Its a Bird! Its a Plane! Its Superman (2025)!

In 2012, fans thought Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had gone crazy when he announced that a film starring a D-list superhero team was in development—a film set to be directed by a relatively unknown director, James Gunn. Yet Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) blew both audiences and critics away, making them fall in love with Gunn’s wacky style. He expertly uses needle drops and turns unknown and seemingly bland characters—like Groot and Drax—into fan favorites through his unique humor and heart. The film propelled both these characters and Gunn into the mainstream, prompting a full Guardians trilogy under his directorship. 

However, Gunn’s trajectory was disrupted when his lewd old tweets resurfaced, resulting in his firing and move to directing The Suicide Squad (2021) and Season One of Peacemaker (2022-2025) for DC. Both projects garnered much critical acclaim, and fans connected deeply with their eccentric yet heartfelt characters, like King Shark and Polka-Dot Man—just as they did with Guardians. Eventually, Marvel rehired Gunn to complete The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, after which he left Marvel to become the creative head of the new DC Universe (DCU).  

The DCU takes a different approach to most superhero cinematic universes; instead of retelling origin stories, it starts in a lived-in universe where metahumans have existed for centuries. Superman (2025) is the first movie in this universe, and with its hopeful messaging, compelling and vibrant side characters, and comic book flair, it signals a bright future for DC under Gunn’s leadership. 

The film immediately throws the viewer into the action, showing Superman (David Corenswet) brutally losing his fight against the mysterious Hammer of Boravia and needing to be healed by his dog, Krypto, and his drones at the Fortress of Solitude. Following Superman’s departure from the fortress, his nemesis Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) sends The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) to uncover evidence against Superman’s character. They successfully expose the real, sinister reason Superman’s parents sent him to Earth—a truth that even the Man of Steel is unaware of. The public and government quickly lose faith in him, giving Lex more leeway in his plan to destroy Superman. However, with help from the likes of Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Superman overcomes the conspiracy and reveals Lex’s nefarious plans to the world. 

Superman is meant to be a symbol of truth, justice, and the American way. Conversely, Man of Steel (2013), directed by Zack Snyder, had a dark and hopeless take on Superman (Henry Cavill); many scenes, such as his controversial fight with General Zod (Michael Shannon), resulted in catastrophic destruction and countless civilian casualties. This isn't the case for Corenswet’s Superman, though; he values all life and is a symbol of hope to the people and heroes around him. Whether it's saving a squirrel from a Kaiju or overcoming the truth about his heritage, he never falters in his morals, which is what makes him such a compelling and unique superhero. Despite Lex’s relentless efforts to discredit him, he continues to demonstrate his unwavering devotion to helping others, regardless of public opinion or personal cost. 

Although Superman is a great protagonist, many of the side characters elevate the film to the point where they often steal the show. Hoult’s maniacal Lex might even outshine Superman himself, as Hoult brings a sinister gravitas to the role that easily makes him one of the best-acted comic book villains of the decade. He’s cunning, sinister, and persistent at any cost, making him a perfect foil to Corenswet’s Superman. Brosnahan’s Lane is also well-developed, standing on her own with her unique determination and view of the world, especially in her interview scene with Clark. Additionally, unlike in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), Lois fell in love with Clark, not Superman—a choice that made their relationship feel more authentic and relatable. Another hero that steals the spotlight is Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific, who’s easily the most developed and featured member of the Justice Gang (a corporately funded superhero team). Unlike Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), who are intriguing yet underutilized, he serves an important role in the film, and even receives some funny lines and his own creative action sequence. Despite the plethora of side characters, the film never loses its focus on Superman and his morality; even the most jaded heroes are inspired to do good in the end. 

One of the movie’s greatest strengths is its electricity; it feels as though it is ripped straight out of a comic book. The colors are vibrant, the world is fantastical, and it’s unafraid to honor the source material. The movie feels somewhat like a live-action version of the popular animated cartoon Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006), as it expertly wove side characters into a fully fleshed-out supernatural world. This was especially noticeable given the appearances of various other heroes, such as the Justice Gang. While many of the past few decades’ comic-book films tried to be darker, Gunn’s fantastical story featuring the Man of Steel was a breath of fresh air and serves as a reminder of what true heroism is. Gunn’s love for comic books truly shines through in this film, showing Clark’s humanity and Superman’s hopefulness that feels ripped straight from the pages.   

Unfortunately, the film has a few minor issues that slightly detract from the overall quality. For example, many aspects of the film feel cliché and predictable; the story could have especially benefited from a more distinct third act. By using overdone tropes and overstuffing the final act with many plotlines, the movie loses some authenticity in its goal of a simple, unique superhero story. Also, many characters’ reactions to certain situations, like Eve Tessmacher (Sara Sampaio) and the Daily Planet staff, felt over-the-top and genuinely cringeworthy at times. 

Superman has its faults, but it doesn’t need perfection to be successful in its messaging. It told an important story about hope in a hopeless world that shone a light on the flaws of many comic book films, especially the DCEU. The characterization of Superman, side characters, and comic flair are all instantly lovable, making for the Man of Steel’s best film to date, and one of the best DC films ever. The film is also an excellent beginning to the new DCU, and makes future projects, like Peacemaker Season Two (2025) and Supergirl (2026) more exciting. Although parts definitely feel cliché and cringey, and the film tries to tackle slightly too much, it always stays interesting and never loses focus. The world needed a heroic Superman, and James Gunn delivered.