Superman (2025, PG-13)

Here we are, at the first theatrical release of the new James Gunn-led DC Universe. While it’s not a perfect movie, it really delivers on the things that matter. Namely, this is a film that just gets Superman, at his core, and that’s simply beautiful to watch. I’m all about that!

Amid controversy over Superman halting an armed invasion overseas, Lex Luthor sees a prime opportunity to turn the public—and the U.S. government—against him. Superman only ever wants to do good, which can feel suspect in a world where people are used to everyone having an agenda. When Lex hits at him in deeply personal ways, Superman fights to uphold what he stands for, inspiring friends and allies to help him.

When you get into the nuts and bolts of the story, the plot is a little messy and overstuffed at times. It has a lot of moving parts, and I’m not sure all of them fit together. But where it fumbles a bit on the mechanics, it always succeeds where its heart and themes are concerned. The film is inherently political, given Superman’s position as an undocumented alien refugee, the powerful billionaire as the main villain, and a major plot point about a dictator with genocidal intent. These themes are afforded weight without feeling heavy-handed, and threaded through them are Superman’s more overarching themes about hope, kindness, and compassion.

Okay, let’s talk about Superman himself. The main thing I’d previously seen David Corenswet in was the Ryan Murphy miniseries Hollywood, where he didn’t make a huge impression on me, but it’s clear that he was practically grown in a lab to play Clark Kent. The line between his Superman and his Clark is very thin. Whether he’s wearing the glasses or the cape, he’s wholesome—he honest-to-god says, “Golly!” in the first five minutes of the movie. He’s adorkable. He’s earnest—I love absolutely everything about him telling Lois that he’s punk rock. He’s sensitive. He makes mistakes and gets overwhelmed. He wrestles with his choices. His first concern is always to protect the innocent—while the metahuman heroes in the Justice Gang prioritize beating the bad guys, Superman is the one racing around to rescue the bystanders (including the dogs and squirrels) getting caught in the crossfire. As Clark, he clumsily navigates the crowded city streets with delicacy, anxious not to jostle anyone with his large, superpowered frame. As Superman, he tries to jump back into a fight while he’s still injured, and he drinks cocoa when he’s upset. I love him so much!

Corenswet does an excellent job anchoring the ship, but he’s one of many strong cast members playing excellent characters. I haven’t seen The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, so I’m not super familiar with Rachel Brosnahan, but she’s a fantastic Lois. She’s tough, sharp, and supremely capable, she’s not the best at dealing with her emotions, and she’s 100% willing to throw down for journalism and/or Clark. Brosnahan and Corenswet’s chemistry is great together, and I love watching them go toe-to-toe. I always enjoy Nicholas Hoult, although going into the film, I couldn’t quite picture him as Lex. But he totally nails the xenophobic genius billionaire with an all-consuming obsession to take down Superman. I also really enjoy Anthony Carrigan (NoHo Hank!) as Metamorpho and Wendell Pierce (who I remember best from The Wire) as an effective Perry White. And while the Justice Gang is one of the weaker points of the film for me overall, I adore Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific. I’ve seen Gathegi in a number of things over the years—I first saw him on House, and he had a previous (regrettably short-lived) role as a superhero in X-Men: First Class—but he’s just stellar here, smart and badass and witheringly hilarious. The film also features Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Alan Tudyk as one of the robots in the Fortress of Solitude, and a handful of cameos (in terms of both actors James Gunn likes and characters from the larger DCU.)

I can’t end this review without mentioning Krypto. I’m already on the record as loving DC League of Super-Pets, so I was primed to like Krypto anyway, but I really love how the film depicts him. Yes, he’s adorable and saves the day on more than one occasion, but he’s also a flying menace! Krypto is a rambunctious pup whose idea of play includes leaping on an injured Superman after a fight and nipping at his heels, and it’s awesome!

Warnings

Violence, thematic elements, language, drinking, light sexual references, and scary moments for kids.