), scheming to take him down in secrecy. In a bizarre creative decision, Lex’s overarching plan to defeat Superman is already in motion (although the two haven’t met on-screen) and requires context from the wall of opening expositional text to even be remotely understood.
James Gunn’s Promising Script is Too Jam-Packed For Its Own Good
In theory, this kind of setup should still work for a movie adaptation. Similar to how general audiences didn’t need to see Bruce Wayne’s origin story again in The Batman (2022), the mythology of Superman is popular enough to be somewhat skimmed over. However, what ensues in James Gunn’s screenplay is a series of vignette-like set pieces and subplots that are barely held together by Lex’s increasingly convoluted plan to defeat Superman. It’s in these various scenes that viewers get closely acquainted with an array of other DC heroes, including Michael Holt/Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Rex Mason/ Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), and Superman mainstays like Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo).
While Gunn has proven to work well with large ensembles in his previous comic book films, the decision to include a wide array of colorful characters to showcase a thriving DCU ultimately cuts precious screen time for Superman. Now, this still truly feels like Superman’s story, thankfully. Gunn is too competent to completely throw his protagonist to the side. What I am referring to specifically is screen time shared between the three core players of this narrative: Supes, Lois, and Lex. In retrospect, these three don’t spend much time on screen together outside of the third act, and even then, that’s a stretch. Their dynamics are mainly carried by the actor’s electrifying performances rather than what’s on paper.
An All-Star Trio Comes to the Rescue
David Corenswet, best known for his roles in The Politician (2019), Hollywood (2020), and Pearl (2022), cements himself as this generation’s definitive Superman. He balances the character’s bravado and sincerity in a way that never feels forced or shallow. Superman’s signature Boy Scout charm, intimidating ferocity, and endearing leadership qualities are all on display. When paired with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Rachel Brosnahan, who gives Lois Lane an equally commanding and ingenious screen presence, Superman (2025) is at its peak. Hence, it’s really disappointing that the two only share a few crucial scenes together, minus the exposition. Their character arcs hinge on their romance, yet more time is spent explaining their love instead of showing it.
Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is both hilarious and frightening at times, and not in the way that some fans have argued that Jesse Eisenberg’s controversial tech-bro interpretation was “ahead of its time.” No, Hoult is genuinely unhinged as Lex. But his crazed, egotistical attitude doesn’t distract from capturing the villain’s deceptive swagger. He’s like a hyper-realized version of Elon Musk, but if he actually knew how to win everyone over and hide his evil schemes to manipulate world governments. This is what makes him a tangible and terrifying threat to someone as strong as Superman. While the dialogue does push the performance into cartoonish territory, more than anyone else in the cast, Hoult’s Lex demands a reprisal.
James Gunn Understands Superman’s Core Values Better Than Other Filmmakers
James Gunn and his go-to cinematographer, Henry Braham (The Flash), have received considerable online scrutiny for the film’s glossy visuals. Per usual, most of these critiques have been blown out of proportion. The sun-kissed and pastel-rich visual palette evokes the colors of a Saturday morning cartoon, very much in line with the tone Gunn is aiming for. The CGI, admittedly, can be a bit uncanny at times, but that seems to be unavoidable when a single man is presented shooting lasers out of his eyes while flying around at Mach speeds. Honestly, these nitpicks, along with composer John Murphy’s excessive use of John Williams’ iconic Superman theme, would probably be easier to swallow if not for the incomprehensible story.
Despite an unnecessarily complicated narrative and set pieces that fizzle down to loud noise and rubbery action, Superman gets by on its outstanding lead performances and writer-director James Gunn’s fundamental understanding of its titular hero. Superman drives home that people’s individual hope and freedom cannot be defined or limited by anyone else but themselves. It’s a sentiment that David Corenswet portrays with grace. Yes, Krypto the Superdog is adorable. Yes, Gunn once again makes household names out of C-list characters (Mister Terrific, in particular, is the one who stands out). But Corenswet’s humanistic performance is what makes this worth seeing in theaters. Whether or not all the excessive franchise building distracts general audiences from this remains to be seen.
James Gunn’s Superman hits theaters on July 11!
Release Date: July 11, 2025.
Directed by James Gunn.
Written by James Gunn.
Based on characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster.
Produced by James Gunn & Peter Safran.
Executive Producers: Nikolas Korda, Chantal Nong Vo, & Lars P. Winther.
Main Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell, Wendell Pierce, Skyler Gisondo, Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover, Christopher McDonald, Sara Sampaio, Terence Rosemore, Frank Grillo, & María Gabriela de Faría.
Cinematographer: Henry Braham.
Composers: John Murphy & David Fleming.
Production Companies: DC Studios, Troll Court Entertainment, & The Safran Company.
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Runtime: 129 minutes.
Rated PG-13.
