The highly anticipated reboot of Superman from the newly redone DC Studios is finally here. It’s been hard to get Superman right since the Christopher Reeve era, but with this fresh crop of faces and a new story, James Gunn and company are off to a solid start.
To start, the look of Superman is completely different. I had no issue with the Henry Cavill era of Superman, and to be honest, I actually enjoyed him. The biggest difference between him and the newly assigned David Corenswet is that the two are set in completely different stories. Cavill’s Superman was very dark. The stories always carried an element of doom and gloom with heavy emotion. To be short, Superman had more of a Batman tone to his stories; dark, sad, and depressing are words that come to mind (even his suit is dark blue as opposed to the bright, perrywinkle-esque color we’re used to). For Corenswet, his Superman was plucked straight out of the comics and placed in a brighter storyline and universe with more characters, happier parents, and light-hearted comedy. The type of “Boom!” “Zap!” dialogue you would expect from the decades-long comic series appears here in the form of campy exchanges and off-color outbursts.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman (David Corenswet) is in a place he’s never been before: he’s losing. What’s more, a plan was hatched by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) to turn the people against Superman to finally destroy him. With the odds against him, Superman receives a disturbing message he’s never heard before. While grappling with his identity, Superman has to manage his relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), prevent a war overseas, and win over the public that easily turned against him.
Corenswet isn’t as serious as Cavill, which is a trait that works in his favor. The spirit of good and doing what’s right is at the forefront of his purpose. Again, it’s cliché, but it’s a heck of a lot lighter than what we were being fed before. Because of our new protagonist being such a goof, it’s easier to insert humor in places it wasn’t before. Like the unexpected help that came from the “Justice Gang” or chaos caused by Krypto the Superdog. While it’s good for entertainment, the subject of Krypto brings me to my only issue with the film.
(Spoilers ahead: character reveals) The point is arguable, but I felt like there were far too many characters in this film, to the point it felt rushed. Lex Luthor topped a list of villains that included The Engineer, Ultraman, a newly fabricated Hammer of Boravia, and Superman clones. But Superman himself wasn’t alone. He accepts help from “The Justice Gang”: Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific. If that wasn’t enough, while imprisoned, Superman earns the trust of another who chooses to join him, named Metamorpho. And I won’t even get started on how or why they made Mr. Terrific look like Kirk Lazarus from Tropic Thunder. A lot is happening at a fast pace, and most of it is unnecessary. I won’t completely spoil it by revealing who appears at the end. On the brighter side of things, revealing so much in the film allows for a deeper dive into the Superman universe the next time and would provide space for a formal Justice League (Gang?) introduction.
Sticking with more of a “tech bro” persona, Gunn and the gang went with Nicholas Hoult as the new Lex Luthor. It initially seemed like a bit of a gamble, but Hoult delivered in his compelling portrayal of the metahuman-obsessed billionaire. He was far more convincing than Jesse Eisenberg, and his writing was simply divine. His careless attitude and short temper reminded me of the Lex Luthor I grew up despising.
A bit of a side quest in the film, Daily Planet colleague Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) hilariously attracts a woman named Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) who, on the surface, looks entirely out of his league. Her obsession with Jimmy is hilarious, and watching him bumble his way through conversations with her further fuels the easygoing flow of the film.
The film overall is a win. The cast is new and breathes a fresh bit of life into a new era that’s easy to embrace. We’ve never seen Superman fight like this before or solve problems like he does here. Seeing an unexpected Bradley Cooper in a simulated image was unexpected, but also very funny. The film also stars Wendell Pierce, Otis Berg, Giovannie Cruz, Angela Sarafyan, Alan Tudyk, Edi Gathegi, Isabela Merced, and Nathan Fillion.
Superman gets an 8.5 out of 10. The battles that take place warrant an IMAX experience for sure. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s enough of a step in the right direction that fans en masse will be onboard with Gunn’s vision.
Superman premieres on Friday, July 11.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Genre: Action/Adventure/Superhero
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: July 11, 2025