Superman Review - The Hero the DCU Needed

Skip To...

There’s one unwritten rule for all superhero movies out there: if you’re cheering for the guys on the screen, it’s a great film. The last time I felt excited for a spandex-clad character to throw a punch was back in 2021 with Spider-Man: No Way Home. Since then, it’s been four sad years of nothing but boring movies, face-palm inducing films, and just one or two that helped salvage the — at the time — dying genre. But now, everyone’s favorite Kryptonian has come to save the day in more ways than one. Not only has he has reignited my passion for these movies, but he’s also made me hopeful that James Gunn’s new Superman is the welcome start of a new superhero era.

More Human Than Super

The biggest mistake a superhero reboot movie can make is using half of its runtime to explain a hero’s origin. For us who’ve watched the same hero over and over, it’s unnecessary. And for kids, well, it’s the same. They just want those big action moments filled with throwing punches and explosive action. To my surprise, James Gunn managed to do what seemed impossible for a hero film: reduce unwanted exposition.

Superman begins with our hero already known around the globe, and early on it’s explained how he’s donned the cape for some time now. However, instead of seeing him as the perfect comic book character, we see him broken, beaten, and scarred. The opening sequence is one of my favorites in all the hero movies I’ve watched, as it instantly breaks the “Superman is perfect and invincible” concept. It breaks the wheel by showing us he’s as human as any other person in Metropolis. Well, he can fly and shoot lasers out of his eyes, but you get the gist.

We then jump to some of that love-it-or-hate-it James Gunn humor, which I’m glad was way more tolerable here than in Guardians of the Galaxy, and see our Kryptonian heal up with the power of Earth’s beautiful sun. Not long after, the meanest and baldest villain appears, Lex Luthor, showing us he’s been tracking Superman’s every move and has perfected an enemy that can beat our hero in spandex easily.

In just these roughly 20 minutes that serve as the movie’s introduction, James Gunn establishes the plot, the characters’ personalities, his intentions, flaws, and even the villain. He does it so smoothly that you don’t even realize that you have the basic premise for the whole film, and all that’s left to do is enjoy it. And let me tell you, it is a treat.

As for the plot, I’d rather not spoil it all, but I can talk about one thing that caught my attention: Clark Kent. Most Superman movies focus on the “how to be a hero” part. There’s nothing wrong with that. But after rebooting a franchise so many times, enough is enough. Superman, however, focuses on the “how to continue being a hero without causing a monumental mistake in a world that is obsessed with pointing fingers.” It does so by delivering the more Clark Kent side of things. We see the reporter struggling with Lois Lane. We see him suffering because of his heroic antics that aren’t always the best. There’s even a moment where we see a modern hero’s worst enemy: social media.

Some may call the plot weak, but I think it was terrific to finally bring down the walls of a hero we thought was untouchable and perfect at everything he did. It is one of the most “human” and grounded plots I’ve seen for a hero, and one I hope this new cinematic universe James Gunn and Peter Safran are working on embraces more. Humanity aside, it was an almost excellent narrative. I say almost because the character clutter hurts it slightly.

When Most Roles Stick the Landing

Superhero movies have become a gallery of actors and famous cameos that, for better or worse, work and rile up people in the audience. Yet, there is a big flaw when doing that, and sadly, it is something that Superman suffers from. For starters, the cast is humongous. There are just so many characters that instead of adding to the plot, they sometimes hurt it a bit, especially with the lack of development some of them suffer from.

When it comes to performances, every actor nails the role perfectly. After many years of being used to Henry Cavill, David Corenswet does an excellent job at portraying both Clark Kent and Superman. It is one of the most innocent, endearing, and doe-eyed representations of the character so far, showing inner conflicts and other issues that help him grow throughout the film. In short, he’s an excellent actor to carry Supes’ famous cape.

The other star that delivers his best is Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. For once, I enjoyed this version of the bald billionaire villain, which is a lot to say after the big shoes he had to fill. While Kevin Spacey and Jesse Eisenberg are terrific actors, the directors never did anything to make the role memorable. Here, however, it is a different take on Luthor. We see him as an envious and frustrated villain who hates everything Superman represents, and I loved it. Even if it appears as if he’s just throwing tantrums at times, it was also a more human and believable approach to the comic book villain.

Lois Lane, portrayed by Rachel Brosnahan, deserves a mention, too. She has one of the best scenes in the whole movie where she interviews Superman. She goes from being the lovely girlfriend to the fierce Daily Planet reporter in seconds, and delivers one of the most fantastic performances in the whole movie. I loved Amy Adams’ representation of the character, but Brosnahan’s is definitely my favorite now.

Yet, Supes, Lex Luthor, and Lois aren’t the only ones who have some time on screen and interestingly, they’re not the only ones who stand out the most. The other actor who does a, well… terrific job is none other than Mr. Terrific. Edi Gathegi portrays him, who you might know from House or X-Men First Class. He’s an excellent addition to the whole cast, and his character is just that stoic yet funny sidekick that every hero needs at times. Plus, he has one of the best action sequences in the film, which all unfolds brilliantly to the tune of Noah and the Whale’s 5 Years Time.

The others aren’t bad, but there’s so much going on with the movie that they don’t get time to shine. Skyler Gisondo portrays Jimmy — who is the most comic-book-accurate Jimmy ever made — and he has a whole sub-plot with Lex’s girlfriend, portrayed by Sara Sampaio. Still, it’s never explained how it happened or why they are together. Sadly, many of these things happen with other characters, such as Green Lantern and Hawkgirl. Lastly, the scene with John and Martha was heartwarming. Yet, they are the two most generic and forgettable characters in the whole film. I can understand why they weren’t the focus, but they deserved better.

Overall, it was a solid cast, but I felt like it was a slightly underused one. This is one of the biggest flaws in any superhero movie that leans too hard on the fan service. While it excites the crowd, it affects the plot and characters, and it threatens to drag them down, preventing them from growing as the narrative advances.

A Mostly Great Visual Spectacle

Visually, Superman is quite impressive. This shouldn’t be a surprise, especially with James Gunn having delivered some of the best-looking superhero movies in the past decade. Say what you want about Guardians of the Galaxy, but the art style was top-notch. Here, it is the same.

Metropolis doesn’t feel like a New York copy/paste city anymore. It has its iconic style that pops even more thanks to the color palette full of bright colors. That translates to every other part of the film. Be it inside of Luthorcorp or the pocket dimension that Superman and others visit during the film. I liked Snyder’s dark way of portraying the hero and everything around him, but this was nicer to look at and more akin to the Kryptonians’ style.

My only complaints are some of the CGI and camerawork. For the former, I loved Krypto the doggo. He’s the true scene-stealer, and I’m glad he had the best CGI in the whole film. However, some flying and fighting scenes just looked a little bit odd. James Gunn plays with perspective shots in several scenes, but they ultimately make some action sequences appear disorienting.

Speaking of disorienting, many action shots are basically the camera spinning around as if it were inside a blender. They can be a little bit headache-inducing. While you can definitely appreciate the action in the majority of the film, these shots were a bit distracting and something I hope Gunn stops using in the following films.

Is It a Bird, Is It a Plane? No…It’s a Good Superhero Film

Ultimately, James Gunn’s Superman did something that I thought would be impossible in 2025: it made me care for superheroes again. And most importantly, did justice to one of the most iconic comic book characters ever. Even if the movie has some flaws and needs polish in a few areas, it features a solid story, an excellent cast that, while underused, does a laudable job at portraying their characters, all while serving as a fantastic reinterpretation of Supes’ more human side.

Years ago, I told myself that no one would accomplish what the MCU did. However, things seem to be changing now. Superman feels like a new beginning to a genre that flew too close to the sun and has been falling like a ball of fire in recent years. Will it work? It’s a little uncertain right now, but personally, I’m largely hopeful.

Superman (2025)

8 Great!

Superman is an excellent return to the days of good superhero movies. While it has some character clutter and pacing issues, it delivers the most relatable Superman story and a solid plot that does justice to the Kryptonian.