The tagline for 1978’s “Superman: The Movie” was that “You’ll believe a man can fly.” And for the most part, it was right. Even as dated as the effects can seem, there’s a magic in director Richard Donner’s vision and star Christopher Reeve’s charisma that has resonated deeply with audiences of all ages, past and present. Since then, various filmmakers have tried to reproduce and reinvent the image of Superman for the big screen, but none have been able to live up to the standard set by the original 1978 film.
Nearly 50 years later, with “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn taking the role of co-CEO for DC Studios, he completely restarts DC’s cinematic universe after its disastrous attempt to compete with Marvel. Kicking off this new universe, Gunn takes his stab at the iconic superhero in this year’s “Superman.” His film finally recaptured the magic that made me believe once again, for 130 minutes, a man can fly.
“Superman” follows the titular hero as he’s forced to deal with the consequences of his interference in an international political conflict. Forced to reckon with his Kryptonian identity as a lifelong inhabitant of Earth, Superman must learn to reconcile past and present as people increasingly become skeptical of his role on the planet. All the while, shady corporate CEO Lex Luthor schemes for Superman’s demise.
“Superman” is a superb return to form for superhero storytelling in movies. Rather than starting from the beginning to retell the origin of Superman, we get thrown into a universe where the Man of Steel and other metahumans have long been established. This may come off as a surprise to general audiences unfamiliar with DC comics, but it strangely works in the film’s favor because it allows the story to get right to the good parts.
As someone who has occasionally explored comics, it can be intimidating to get into the medium given how vast the library is. Many stories thankfully provide enough context for newcomers to familiarize themselves with their lore and world. Similarly, “Superman” does enough to get general audiences introduced to its world and the larger-than-life figures who make it up. The structure and pacing of the film make each act feel like individual comic issues that connect together into a single volume of a film.
The performances in “Superman” are some of the strongest we’ve seen in DC’s filmography. Even as a massive fan of the original 1978 movie, it’s impossible to deny that David Corenswet’s portrayal of Superman may be the best to have ever graced cinemas. It’s just refreshing to see dynamic, lively characters in a DC film after a decade of wooden, directionless performances.
Corenswet’s charisma and embodiment of the role makes him the most convincing Superman ever portrayed in cinema. Of all the actors to have played Superman, Corenswet has been the only one to perfectly balance Superman’s seemingly incongruous identities as both a godlike hero and a normal guy.
Watching other interpretations of the hero in film, I always wonder, who really is Superman, and who is the character he’s playing? Is the dorky Kent the role Superman plays to disguise himself in society? Is Superman the cool, charismatic identity Kent wants to have? Corenswet plays both Kent and Superman as dorky, but with a charismatic coolness to them. It makes the character not only convincing, but also far more likable.
Alongside Corenswet is Nicholas Hoult, who plays the hate-consumed Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan as the ambitious Lois Lane. Hoult delivers not only the best portrayal of Luthor seen on the big screen, but also one of the most entertaining villain performances seen in American cinema. Hoult’s smug cockiness and extreme hatred make him a convincing and terrifying Luthor that steals every scene he’s in. We love to hate him.
Brosnahan is very bold with Lane. In addition to having great chemistry with Corenswet, she also conquers every scene she’s in. Lane is a persistent character who refuses to take no for an answer, and Brosnahan absolutely does not mess around as the character.
It’s almost intimidating how much screen presence these three performers have. Each of them carries such an almighty onscreen force that the scenes they share feel like a battle between unstoppable forces and immovable objects. But instead of having clashing presences on screen, they only make their scenes all the more captivating to witness.
In addition to these three, the film contains a huge cast consisting of the Daily Planet staff, dastardly villains, and the crudely-named team of metahumans, the “Justice Gang.” One of the film’s biggest challenges is figuring out how to balance this ambitiously-sized cast.
While many characters with limited screen time have been able to successfully fulfill their roles, the inclusion of some can feel purposeless. Some of the foes in this film don’t really contribute much to the narrative apart from being a punching bag for Superman’s fists.
It’s a bit disappointing how Lane’s arc was handled in the film. It felt too limited in what it wanted to achieve and became molded to be convenient to the narrative. But Brosnahan at least makes up for this with a strong performance that understands the subtext of her character beyond what’s on the page.
There just isn’t enough time in this film to explore everything Gunn wants to establish. “Superman” seriously struggles with its eagerness to create its cinematic universe. While everything introduced will presumably be expanded upon in later projects, this film shouldn’t have to compromise its narrative to accommodate these additional inclusions.
Still, Gunn’s efforts deliver an excellent approach to the character with a film necessary for the current state of our world. “Superman” can be quite cheesy and oversentimental, but it’s a good cheese and sentiment that complements the film and its hero well. In a pessimistic, contemporary America dominated by individualistic mentality and political division, it’s refreshing to see a film with an earnest hope for our world.
After nearly 50 years, it’s nice having a director who understands Superman as well as Donner did. With the magic being rekindled in 2025’s “Superman,” I’m left feeling optimistic for what Gunn has in store for DC. “Superman” as a film, story, and hero was never about beating up and taking down foes. It’s a symbol for heroism at its purest: helping others and doing the right thing for its own sake. Maybe we needed that reminder now more than ever.
4/5
