After two mega-successful comic-book adaptations (Superman I and II), a steep, almost unimaginable, drop in quality (Superman III and IV), an ill-conceived, poorly received soft reset (Superman Returns), and three grim-dark Snyderverse entries (Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman, Justice League), the big-screen prospects for DC's octogenarian superhero, Superman (aka Kal-El/Clark Kent), as a potentially long-running, viable series looked alternatively dire, bleak, and/or hopeless.
Another costly, indulgent reboot, the second in less than fifteen years, seemed driven by the stubborn, possibly short-sighted desire to match Marvel's prodigious output and more importantly, its box-office returns than by a desire to bring a particular comic-book vision to fruition.
But where there’s Superman (onscreen or in comic-book form), there’s hope, and where there’s hope, there’s writer-director James Gunn, the creative mind behind the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy (among others including 2021's The Suicide Squad, 2010's Super and 2006's Slither). Gunn elevated a team of cast-offs, also-rans, and never-wases to super-team status, not to mention (but we’ll mention it, anyway), the kind of repeat box-office success that convinced Warner Bros.' executives to offer Gunn the virtual keys to the DC kingdom, a blank slate where he could tackle any comic-book character or super-team currently under DC’s control and bring his superhero magic to their underutilized, underperforming properties.
Naturally, of course, Gunn picked Superman, the Last Son of Krypton, DC's flagship character, and the first comic-book superhero for himself. The goal? To deliver a modern, audience-friendly take on an 87-year-old character to contemporary audiences without losing or undermining the character's core strengths or essential qualities.
To end any further suspense and answer the central question hanging over this review, Gunn unquestionably succeeds in revitalizing an otherwise moribund franchise, albeit with the not unexpected minor stumble here or there (less an issue of execution than ambition for a limited running time).
Thankfully setting aside the title character's origin story entirely, we first meet Gunn’s Silver Age-inspired Clark Kent/Superman (David Corenswet), he’s just lost his first-ever battle to a new superpowered foe, the self-described “Hammer of Boravia,” an armored supervillain with the uncanny ability to anticipate and thus, counter every Superman blow. Bruised, battered, but as always, never beaten, Superman retreats to the Fortress of Solitude with the help of his unruly superpowered dog, Krypto, and a chatty collection of eccentric Kryptionian robots, undercutting that whole “Solitude” part of his sanctuary’s name.
Krypto’s new to live action, but he’s everything but new to comic-book fans: DC introduced Superman’s canine companion in 1955 to its preteen/teen readers. A one-off turned into a recurring character/mainstay for DC Comics, though it’s understandable why contemporary Superman fans weaned exclusively on live-action or small-screen incarnations would have trouble accepting Krypto’s presence here. An energetic, frenetic with behavioral issues, Krypto both aids in keeping the overall tone several suns lighter than Zack Snyder’s take on the godlike, mythic character and helping to keep preteen fans engaged, paying close attention to plot’s rapid-fire turns in anticipation of Krypto's return to the screen.
It’s a small price to pay for everyone else, especially after Superman shifts from the Fortress of Solitude to Metropolis and Superman’s emotional support team: Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), a senior Daily Planet reporter and Superman’s romantic interest; Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), junior photojournalist and Clark Kent’s friend; and Perry White (Wendell Pierce), the Daily Planet's editor-in-chief.
Clark’s adoptive parents, Jonathan (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and Martha Kent (Neva Howell), remain only an awkward phone call away, concerned as any parents would be when their only son leaves the family farm for the big city. Except here, of course, Clark isn’t just a reporter. He’s also the world’s most popular superhero, first among equals.
Superman’s popularity, exacerbated in tech billionaire Lex Luthor’s xenophobic eyes by Superman’s alien origins, have led the latter to plot his downfall, first taking aim at the superhero’s squeaky clean brand as humanity’s savior, and later, turning Superman’s newfound unpopularity to convince the U.S. government, already wary of Superman’s extra-judicial intervention in foreign conflicts (specifically an invasion by one country into its neighbor’s territory), that Superman represents an existent threat to the world and must be neutralized. Once Superman has been removed from the metaphorical chess board, the megalomaniacal Luthor can put the rest of his plan in action, consolidating corporate, financial, and governmental power.
So far, so familiar, though Gunn, an obvious fan of ensembles and team dynamics, loosely allies Superman with the “Justice Gang,” Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Michael Holt/Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi). Superheroes funded by another, presumably benevolent billionaire, Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), the Justice Gang provide Superman with ready-made foils for his stand-up, straightforward personality.
Despite Gardner’s narcissistic negativity, he eventually sets aside his self-interested whining, moaning, and complaining, while somehow (almost) away doing the right thing, The deeply insecure Holt, one of the smartest people in the world and a tech genius in his own right, bristles at even the faintest hint of criticism, while Saunders prefers flying and fighting to talking and thinking.
Saunders/Hawk Girl gets the least amount of screen time and suffers as a result, a sign, not the first and certainly not the last, that Gunn’s overarching decision to cram so much world-building into a single, two-hour and fifteen-minute film already burdened by reintroducing Superman, his friends, family, and foes, may have required a rethink or even better for this particular iteration of Superman, a longer, more relaxed running time.
Once Luthor’s plan goes into overdrive, Superman splits the screen time between multiple locations and characters, the stakes shift from the personal to the political to the world itself, and action devolves into not unexpected CGI mayhem. Unsurprisingly, some sequences, scenes, and shots are better rendered than others, in turn fraying whatever emotional connection the audience feels to the characters onscreen and their predicament. Given its first-in-a-series status, Superman temporarily resolves the eternal Superman-Luthor conflict, moves the Superman-Lois romance forward (satisfyingly, it should be added), leaving, as expected for a presumptive franchise starter, several questions unanswered and plot points open-ended.
Once Superman gets past the first jumbled, overloaded 30-40 minutes, it gets into an engaging, often gripping groove. Gunn's penchant for offbeat visual- and dialogue-based humor rarely falls flat, the actors deliver tonally balanced performances, and whatever its other faults, Corenswet, making his debut here as the Big Blue Scout, earnestly, unironically embodies the positive virtues (truth, justice, and so forth) of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s near century-old creation, a superhero for Depression Era America and now, ours.
Review originally published in July 2025. The film is now streaming on HBO Max.