With Zack Snyder’s version of the DC Universe having officially fizzled out, Warner Bros. is trying a hard reboot of the multi-faceted superhero franchise under the direction of James Gunn. First up for Gunn is “Superman,” with actor David Corenswet stepping into the role of space alien Kal-El/mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent/blue-suited metahuman Superman. Corenswet is a good fit for the role, as he unflinchingly nails the character’s strength and stoicism, as well as his unrelenting moral dedication and occasionally-naïve optimism. His mere casting is the first good decision by Gunn, getting the movie (and thus, the series) off on the right foot.
The film forgoes its main character’s origin story and picks up three years after the Superman persona has become known to the public. He’s ready to help out wherever he’s needed, whether it’s a collapsing skyscraper in the American city of Metropolis or a hostile military invasion by the far-off dictatorship of Boravia. He’s a selfless force for good in the world, which of course means that many, many people have a problem with him. In particular, evil industrialist Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult, another solid casting choice with a good balance of smugness and intensity) wants to stop Superman, ostensibly so he can carry out grand schemes without interference, but really because he’s jealous that the hero’s many good deeds keep eating up the headlines.
Speaking of headlines, “Clark” works, as always, at the “Daily Planet” newspaper alongside intrepid reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan, yet another good casting choice with a sharp wit and excellent chemistry with Corenswet). At first it seems like these two have a bit of a cute crush on one another, but all is not as innocent as it seems. Lois has a tendency to make Clark feel insecure about the godlike, above-reproach identity he’s set up for himself, but maybe it’s good that he feels insecure so he can think about the consequences of his actions. Or maybe she’s wrong and he shouldn’t be worried about backlash or second-guessing himself. It’s a complicated issue without a straightforward answer, but they’re determined to work through it together.
Surprisingly, Superman isn’t the only metahuman in Metropolis. The city is also served by Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawk Girl (Isabela Merced), and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi, who contributes so much to the movie’s heroics that he may as well be a co-lead). But Superman is more powerful than all of them because powers from the planet Krypton are in his DNA. Kal-El’s Kryptonian parents were able to send him to Earth from their dying planet with some advanced technology, which developed over the years into the Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica, complete with robot servants and Krypto the Superdog. They also threw in a message of encouragement via hologram. Kal-El doesn’t know what they were encouraging, exactly, but probably just a reminder to always be good, right?
This version of “Superman” has all the makings of a great superhero movie, but I can’t say that it ever really becomes one. I recommend it overall, but for every well-realized character or interesting plot point, there are several others that just come off as unnecessary. For example, I may care about Lois and Clark’s co-workers at the “Daily Planet” down the line, but here I wonder why the movie needs to go to their offices at all when there’s already so much new information to take in. The same overcrowding problem applies to this franchise’s rivals over at the MCU, which is why so many of their movies have seemed like mush lately. Gunn has to opportunity here to not just bring the DCU back from the dead, but pull it ahead of the MCU while that once-great cinematic universe is mired in its mid-2020’s doldrums. This movie is not going to cause the DCU to overtake the MCU in a single bound, but for the first time in a long time, the DCU feels like a worthy contender for superhero supremacy.
Grade: B-
“Superman” is rated PG-13 for violence, action and language. Its running time is 129 minutes.
Robert R. Garver is a graduate of the Cinema Studies program at New York University. His weekly movie reviews have been published since 2006.
Last Update: Jul 14, 2025 10:49 am CDT
