Title – Superman (2025)

Director – James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy)

Cast – David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, Skyler Gisondo, Nathan Fillion, Edi Gathegi

Plot – Battling dwindling public opinion and the actions of rogue billionaire Lex Luther (Hoult), Clark Kent/Superman (Corenswet) must learn to deal with himself and those around him should he wish to become the hero his parents wished him to be.  

“Maybe that’s the real punk rock”

Review by Eddie on 16/07/2025

Arriving 12 years on from the last dedicated feature length solo outing that came in the form of Zack Snyder’s divisive Man of Steel, James Gunn’s first major test as the new overseer of the rebirth of the DC cinematic universe is the newest iteration of the comic staples most iconic and adored creations, Clark Kent/Superman.

As high-profile of a release as they come, every man and in this case his dog (literally here with the cinematic debut of flying super-pup Krypto) has an opinion of what they want their Superman too be making Gunn’s job an almost impossible one when it comes too pleasing everyone who wants to gain and get something from Warner Brothers big-money expedition.

Steering a long way from doing yet another origin story, Superman wastes little time trying to re-establish or re-hash old ground as Gunn gets stuck straight into the thick of the action as our powerful hero finds himself in a world where the public are divided over the way in which he acts and where billionaire businessman and ruthless Superman hater Lex Luthor is intent on ending the reign Superman has over the world as its protector.

One of the most comic-book feeling Hollywood blockbusters of recent memory, Gunn ensures the tone and vibe of his version of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s creation is not too be taken overly seriously but despite the fact he does away with the baggage of trying to establish a character and world we’ve already had built for us multiple times over, there’s an overarching feeling that Superman is a jack of all trades but a master of none as its two hour running time gets crammed with a boatload of ideas of concepts that never feel as though they’re allowed to fully come into focus.

It’s a well intentioned film and there’s some very intriguing ideas that Gunn raises in his take on the iconic property, some of which is going to be undoubtedly controversial to long-term fans, but while flying from one segment to the next and loading this feature full of a large collection of integral Superman side-characters and bit-players, Superman often feels rather unfocussed and short-changes us on components such as time spent with Kent’s adoptive parents, his relationship with love interest Lois Lane and his time as Clark Kent the everyday reporter too, with Gunn’s film very much favouring Superman with his cape on not off.

While loading everything into his first foray into the world of red underwear, green rocks and irresistible reporters there’s also a sense that Gunn has dialled back a little bit of his quirkiness and directional creativity that made his three Guardians of the Galaxy films such global hits and while there’s still undoubtedly an undercurrent of the zaniness and kookiness that has been a staple of Gunn’s career so far, there’s not a lot here that’s going to be remembered that intently once the credits role and for such a high-priced production it’s slightly disappointing that so much of the visual spectacle and set-piece work feels rather forgettable and pedestrian.

What is a major win for the film whether it’s grounded or flying is the casting choices with Gunn and his production team striking some serious wins in its role assignments.

In the key role, David Corenswet proves to be a wise choice to bring Superman into the next phase. While he’s not as instantly iconic as Christopher Reeves or perhaps as notable as the physical presence of Henry Cavill, he appears to be exactly what Gunn needed in his refinement of the character and he plays well with all key cast members.

In a key segment towards the end of the film, Corenswet delivers a powerful monologue that showcases what might be achieved in the future when all the stars align with him in the role.

Stealing all his scenes, Superman is overshadowed by a dominating Nicholas Hoult who makes a major case for the best big screen Lex Luthor yet, getting many of Superman’s best scenes, while support from Rachel Brosnahan and long-term Gunn offsider Nathan Fillion is notable, as is an almost MVP turn from Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific who has an absolute blast bringing the underrated DC character to life on the big stage.

Unable to become a truly memorable big-screen outing, Superman rewrites some of the past wrongs of the brand in the cinematic landscape while also struggling to maintain its focus or grip its best ingredients, becoming a fun but slight rebranding of classic character who still has a lot more to give in the future.

Final Say –

A hard film to hate but a hard one to love at all times, Superman has a lot going on within its two hours of running time, nailing its inspired casting choices and its comic book feel but struggling to always juggle the many elements it’s grappling with at any one time.

3 saved squirrels out of 5