Superman (2025)
When I wear one of my Superman shirts, I’ll occasionally receive the comment, “Superman is boring. Batman is cooler.” Being the insufferable nerd I am, I reply with, “I think Batman stories are cooler than Superman stories, but only because most writers don’t know how to write Superman.” Because what is Superman, really? He’s got all the powers and he’s a bit of a goody two-shoes, I’m usually told, but I disagree with the sentiment. Focusing on power scaling and action forgets what superheroes are meant to be: An exaggerated metaphor of the human experience, of good versus evil, and a window to a better future we can build towards.
James Gunn, as if his Guardians of the Galaxy movies aren’t proof enough, gets it.
At its core, this new take on Superman is the exaggerated metaphor of the struggle to be a kind person in a world where kindness is seen as a sign of weakness, something I think a lot of us can relate to. At least, when you work in the film industry, it doesn’t take long to meet people of bad faith that try to make you feel bad for doing what’s right, trying to convince you that’s not how the world works, and exploit people and resources at every possible turn. I would imagine James Gunn’s experience in the industry can be represented in Superman’s experience in the superhero industry of this new world. After all, part of what separates Gunn’s comic book movies from the rest is that you can see the artist in the art, and Superman is no exception.
David Corenswet earns his role with an entirely believable, more-flawed-than-we-normally-see Superman. You can think of his portrayal this way: If Christopher Reeve focused on Superman as an idea and Henry Cavill focused on him as a character, Corenswet finds that sweet spot of the ideal hero. Rachel Brosnahan’s take on Lois Lane is the perfect partner for Corenswet and occasionally outshines him, and their chemistry is undeniable. Toss in a lore-accurate Jimmy Olsen by Skyler Gisondo, an excellent Guy Gardner by Nathan Fillion, and a whole slew of character actors, the cast adds an extra layer of immersion into this comic book world.
An established world, I might add. Akin to Star Wars: A New Hope, there’s a bit of intro text introducing the situation, then you’re dropped into the world in the same way you would be if you picked up a random Superman comic book off the shelf. The world is weird, people with powers fly around, there’s a super dog with a cape, and Superman can disguise himself with glasses. It’s a proper superhero movie made by a guy who clearly grew up reading too many comic books, just the way this critic likes it.
There are some nitpicks I have with Superman, though, which are the villains. Nicholas Hoult gives a fantastic, chilling performance as Lex Luthor, but the character himself feels underdeveloped and his plan too convoluted. I can buy the convoluted plan, but the motivation behind the plan isn’t entirely clear or compelling, kind of an “evil for evil’s sake” situation, and my thoughts on Ultraman are unfortunately too spoiler-y for this review. (I will be discussing spoilers with Michael Moreci of The Filmographers Podcast later this week!) There’s also an issue where it’s the kind of movie that seems like more is going on than there actually is. I think the best spoiler-free way to say it is that the plot gets thicker, but the story gets thinner as the runtime goes on.
Weaknesses aside, Superman is still a great film. As my most anticipated film of the year, it’s not as amazing and I was hoping it to be, but it serves as a Back To Basics of what superhero movies should be: Stories that motivate us to be better people. The future of the new DC Universe is promising, embracing the political ideals superhero stories are built on and making sure the films have a beating heart. In a world of people misunderstanding The Boys and Invincible, as well as the unfortunate rise of manosphere culture, a film like Superman is what we need, even if it falls short of its potential.