Superman (2025)

This is an archived review from July 2025

When I sat down to watch the new Superman yesterday, I was insanely hyperactive. Seeing the Man of Steel back on the big screen in a tone and a feel that suits the big, blue boy scout was beyond exciting. However, for the first 20 minutes or so, I found myself underwhelmed. The action was good, and the character beats were great (especially the Clark/Lois interview scene), but something wasn’t quite clicking with me. When the first act ends, they reveal the true message sent with Clark and that's where the film really kicks into gear for me.

From there on, it becomes an unstoppable and emotional thrill ride that truly understands the core concept of Superman. Someone who will help anyone and everyone to the best of his ability, regardless of who you are. James Gunn manages to capture that unrelenting hope that Superman is known for whilst also providing us with a complex and engaging story that everyone can play a role in. The film leans into a lot of geo-political problems that we face in the world today. With one core plot point reflecting a devastating conflict happening right now. Its very impressive that they committed to this story, I have to applaud James for handling it so carefully but also using it as a platform to share his view on the situation.

David Corenswet is perfectly cast as Superman, he brings a layer of frustration on top of his own relentless optimism that fits perfectly in a world that questions the validity of kindness. David manages to convey the tortured soul of Superman but maintains his love for humanity. He makes this alien feel like the most human and more vulnerable person on the planet, you can’t help but adore him every time he’s on screen. He’s expertly complemented by the exquisite casting of Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, who reminds us all why she is the most feared and respected reporter in all comic book literature. Countering Clark’s world view with skeptism and grounding him in the reality of what his mere presence does, she provides a nice emotional anchor for Clark. She is active in the story and often assists with the takedown of the villain, utilising her greatest skills to expose the truth and help the man she loves.

In addition, Nicolas Hoult as Lex Luthor is quite possibly in the same league as Heath Ledger. He embodies every aspect of Lex all the way up to 11. Every line, every movement, every expression, all expertly conveying just how much hatred sits in his heart. In the age of complex villains and forgettable ones, both Nicolas and James have managed to make one that stands out in the overcrowded market, one that is inheritanly evil just out of spite. His hatred fuels his every move, and Nicolas makes sure you know it. I’d also like to give a shoutout to Krypto the Super Dog. An animal that reminds me of my own furry best friend. He provides some levity and an emotional hook for Clark, making his actions (however poorly thought through they are) very justified.

Sadly, not everyone had the same treatment as the main cast. The inclusion of many other DC characters was necessary for establishing this universe, but some of them feel like they should have had either more breathing room or left out completely. Whilst Guy Gardner, Mr Terrific and Metamorpho all play key roles and bring a certain presence to the film, sadly its Hawkgirl and The Engineer that feel like they don’t contribute much to the overall plot. Hawkgirl (played effectively by Isabella Merced) was often in the background, not really having any focus and occasionally throwing out jabs whilst the Engineer is solely in the film to showcase how smart Lex is. She has very little complexity, feeling like nothing more than a lackey to Lex and to setup James’ passion project down the line.

When you come into the third act, a character is revealed to be a clone of Superman. Unfortunately, this is where the film lost some good will with me. For all the creative and unique concepts in the story, having it devolve into a “hero fights an evil version of themselves” that we’ve seen countless times before now, just felt a tad lazy. The fight was good and I really appreciated the emotional ending it led into, I couldn’t help but feel cheated by the use of this trope yet again.

As a whole, the film works very well. The cinematography is as good as Gunn’s other films, the humour lands more often than not and the action, characters and writing all shine when the film slows down to appreciate them. This film really does have a lot of the lessons learnt and perfections that Gunn made on the Guardians films, so much so that tonally it often feels indistinguishable. I can forgive that due to the fact that Gunn just gets these characters, he shows an insane amount of love and care for Superman and provides us with a story that is worthy of the Man of Steel.

The film relays a message that I feel we need in this day and age. Gunn really saw the detachment, the division, the hatred that is so prevalent across the world and wanted Superman to tell us one thing. Just one thing…

Be Kind.