Superman is back: Superman review

The wait is over. Superman flies into theaters July 11th, kicking off the official start to the James Gunn-led DCU. Will this be Iron Man to the MCU? Or Tom Cruise’s The Mummy?

 

We haven’t had a solo live-action Superman film since 2013. Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill, received mixed reactions from critics and audiences. The DCEU, as it was then known, never quite recovered.

The James Gunn era brings a recasting of DC’s holy trinity, which Snyderverse enthusiasts did not take well to. David Corenswet, a relative unknown, was cast as the new Superman. That too was met with mixed reactions.

The full cast includes David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, and Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen.

Then came the suit—with trunks—which also drew mixed reviews. The trailers? You guessed it: mixed reviews.

But I got a chance to see the film early, and my immediate reaction is……………….

RELIEVED.

 

James Gunn’s Superman feels like a fresh entry into the superhero genre, which is ironic since Superman is the oldest comic book superhero. This isn’t a “space god” Superman. This is a man of moral clarity in a morally gray world. It reminded me why Superman still matters. He’s hopeful without being hokey. This movie is a pure comic book film in the best possible way.

Corenswet’s Superman is deeply grounded in emotion. In a way we’ve never seen. The beauty in this is that it’s not just one emotion. Cavill’s Man of Steel seemed to only have one emoji available; Corenswet uses the entire keyboard of emoticons.

Let’s get the comparison out of the way: Man of Steel was epic, all scale and spectacle. But most versions, except for Superman: The Animated Series and Christopher Reeve, never quite nailed Clark Kent. This film absolutely sticks the landing.

Batman’s true identity is Batman; Bruce Wayne is the mask. But Superman is Clark Kent. This alien better reflects human ideals than most actual humans. The film drives that point home perfectly.

This is the Adventures of Superman, Year 3. Metahumans have been around for 300 years. It’s been three days since Boravia invaded a neighboring city. And three minutes ago, Superman lost his first fight.

One of the coolest parts of this film is it feels like watching the day in the life of Superman. As if we were on Twitch seeing what a normal week looks like for the boy scout.

Gunn’s bold choice: the first time we see Superman on screen, he’s broken, vulnerable, and defeated. It sets the tone for just how different this Supes would be.

David Corenswet’s Superman brings all the nuance to the character that makes him interesting. He has a smug confidence and boyish grin. He knows he’s a pain in the butt to bad guys—and he enjoys it.

One scene truly captures the essence of Superman: while others battle a kaiju, he stops to save a squirrel. His moral compass never wavers.

Rachel Brosnahan is officially going toe to toe with the Lois from Superman: The Animated Series. Lois Lane is perfect. She plays Lois with sharpness and self-awareness. She’s a realist to Clark’s optimist. She trusts humanity less than Clark does. Again, a compelling dynamic: Clark is the ideal of humanity—even though he isn’t human.

Every choice Gunn makes is clearly a remix of the best parts of past Supermen. David and Rachel have undeniable chemistry. Not just romantically—it’s magnetic and complicated, and that’s what makes it work.

A superhero movie is only as good as its villain. And Nicholas Hoult is a bad man. He auditioned for both Batman and Superman but was born to play Lex Luthor.

Like Clancy Brown’s Lex from the animated series, this one is smart, cold, and formidable. Several times, he has Superman dead to rights. Someone queue up Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria.” Because Lex hates everything about Superman. Lex is swimming in money, blackmailing people, and capturing metahumans he hates too. But nowhere near as much as he hates Superman.

He has so much money, he has gateways to pocket dimensions. He has been planning Superman’s downfall for three years—his reputation, then his life.

Lex is also behind the Hammer of Boravia. He funds the war to bait Superman, then gains clearance to take him down. He has a tech farm of minions that operate like the Sovereign in Guardians of the Galaxy. They studied Superman’s fight patterns and fed the calculated moves to a clone of Superman—Ultraman. Lex was also behind the kaiju attacks. All just to study Superman’s weaknesses.

And he would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for them pesky kids—the Justice Gang.

One of the ultimate standouts of the film is Lex Luthor and Mr. Terrific. If you saw the CW’s version—delet-eee! This is the proper version of the character.

Mr. Terrific is summed up in the film as “the smart one.” He’s from DC Comics and is highly skilled and intelligent. Mr. Terrific, aka Michael Holt, invented the T-Sphere—a versatile device controlled by his mask and earpieces. He served in the Justice Society of America and had a short-lived standalone comic book series.

In the film, he is part of the Justice Gang—a group of metahumans funded by Maxwell Lord. Edi Gathegi is terrific in the role and delivers the best fight scene in the entire film.

Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern and Hawkgirl round out the team. Hawkgirl has less to do but nails the vibe. Guy is silly without being too much. It all works.

They all play a vital role in the plot and escalation of the film. The plot does not include side quests for the sake of giving them more screentime. It’s cohesive and critical to the stakes. The character moments and ensemble elevate the film from good to great.

Jimmy Olsen, Metamorpho, and Eve Teschmacher are the real MVPs. Gunn draws inspiration from Superman: The Movieand Superman II. Like in those films, Teschmacher helps save Superman. But here, she’s a social media influencer and Jimmy’s old flame.

Metamorpho was my least favorite character. He was originally part of Lex’s plan to kill Superman by shaping his hand into kryptonite. But he’s being held against his will—Lex has his son, Joey. After a change of heart and taking Superman at his word, he creates a replica of the yellow sun. Supes breaks out, still weakened by kryptonite poisoning, but wills himself to save Joey. Mr. Terrific rescues them from the pocket dimension, which is ripping through the city due to Lex’s tampering.

Meanwhile, Boravia is invading Jarhanpur. The kids raise a flag, showing they still have hope because of Superman.

While Superman tends to the rip in the city, the team gets an upgrade (Guy Gardner’s words, not mine). We get another cool action sequence and funny use of the Green Lantern ring—including giving someone the finger. Literally.

Krypto also plays a vital part. He’s in the film for key moments. Earlier, when Lex entered the Fortress of Solitude with Ultraman, a message from Kal-El’s parents plays. Up until this point, it had guided Clark’s moral compass and mission on Earth. But when Lex breaks in, Clark hears the full recording. It suggests ruling by force if necessary. Clark never heard that part—and now must confront the reality. Is he even who he thought he was?

While recovering from the kryptonite at the Kent farm, Clark receives sage wisdom from Jonathan Kent. In a heartfelt father-son moment, Jonathan says parents trying to tell their kids who they should be never works. That Clark’s decision to be who he is—that’s what makes him Superman. Yes, I almost shed a thug tear.

With a full tank of self-confidence and renewed motivation, Supes takes on the Engineer and Ultraman. The fight is visually stunning and shot excellently. The big reveal: Ultraman is indeed a clone of Superman.

Lex is outed by info Eve sent to Jimmy, who runs the story at the Daily Planet. We get another surprise—Milly Alcock’s Supergirl stumbles into the Fortress of Solitude, inebriated. We learn Krypto actually belongs to her in the DCU.

A few other notable things: we get flashes of what looks like the future Hall of Justice.

What didn’t work for me: Metamorpho came off a little silly. His on-a-dime heel turn also felt like plot armor. Teschmacher’s quick betrayal of Lex felt a bit rushed. I’m also still not crazy about the suits.

Surprises? The right amount of classic James Gunn rhythms. Humor and emotional beats—well measured.

One thing I wish were different: Lex being caught at the end. A better use of him might’ve been letting him remain in the shadows, like in the animated series, a constant thorn in Superman’s side.

I would rate this film a 87.