Superman

The scene opens onto a snowy landscape. The camera pans over the peaceful scenery. Finally a building symphony and a loud crash break through the silence as Superman (David Corenswet) lands in the snow. 

Superman (2025), DC’s newest installment, premiered on July 11, 2025 and quickly captured the hearts of many fans. The story of Superman isn’t new, but this movie is the first variation with David Corenswet as Superman as well as the first Superman movie to be directed by James Gunn.  

The way that Gunn approached this story was a refreshing switch from the previous Zach Snyder/Henry Cavill Superman movies. Where Snyder’s take on Superman was very serious and somewhat angsty, Superman being depicted as a sort of god, Gunn’s was much more lighthearted, focusing on Superman’s humanity. This was depicted through many different scenes in the movie. With little details, like Superman saving a squirrel during a monster attack, to more direct pieces of dialogue, like a heartwarming monologue given at the end as he faces Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). 

The story begins soon after Superman interferes in a military conflict overseas between the countries of Boravia and Jarhanpur. He has received much criticism over the act, with Boravia being an ally of the United States. Most of this condemnation has come from the tech/weaponry billionaire and major supporter of Boravia, Lex Luthor. 

The choice to begin the story after Superman is already established in his world gave the story more depth. Because his origin has been told so many times, it can feel overdone. Starting where they did gave the movie more of a chance to develop a new story that didn’t feel regurgitated from every other version of superman.     

In Superman’s personal life as Clark Kent, a journalist at the Daily Planet, he has just made the front page of the newspaper and the audience is introduced to many characters central to the story such as Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), two of his friends and co workers at the Daily Planet, as well as his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell). 

The characters in Superman were incredibly well developed. They all felt like real people with their own lives and not just accessories to Clark. Lois Lane for instance, who is often depicted as the classic damsel in distress, had her own very important role in the story. Towards the beginning is a scene where she interviews Clark/Superman, and though the two are dating, she doesn’t go easy on him in the slightest. Later she is the one who discovers critical information to stop Lex Luthor.

As the movie progresses more of Lex Luthor’s nefarious intentions are discovered and the conflict in Boravia worsens. Superman teams up with a group of metahumans called the justice gang– composed of Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Hawk Girl (Isabela Merced)– Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen. Together they stop Lex Luthor and save the Jarhanpurians from the Boravian government. 

Though it has serious moments, Superman was fairly lighthearted and funny. It had a perfect balance of suspenseful, emotional and humorous scenes that made the movie feel complex while not being too serious. One character who adds much to the comedic elements of the movie is Krypto, a dog who has the same powers as Superman without any of the discipline. Krypto is the center of many chaotic scenes that lead to some of the funniest moments in the movie. Another moment of comedic relief was a scene with Mr. Terrific and Lois Lane, as they fight through a group of Lex Luthor’s followers. Throughout the scene the song Five years time by Noah and the Whale plays in the background, reminiscent of the Guardians of the Galaxy which was also directed by Gunn. 

Superman (2025) was an excellent contribution to the DC universe, both satisfying longtime fans and creating new ones.