Henry Walker
Superman returns!
Superman is now available to watch on digital platforms including Apple TV+, Prime Video, and Fandango At Home. With its HBO Max debut approaching fast this Friday, its time to look up and look back at one of the biggest blockbuster hits of the summer! (Spoilers for Superman and other previous DC titles may follow!)
It’s been a minute since we’ve seen “the Man of Steel” on the big screen, but on July 11th, Clark Kent returned in one of the most comic accurate Superman films in recent years. Directed by James Gunn, Superman forms a unique take on the character with several twists and turns throughout the story. It skips over Kent’s classic backstory, choosing to make a brief summary of those events in a minute long sequence of onscreen text. This sequence also features beautiful shots of the Arctic for the Fortress of Solitude, fictionally located in Antarctica, making the context of the scene even more breathtaking.
Superman embodies the true spirit of the superhero and the comic book movie genre, successfully giving the audience an almost overwhelming sense of joy throughout the film. Unlike previous iterations like Man of Steel (2013), this version of Kal-El’s story leans into the ridiculousness of the comics that inspired it. In this world, it’s perfectly normal for people in tights to fly around the city fighting space dragons and giant alien eyeballs! This level of creativity might be overpowering for some viewers, but for general audiences, it adds a level of whimsy and elevates the overall story. However, James Gunn’s world of Gods and Monsters may not have been possible if not for the failure of previous DC projects.
DCEU History
So… what happened to the old DC? This can be traced back to 20 years ago, with the well-appreciated Batman Begins. Christopher Nolan’s refreshing, and dark take on the classic Batman character gave DC movies a new pulse. It solidified the idea that these whacky, out-of-date characters could be taken seriously. Immediately, Warner Bros. wanted a sequel, and was willing to abide by whatever Nolan had in mind. This eventually gave us, what is thought be the greatest Batman movie of all time, The Dark Knight (2008), with an all-new technique, darker ending, and an award-winning performance by the late Heath Ledger as The Joker. That very same year Iron Man (2008) was released by Marvel Studios/Paramount. It promised an interconnected world, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and even The Avengers. This caused a ripple in the CBM (Comic Book Movie) subgenre.
A promise of a shared, cinematic universe was tricky, as many other franchises, not CBM, tried this already. Their failure was inevitable. However, Marvel Studios proved that their MCU could work by organically adding important characters, building stronger storylines, and ultra-focused character development. Warner Bros. was dumbfounded, as they had never really tried this approach, other than the very regrettable Supergirl (1984), which was a direct spin-off of the Christopher Reeve Superman films – although the only actor shared between both movies was Marc McClure.
By 2011, Marvel Studios had been building their MCU for a solid three years. They had Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). This was overwhelming, especially for Hollywood on its own. Audiences were reacting very positively to these films, as they felt fresh, action-packed, and most importantly, fun. It had been accepted for years that the difference between DC and Marvel is night and day; DC’s comics had a dark tone and even darker stories to tell, while Marvel’s comics had a light, fun tone and fun stories to tell. Again, this was widely accepted, and had been the consensus for years. So… why was this so important?
People felt that Marvel movies having a brighter tone made sense, and that DC movies having a darker tone also made sense. This clear distinction was obvious to studio executives at Warner Bros., who own the rights to all DC film, television, and even video games. To avoid being too repetitive, I am going to refer to Warner Bros. as the studio, as they function exactly the same way as Disney does with Marvel Studios.
So, the studio saw that matching the tone of the comics was the way to go. With some very tonally dark, and successful movies; Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), Watchmen (2009), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) under their belt, they knew they needed to replicate the MCU’s format. This means a shared universe, a darker tone, and as many films as possible. There’s just one problem; they don’t have a Batman or a Superman. This is where the fun (if you describe “fun” as messy and confusing) begins.
Just after Batman Begins (2005), the studio took a stab at reviving the original Christopher Reeve Superman franchise, and in a very confusing reboot (or continuation?), they effectively killed his cinematic presence for half of a decade with Superman Returns (2006). So, what does that leave the studio with? Absolutely no choice but to reboot the franchise, echoing Iron Man (2008) revitalizing its respective franchise.
The studio, just two years after Superman Returns (2006), officially began development on a real, solid reboot. Prolific Comic Book writers, Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, and Geoff Johns, jumped at this opportunity.
“I told them, it’s not that bad.” Grant Morrison described his pitch to the studio, “Just treat Superman Returns as the Ang Lee Hulk.” This was in reference to Ang Lee’s Hulk (2003), a box office flop, being the character’s first appearance on the big screen in decades. Mark Waid would expand on this, “The Incredible Hulk has proven the audience will forgive you and let you redo the franchise.” This turned out to be (sort of) the blueprint for the studio’s plan.
In movies and television, the art of retconning has become the go-to strategy to do whatever you want. Oh, there’s a new actor playing your favorite character from Andor? Well, expect the show to have some flashbacks with the new actor, because as far as you’re concerned, he’s been there the entire time. This is used when actors pass away, are fired, or just decide to quit acting altogether. DC has a long history with this, most famously with Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997), both films connected, but with different actors as Batman. More recently, in Superman and Lois (2021-2024), one of Superman’s sons was recast. Soon, you’ll see how much retconning DC is capable of doing.
After five years, half a decade, Man of Steel (2013) flew into theaters, as a full-on reboot of the DC franchise, dubbed the DCEU. While it faced criticism for being too dark, and too violent, it was an absolute box office hit. The studio was nothing short of excited and experiencing extreme confidence. It had been a gamble hiring Zack Snyder and modernizing every aspect of the Superman origin we know and love. With this success, it was clear that there would be nothing but clear skies and warm weather from now on… Oh wait, we’re talking about the DCEU.
The studio’s DCEU only ended up lasting ten years. It would end up being one heck of a roller coaster, too. First, they made the mistake of trying to catch up with the MCU. How? By introducing the entire Justice League roster, and teasing their big villain, all in their second film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). With this rush in both storytelling, and blast in continuity, a lot of dedicated fans started to lose interest. It would even go so far, after some very controversial studio interference, as to enrage these fans. This resulted in multiple different cuts of the same movies, loose sequels, and promises of more exciting storylines. Unfortunately, none of these promises would be fulfilled. This all ended in the studio realizing they had failed. In one final stroke of genius, they turned to James Gunn. By then, he had directed The Suicide Squad (2021) and the first season of Peacemaker (2022). With that, he began tedious work on rebooting the franchise… with the long-awaited Creature Commandos (2024)! I kid, I kid. Although that is true, this new Superman reboot is a fresh start, a fresh take, and what the studio needs right now.
Now, with nothing left in our way, let’s talk about Superman (2025).
Story and Cast
As mentioned earlier, Superman is one of the most unique comic book movies in recent years, providing a very fresh take on the character and the substories recognizable from other film adaptations. It establishes a more uplifting tone and the writers ensure that humor is interspersed between the more serious scenes to maintain the fun mood. Certain creative choices, such as the controversial changed interpretation of Jor-El’s message to Superman, make the film more surprising and keep you guessing at what will happen next. The best quality of this movie is how it establishes high stakes, while keeping the level of fun and enjoyment even higher.
Superman
Next, let’s talk about the actors in this movie who bring the story to life. Who is the best Superman? This question is more relevant than ever, and it’s time to choose a side! Do you pick the Chris Crew? Perhaps you prefer the Cavill Collective? Are you planning to join the recently formed Corenswet Core? Regardless of how you may feel, David Corenswet is undeniably the new Superman! The 32 year old actor is about six foot four, and has facial features that perfectly bring this comic character to life. Corenswet wouldn’t have been the perfect fit for a different adaptation like Man of Steel because of the difference in tone between the two movies. However, this Superman is colorful and vibrant, like a comic book come to life, and the Twisters actor hits every mark of this vibe!
Lois Lane
This is arguably one of the more important characters to be executed properly in a Superman film, especially because of the iconic wit and fiery spirit Margot Kidder introduced to the character in 1978. After seeing Rachel Brosnahan’s performance as Lois, there is only one question left to ask: “Where has she been for the past ten years?!” Brosnahan is the perfect fit for this role and she even looks like the character as seen in the 1978 film Superman: The Movie. Her take on the character is a major improvement from the previous performance of Lois “Lame” by Amy Adams, whose version of Lois was very muted and underdeveloped during the writing process for Man of Steel. Brosnahan and Corenswet also have incredible chemistry in the movie, showing off the well written relationship between Lois and Clark. It will be incredibly exciting to see where this remarkable actress takes Lois in future DCU titles!
Lex Luthor and Company
Much like Donner’s original 1978 film, the 2025 movie features Lex Luthor as the main villain, showcasing his diabolical nature through the lengths he takes to beat Clark Kent. One of these actions even includes opening a black hole which nearly destroys the city of Metropolis, setting the film up for an epic conclusion! Nicholas Holt embodies every aspect of the character and reflects Luthor’s acknowledgement and lack of care about his arrogance. His performance is also intensified by his company staff including Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) and Angelica Spica’s The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), who has a particularly cool villainous power set.
One of the standouts of Luthor’s entourage was Ultraman. Also played by David Corenswet, Ultraman is revealed to be a clone of Superman created by Lex. He uses Ultraman like a mindless, computerized servant to match and counter Kent’s every move. Ultraman is defeated during the film’s final battle when Superman throws him into a black hole. However, in movie culture, if there is no body shown on screen, the character isn’t dead! Many fans are theorizing that Ultraman may be Bizarro from DC comics, as he shares many similarities to this classic comic anti-hero. Whether or not this theory comes true in James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow, the recently announced sequel to Superman, fans will agree that this villain adds a special coldness to the film, emphasizing Lex’s personality.
Mr. Terrific and the Justice Gang
Are you of the cloth? If not, you’d better steer clear from Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner/Green Lantern! He is one of four members from Maxwell Lord’s metahuman security group, tentatively named the Justice Gang. Gardner is kind of full of himself and enjoys feeling important. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, it’s hard to take a superhero seriously with an ugly haircut like his! Kendra Saunders is the grit of the group and acts as the detached side of the team. Her personality has a truly “drop-dead” effect in the final battle of the film, and her character adds a lot to the story, despite her not being featured very long. Thankfully, she’s set to return in future projects and has already found her way back to the spotlight in season two of the HBO series, Peacemaker.
The newer member of the Justice Gang who joins at the end of the movie for the final battle is Rex Mason, or Metamorpho. He is a surprisingly sweet character who is imprisoned by Lex and used as a torture device. Rex can morph his body into any known substance in the universe. At first, he is used to ensure Superman doesn’t escape Luthor’s pocket-dimension prison by recreating kryptonite. However, he finds redemption by forming molecules similar to those found in the sun, so Superman can heal enough to escape Lex’s wrath. Together, Superman, Krypto, Rex, and his son Joey exit the pocket dimension prison in a harrowing and incredibly epic sequence during the middle of the film. Metamorpho appears to have a promising future in the DCU, and hopefully we can expect to see him again soon!
Superman’s cast had multiple showstealers, but by far the greatest of them is Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt, better known by the name Mr. Terrific. You may be thinking, “Who the heck is that?” Mr. Terrific is a lesser known character from the DC comics, but he has become one of the most popular characters from this film since his inclusion in Superman, with many fans even begging DC Studios for a Mr. Terrific spinoff series on HBO Max. His inclusion as a metahuman also expands the definition of this new term created by James Gunn to include people with no inherent superpowers, who instead use technology or extreme intelligence as their unique ability.
Michael Holt is a tech genius who uses nanotechnology as his superpower. He uses hovering orbs which he calls T-Spheres to spy on his enemies, building them to be capable of other cool abilities like force field projection and computer hacking. Mr. Terrific is the embodiment of sarcasm, humor, and heart, and he adds every good feeling and burst of joy required to fall in love with both his character and the overall movie. He truly is terrific! Edi Gathegi is the perfect choice for the character, and his performance provides retribution for his career as a superhero film actor, as his character Darwin in X-Men: First Class (2011) was unjustly killed off. The excellent fan reception of this character and Gathegi’s incredible performance in the role will hopefully spiral into plenty of future DCU appearances from the wonderful Mr. Terrific!
Krypto and the Superfamily
Another standout performance from the film was not played by a typical actor, but rather a mix between really good CGI and a dog. Based on James Gunn’s own chaotic pet, Krypto the superdog is one of the most wacky yet charming inclusions in this film! Despite being shunned in the past as an element of comic books that shouldn’t appear on screen, Krypto made every moment of this movie better. His adorable puppy eyes, fierce counter attacks, and his many hilarious stunts throughout the runtime perfectly improve the plot and the flow of this movie.
Other super side characters also benefited from Krypto’s chaos. Alan Tudyk’s Number Four, or Gary as he is renamed by the end of the film, has many hilarious moments in Superman. For fans of Rogue One and Andor, Gary is essentially DC’s version of K-2SO! Four delivers lines several times in the movie that make you fall off your seat laughing, often referring to Krypto’s unruliness. Four and the other robots are a great addition to the comedic aspects of this film.
One of the biggest payoffs from Krypto’s inclusion was the additional story it set up with Superman’s cousin, played by Milly Alcock. Better known by the name Supergirl, Kara Zor-El is revealed to be the owner of the chaotic canine! Supergirl is the next film slated for the new DCU, so apart from a satisfying conclusion to this movie, Kara’s inclusion sets up the future of the franchise in a pretty big way. Look out, because Supergirl is coming in hot for a June release next year!
The Daily Planet Staff
Jimmy Olsen had a much bigger role in this movie than anyone expected, but it’s not unwelcome! One of the greatest parts from Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie was how it showcased journalistic integrity as a medium to display the innate goodness of Superman and other citizens of Metropolis. Superman (2025) is a great return to this point of view, using the staff to show the struggle against Lex’s political presence and the eventual triumph over his plan to dominate another country. Each interaction between staff members of the Daily Planet has brilliant chemistry, which honestly could have been expanded more to make the characters even more effective. We would all certainly love to see Jimmy Olsen’s return in Man of Tomorrow with the rest of the charming news staff!
Visual Effects
I know I’ve been gushing a lot about this movie, but there truly are so few reasons not to love it! If none of the other elements in this movie satisfy you, at least watch it for the exceptional visuals. Everything looks phenomenal, from practical effects like the animatronics used for the super robots, to the computer generated images of the giant Kaiju and later the black hole formed by Lex’s pocket universe. The effects are jaw dropping and will make anyone above the age of ten scream in excitement in the theater.
Harrison students especially should watch Superman because it features multiple practical locations in Ohio. The physical city of Metropolis was filmed in Cleveland, that is, when the fictional city wasn’t being split in half by a black hole. The even crazier fact is that Cincinnati’s Union Terminal building was used for the completely physical shot of the Hall of Justice!
According to NPR, this building was the inspiration for the iconic Hall of Justice, first introduced and heavily used in the Super Friends cartoon, which lasted from 1973 through 1985. The museum is a Cincinnati icon, but after its use as the canonical Hall of Justice in Superman, it has become a worldwide sensation. The film crew even temporarily recreated the mural on the inside of the building to showcase the history of the metahumans in the DCU. During my first viewing of the film at Newport on the Levee, the crowd went absolutely wild when the building emerged on our IMAX screen. Not everyone can say that one of the biggest comic book movies of 2025 was filmed just outside their hometown, but thanks to James Gunn, Harrison students can!
Score and Impact on the World
Dear reader, if you don’t know who John Williams is by now, you must have been living under a rock! Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie is one of the biggest inspirations for this film, and John Williams’ amazing score is hard to forget in a theatrical experience. The impact of his music on this movie is very significant. Williams original theme was remastered by John Murphy and David Flemming with an all-new sound. While some have claimed the composers should have made a new and original theme like Hans Zimmer did for Man of Steel, I disagree. The iconic riff on a guitar is chilling, and the swelling music at the opening of the film makes Superman’s crash rather surprising. The moment when Superman first takes flight is enough to give you goosebumps and send a warm rush of joy that only John Williams could provide!
Beyond the score, this movie has several impacts on the world. Regardless of which political figure you support, it’s no secret that our country’s political climate has seemed a bit depressing lately. With tariffs, budget cuts, unresolved foreign conflicts, and other chaotic events going on, Superman is a breath of fresh air to remind us all what our American values are supposed to be. According to Harrison High School senior, Gabriel Ashcraft, the film had strong themes of inclusivity and kindness. He claimed, “I think it has reminded people that the strongest weapon is love, and that we shouldn’t hate people for being different than us because at the end of the day we are all human.” The film strives to show us with as little bias as possible how to be good people that support each other and our nation in a kind and loving way.
As first reported in an article from Variety, director, James Gunn, has faced backlash for his comments on the movie. According to the news site, people are claiming that the film is woke and that Gunn has a political agenda. In response, the Guardians of the Galaxy director stated, “It is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.” Previously, Gunn has called Superman an “immigrant story” when asked about its more prominent themes. This sparked unnecessary controversy from the public. All Gunn is attempting to do is give the world a piece of art that reflects positive ideas, and I believe he has successfully accomplished this goal. Regardless of anyone’s opinion, Superman has absolutely remained a pop culture icon, and its impact on the world is more evident every day.
Look Up to the Future . . .
Superman is the first official entry in the DCU, the rebooted fresh start for DC Studios after the failure of many recent movies. The franchise has a bright future ahead with plenty of movies and series planned for the next two years. Currently, some of the projects slated are Peacemaker season 2, which began in August and will run through October, Lanterns in early 2026, Supergirl on June 26, 2026, a Clayface movie, and Man of Tomorrow, the sequel to Superman planned for release on July 9, 2027.
Eventually, other iconic comic characters like Batman and Wonder Woman will appear to fill out the golden trio with Superman, as well as other characters like Aquaman, Cyborg, Joker, Harley Quinn, and many other heroes and villains. One student at Harrison hopes the Flash will make a quick return to the big screen with “Quicksilver X-Men moments” to set up awesome action sequences. This is especially in reference to an epic one-take scene from X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), featuring Evan Peters’ Quicksilver in an awesome super-speed showcase. Personally, I’d love to see the return of some characters from later entries in the DCEU such as Shazam (Zachary Levi) and Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle (Xolo Maridueña), as they had genuinely captivating stories and deserved more attention in the franchise.
Overall, Superman is the perfect way to honor previous cinematic iterations of this iconic DC character, and it is a resounding success for the once struggling studio. The film is joyful, upbeat, and despite sending messages of kindness and equality for all people, it limits its political agenda so viewers can just relax and enjoy a masterpiece of filmmaking. I highly recommend this film to anyone looking up for something fun to watch and hoping to be amazed. Have a super September and give this movie a try!