Superman ’25

• Written and Directed by James Gunn
• July 7, 2025 (TCL Chinese Theater) / July 11, 2025 (US)
• Based on Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and assorted characters from DC

After Superman stops an international conflict, he faces a plot orchestrated by Lex Luthor.

I am no James Gunn fanatic. I think he’s a touch overrated. He came to prominence because of the Marvel Machine and not because of his own talents. He’s not some cinematic messiah or superhero movie savior. It is a very strong fanbase that thinks he is though.

Having said all that, I can’t complain too much about Superman ‘25. It’s certainly not perfect and has flaws but it’s not the mess or heavy comedy I thought it would be. It’s not overwhelmingly perfect and could’ve used some improvements but not bad.

******SPOILERS AHEAD******

******YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED******

If I had any initial complaints it is that this film feels like it starts in the middle of the story. Superman (David Coreswet) has just ended a conflict involving the fictitious country of Boravia invading the equally fictitious country of Jarhanpur. Superman did something to end that conflict but none of that appears on the screen. It’s all given in a very brief text like you’re watching part two of a special two-part episode of some TV show having missed part one. It takes time to get a clear picture of the whole situation. There was no need for an origin film but there was a need to start at the beginning of the story.

Additionally it is packed with a lot of characters who don’t get too expanded upon. It’s more like a tease for their future involvement elsewhere if anything. James Gunn is doing here basically what Zack Snyder did in Man of Steel. They are clearly intent on playing catch-up to Marvel. With over 10 years they really should not. Take your time.

Corenswet does a nice job as Clark Kent/Superman. Not a great job but a nice job. His Clark and Superman are almost identical with the glasses simply hiding the identity. Looking back to Christopher Reeve’s Superman, given the apparent personality differences and general actions you could believe people not figuring it out. Here I think it’s a little less believable. The ‘hypnotic glasses works in comics but not live action.

I was VERY concerned over Rachel Brosnahan being able to handle the part of Lois Lane. I’ve only seen her in Dead for a Dollar and I wasn’t thrilled with her work there. Her performance was stiff as well as a bit community theater in the aforementioned film. She does service to the part of Lois but doesn’t blow me out of water.

Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt/Mister Terrific were all well cast. Even Anthony Carrigan (like that last name) as Rex Mason/Metamorpho managed to make a mountain out of a mole hill. He turned a bit part into a shining moment giving the character depth and nuance when all he really had to be was a plot device that helped Superman break out of a pocket universe prison.

Nicholas Hoult is an underrated actor. He’s done an excellent romantic zombie movie with Warm Bodies and quality work as a young Hank McCoy and was a fantastic surprise in Mad Max: Fury Road. He is perhaps the highlight of the movie as Lex Luthor. Unlike previous iterations of the character his Lex knows exactly why he dislikes Superman. He understands it and leans into the envy that drives him.

Because this movie starts in the middle of the story, Superman ’25 feels like it’s careening and maybe stumbling before it gets a little bit of focus. There’s a sensation about this movie that made me feel like I was watching an episode of any iteration of Super Friends more than I was watching a multi-million dollar Superman movie. Giant monsters and interdimensional imps are just a thing and treated pretty casually by everybody. Mixed into that is how social media can shape and turn public opinion. Is it aiming for depth or something fun?

On that public opinion turns on a dime depending on what social media or general entertainment tells these fictional masses to think. Monkeys from a pocket universe typing on computers easily generate dislike for Supes. A video hits the news and everybody suddenly hates Superman. Another video hits the news and everybody loves him again. How easily led are the people in this fictional world?

You can’t miss the politics of this movie. It certainly has something to say. The Boravia/Jarhanpur issue is clearly an allusion to conflict in the Middle East and more specifically what’s going on in Israel and Gaza. It handles THAT as well as you would expect a comic book movie could. I am a touch bothered by the portrayal of the Boravian president. That may be Zlatko Burić’s genuine appearance but something about his President Vasil Ghurkos reminded me of WWII Nazi anti-Jewish propaganda. Weirdly the innocent civilians of Jarhanpur live in ‘villages’ reminiscent of refugee camps IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY! Subtle this is not.

When Superman tries to have deep thoughts is when it gets shaky if not downright bad. From the political philosophy it tries to hammer home to Superman saying his attitude is perhaps the real punk rock there were moments when I wanted to kind of shrink back into my seat because I felt embarrassed for the people on screen. It doesn’t matter that Superman likes punk rock music. It’s just how they used it for a greater discussion.

Morality as portrayed can be inconsistent. Superman spends time lamenting the death of the kaiju killed by the Justice Gang. That’s fine, but he doesn’t even give a second thought about dumping Ultraman into a black hole. He moves on pretty quickly from the death. There are so many reasons to be bothered by that. Superman has demonstrated some concern over all life. This life that just died was an imperfect copy of him. It may have been Luthor’s mindless henchman, but he was still a living being that coincidentally was his clone! 

Much like the Guardians of the Galaxy movies there’s plenty of humor in this. Too often though the humor can be a little bit awkward and even undermines some of the action. Not as consistently as a Marvel movie does but it gets close. No need for dark and gritty but do not undercut what you are doing. Krypto the Dog pushed that limit with his antics but in a credit to Gunn they become useful for the resolution. Even the apparent comedic stupidity of Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) amounts to something.

The mysteries it tries for are not as mysterious as Gunn would like. What Ultraman is should not come as a surprise to a child less than ten or an adult raised on any number of animated cartoons from the 80s/90s. Accessing the Fortress of Solitude was the big hint. It is a big moment given the ramifications but does not have the shock value it should.

Superman for comfort has been listening to a garbled message from his Kryptonian parents for a long time much like a teenager once would to a heavy-metal album before they went on a killing spree. Luthor gets into Superman’s computer and not only retrieves the message but is able to clean it up it using the nanotechnology infused body of Angela Spica/The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) because the advanced Kryptonian technology which is centuries ahead of anything produced on Earth couldn’t. That is a bit tough for me to be okay with.

All the previous iterations of Superman have had his parents send him to do better for Earth than the Kryptonians did for their own world. That’s partially true in Superman ‘25 but then Gunn appears to lift a page from his film Brightburn or reportedly the John Byrne Superman run. Turns out Superman is also here to eventually conquer Earth and knock up as many human women as he possibly can. They couldn’t at least say that the last part was fake or something? They do a pretty good job of making that reveal irreversible. And the best they could do for a Jor-El was Bradley Cooper? It feels like TV level casting. We had Marlon Brando and then Russell Crowe and now Bradley Cooper.

The portrayal of Ma and Pa Kent (Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince respectively) had the sheen of something people who’ve never been around actual farmers might come up with. Just something about them felt inauthentic in comparison to Glenn Ford or John Schneider. They tried too hard for a country twang yet have an adopted son that sounds like he was raised in some place more metropolitan.

I think the film spends a little bit too much time on the Justice Gang with the characters taking up heavy screentime. The name itself is a gag that gets run into the ground. They are a group of quirky and mildly humorous individuals that the viewer sees a lot of. Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) is a bit superfluous to events. Gardner and Terrific do more in relation to the battle in the camp, er, village. I am big on the title character being the focus and Supes often gets sidelined for them.

The action is exciting and adrenaline pumping. It was frenetic with CGI blending with live action better than many films these days. Gunn handles that aspect quite well. I was watching closely trying to spot where the real ended and the fakery began.

All but the Superman costume looked good no matter what. When the camera got up close to it, it looked like a shell rather than a garment-even one that may be armored in some fashion. That’s in comparison to what Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl and Mr. Terrific all wore. Say what you will about Zack Snyder, but his costume made it appear that was 100% Henry Cavill underneath with the appearance here being 75% David Corenswet.

Notes from the classic theme of Superman ‘78 are used repeatedly throughout the film and not just for the opening logo of the DC films. It’s not a note here or there. It’s with a serious level of regularity. You can only ride the nostalgia train so much before it can feel like a bit of a crutch. This movie doesn’t need a crutch. It may not be as masterpiece but it’s good enough that it doesn’t need assistance. 

Superman ‘25 has some flaws but it’s more good than bad. It’s exciting and entertaining. I just wish it had backed up a little bit to begin the story. Beyond that sensation of catching up it is an excellent film well worth your time.