Film Review – Superman (2025)

July 10th, 2025 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Writer/director James Gunn’s first big screen foray into the newly revamped DC Studios is a huge, ambitious swing. Superman (2025) is nothing less than a sprawling, jam-packed, action-filled extravaganza that aims to do a complete 180 degree turn from Zack Snyder’s dark and gritty interpretation. Gunn not only takes major inspiration from the comic book source material, he embraces it whole heartedly. This has all the fantastical and bizarre elements that involve a super powered meta human from a distant alien planet. And yet, it also has the humor, enthusiasm, and heart that have become Gunn’s trademark style. The result feels both familiar and brand new – like being reintroduced to an old friend after years of separation.

Gunn’s narrative avoids the trap of an origin story by simply not having one. This is a world where Superman (David Corenswet) already exists, has spent years defending Earth, and that battles with giant, city destroying monsters is a common occurrence. When we first meet him, Superman is reeling from the effects of fighting another overpowered villain attacking Metropolis. Some non-comic book readers maybe a little lost at first, as Gunn makes no attempt to explain the various relationships and character dynamics. He takes off running, assuming that we will be able to keep up. Characters like Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) appear with little introduction – they just show up and participate right away. We learn that Superman/Clark Kent is already in a romantic relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and that she knows his identity. And we can’t forget billionaire genius Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) already on his mission to destroy The Man of Steel.

Immediately, we see Gunn and his team taking a more noble approach to the Superman character. This is not a person bogged down by trauma or angst, but someone who has been given tremendous gifts and wants to use them for the good of mankind. One of the big running themes features Clark’s upbringing and the influence of his parental figures. There are his biological parents whom he lost when Krypton was destroyed, and whose only connection he has are from scrambled video recordings. Then there are his adopted parents, Ma and Pa Kent (Neva Howell, Pruitt Taylor Vince) who gave him an understanding of right and wrong and what it means to help people. This idea is put to the test throughout the story, causing Superman to examine whether he is a product of nature or nurture. Can he fully accept being from Krypton and yet still be a product of Earth? Is he ready for the responsibility of being an alien and still calling Metropolis his home? 

Whether it was Gunn’s intention or not, it’s easy to see the parallels between Superman’s plight and the current political climate. Luthor’s attempts to inject fear into the population in hopes of ridding the world of an alien has distinct echoes to politicians stoking fear involving immigration and deportation. Some might argue, “Why bring politics into it at all?” Well, that’s because the film clearly draws those lines. The fact of the matter is that Superman is an immigrant. He was sent to Earth to make a life of his own, and he grew up in America hoping to fulfill “The American Dream.” His desire to belong is the same as anyone who moves to a new country to start a new life. The persecution Luthor lays upon him, claiming that Superman is a threat to all humans, is an irrational scare tactic that unfortunately sways people. In that way, Superman is not only a very good superhero blockbuster, it is also an insightful and timely film.

Ignoring the themes for a moment, Superman is simply thrilling in its action. Gunn’s direction (along with Henry Braham’s cinematography) has the camera zooming and flying right alongside Clark. The editing (Craig Alpert, William Hoy) and special effects construct set pieces like splash pages torn right out of a comic book. Sometimes, the action might get a little too goofy. Shots where the camera pulls into a closeup of Superman’s face in midflight is a bit disorienting. There are instances where the fight scenes are so chaotic that the characters look too cartoonish, like a video game. But the result is so overwhelmingly exciting that we get lost in the commotion of it all. It helps that Gunn utilizes John Williams’ iconic score from the 1978 classic to ramp up the emotion. Moments such as Superman trying to prevent a giant monster from tumbling into a skyscraper or covering a person at the last second from flying debris is truly breathtaking. The back half pulls out all the stops, where Superman, Lois, Lex, and the other characters move and work toward their primary goals. It is quite the accomplishment by Gunn and Company to juggle so many plates and yet keep it all arranged in a cohesive manner.

If there is a big issue here, it might be that the pacing moves a little too fast. With so many characters, an intricate plot, and a runtime that goes a hair above two hours, Gunn doesn’t have much time to allow the narrative to stop and breathe. Much is made of Clark and Lois’ romance, but their actual screentime together is limited. Granted, the scenes they do share are well drawn, and David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan have palpable on-screen chemistry. However, their characters’ relationship is of secondary importance. The same can be said of the supporting players. Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, Mr. Terrific, as well as secondary villains like The Engineer (Mariá Gabriela de Faría) are one-dimensional, without much distinctive characteristics outside of their base personalities. Even Nicholas Hoult, with his sneering performance as Lex Luthor, isn’t given the opportunity to build the character outside of his single motivation. In fact, the most compelling character (besides Superman himself) might be Krypto, his super powered dog. Krypto is a combination of several conflicting traits: He’s loyal yet rambunctious, smart yet impulsive, reckless yet compassionate, etc. Krypto is everything you love (and maybe not love) about dogs. In other words, he’s a great character.

In a time where many viewers are suffering from “Superhero Fatigue,” where every other release feels like a carbon copy of what’s already been done, James Gunn has come and given the genre a breath of fresh air. When he took the job as co-head of DC Studios, he also took on the burden of expectation. There was tremendous pressure to get things right with Superman, and for the most part he accomplished what he set out to do. Do I have my minor quibbles about it? Sure, but that didn’t dissipate my enjoyment. This is a big and colorful experience that knows it is silly and has fun being just that. If this is the precedent Gunn has established, I look forward to seeing what he has next up his sleeve.

Craig Alpert, David Corenswet, DC Studios, Edi Gathegi, Featured, Henry Braham, Isabela Merced, James Gunn, John Williams, Mariá Gabriela de Faría, Nathan Fillion, Neva Howell, Nicholas Hoult, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Rachel Brosnahan, Superman, William Hoy, Zack Snyder