Superman soars into theaters on July 11.
By Elazar Abrahams
There’s something fitting about James Gunn’s Superman opening with little fanfare and almost no explanation. No origin montage, no quiet prologue on Krypton, no training sequence. This film, the first official entry in DC Studios’ new cinematic universe, simply drops viewers into the deep end and asks them to swim. For better and worse, that’s the ethos of this reboot: bold, bright, and unapologetically in motion.
That momentum is both exciting and exhausting. The film is packed, overflowing, really, with characters, concepts, and set pieces. It moves fast, assuming the audience can keep up, and never pauses long enough to catch its breath. We’re introduced to the Justice Gang, the minor players of the Daily Planet’s staff, multiple alien threats, and several layers of Lex Luthor’s villainy, often all at once. It’s not incoherent, but it is overwhelming. While all of the side characters are well-cast and entertaining, the sheer volume means few get meaningful development. The film is underexplained and overstuffed, which makes it hard to emotionally invest in anything outside of the core leads.
Thankfully, that core works.
David Corenswet steps into the cape with a quiet confidence that feels exactly right. His Superman isn’t brooding or burdened; he’s sincere. Good-hearted and uber kind. He plays Clark Kent as someone still figuring it out, but already firmly rooted in decency. There’s a calm to his performance that allows the character’s strength to feel effortless. It’s not a reinvention of Superman, but it is a reminder of why he’s endured.
Even better is Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Sharp, grounded, and bursting with charisma, she brings energy to every scene. Her chemistry with Corenswet is convincing without being overplayed, and her version of Lois is refreshingly modern without abandoning the character’s legacy. To me Brosnahan is the clear standout, delivering one of the most fully realized takes on the character in any medium.
Gunn’s stylistic influence as director is present, but more restrained than usual. There are flashes of the director’s signature flourishes, stylized action sequences, bold musical cues, and a few moments of sly humor, but they’re dialed in. An early fight scene involving Mr. Terrific, full of slow-motion weapon choreography and a rocking soundtrack, feels lifted directly from a Guardians of the Galaxy outtake, but most of the film tones that down. Gunn appears aware that Superman requires a different kind of storytelling rhythm, and for the most part, he respects that.
The blockbuster also offers a compelling new twist on the Superman mythos. In a subtle but meaningful shift, we learn that Kal-El wasn’t just sent to Earth to survive, but to conquer. His Kryptonian parents intended him to dominate the planet and rebuild their civilization. That revelation could have easily derailed the character, but it does the opposite. It clarifies his identity — Clark chooses humanity and morality. The only parents that matter in the end are Jonathan and Martha Kent from Smallville, Kansas. It gives Supes a deeper sense of agency and further defines him by the choices he makes, not the legacy he inherits.
There’s also a political undercurrent running through the film that feels timely without ever becoming didactic. I would posit that Superman is the first good piece of art for the second Trump era. If you recall, during the first Trump presidency, movies and TV were filled with #resistance messaging and inspiring reminders that decency still mattered in dark times. Now that we’re back on that path, culturally and politically, it seems like everyone has given up. This time feels even more depressing. Superman pushes back against that despair. Whether it’s tackling illegal aliens (hah), evil billionaires, or the societal toll of war and endless conflict, the movie presents an optimistic vision of kindness, morality, and what it means to be human. It doesn’t succumb to the darkness.
Musically, the film shines. The original score is sweeping and emotional, and the use of John Williams’ iconic theme is handled with care. It doesn’t appear often, but when it does, it gives you instant chills. Those notes still carry weight, and Gunn knows exactly when to bring them in.
And yet, for all its strengths, the film struggles under the weight of its own ambition. The script tries to cover too much ground too quickly, juggling characters, subplots, and lore with little room to breathe. While the central story remains clear and satisfying, the sheer volume of moving parts makes the experience feel crowded. There’s also a willingness to lean hard into the comic book weirdness, like the Martian babies, pocket universes, and kaiju monsters that all appear before the halfway mark. As a viewer not already invested in the genre’s more out there elements, it was a turn off, but I suppose that’s personal preference.
Still, Superman succeeds more often than it stumbles. While not the most polished superhero film of the past decade, it is the most sincere. In a franchise that confused darkness for depth the last time around, that matters. If this is to be the first chapter of years to come, it’s a promising start.
I give Superman a B+.
TV and City 