In 1978, director Richard Donner and his team made superhero magic with the first Superman film that captures the essence of the iconic DC comic book series while telling its own story. It still holds up (mostly) and is still an inspiration for many directors and storytellers to make live-action renditions of the “gods among men” trope that comic books fall back to from time to time. Especially for James Gunn.

The man knows his comic books and what makes their tropes work in live-action, as far as his finished works have shown. From original works like The Specials, Super, and Brightburn, to making non-mainstream Marvel & DC factions super-popular and relevant -Guardians of the Galaxy, Suicide Squad, & Peacemaker- it’s clear as day that anything he touches involving the funny books do end up being quality watches even if you may not agree with their respective directions.

His latest experiment? Making the often-repeated tale of Superman relevant, fresh, and exciting again without being bogged down by past interpretations. Even if he didn’t hit it out of the ballpark fully, it’s still an amazing one-two hero punch to the proverbial balls of mediocrity.

The Quest For Peace

Superman (2025) assumes we all know how Clark Kent (David Corenswet) became Superman and how he already arrived on Earth and donned the cape to help people. After SO MANY interpretations of this iconic hero from the aforementioned Donner film to even animated godsends like Superman: The Animated Series, that’s the best way to start the film: in media res and in the thick of it.

After a brief recap, we see our boy in red and blue recovering in his Fortress of Solitude after a fight with an enforcer called the Hammer of Boravia, who is clearly a metahuman named Ultraman underneath all that armour. This is in retaliation for Superman’s previous attempt at stopping a war started by Boravia. Meanwhile, CEO of Luthorcorp Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) plans to bring Superman down with his own tech and rashlessness, with Ultraman and The Engineer helping him out. We also have Clark Kent/Superman’s reporter friend/lover Lois Lane, her photographer Jimmy Olsen, and her boss Perry White, on the Daily Planet side.

And then there’s the “Justice Gang” consisting of a**hole Green Lantern rep Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and tech wizard Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi). And also an appearance of another DC hero named Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan).

Within the first 10 minutes, your mainstream audiences who at least know a lick of the Man of Steel’s lore can put the pieces together quickly and already form that connection. In fact, the film arguably overwhelms you with many plot beats and overarching story bits that it can be hard to keep up if you aren’t that familiar with a lot of Superman and DC animated show properties. On one hand, the first 30 minutes of the film could have been smoother with its setup; a turbulent-filled take-off on a flight.

Then again, that is the film’s biggest strength: James Gunn and his crew tap on what has already been shown and just makes a standalone film out of it; one that truly feels like a 6-issue limited series story of Superman against all odds.

And it is a helluva ride past the take-off period, thanks to great acting and portrayals from its cast.

As this is the in-between arc for Clark Kent/Superman that has a mix of his naiveté and hopefulness, Corenswet has done an excellent job being Superman who starts out defeated, but picks himself up, gets good advice from his friends and family, and overcoming all odds through sheer will and his Kryptonian heritage. You can’t help but love the presence and charisma he has here, and it’s not just the looks. I get a mix of Christopher Reeves and Tim Daly in this Superman, while also being its own version that can stand alongside the two portrayals. This Superman shows a bit of vulnerability, but even gods among men have their weaker side, and it’s how this Superman overcomes them that shines bright like a Red Sun.

Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane is also a stellar act, complementing Clark/Superman but also doing her job as a reporter and kicking ass at it while being sharp & quick-witted. It’s like as if she’s channeling parts of her previous Marvellous Mrs Maisel role together with Dana Delaney’s portrayal only without the suffrage, hardcore swearing, and miniskirt. Nicholas Hoult’s Luthor is as diabolical and as ill-tempered as they get, as one would expect of a high-intellect and egotistical billionaire with a ginormous amount of entitlement. You love to hate him yet see how his plans and his hidden “base of operations and incarceration” works, alongside the threats that is Ultraman and The Engineer. I’d say Hoult’s portrayal is on the same level as Clancy Brown’s, arguably better because of the actor’s penchant for playing petty a**holes.

Everyone else mentioned are side characters who do not overstay their welcome, yet stand out on their own to keep the comic book-to-movie energy going to a ridiculously enthralling degree. Skyler Gidonso’s Jimmy Olsen has a few good moments especially when dealing with his inside source that helps Lois Lane in the long run. The Justice Gang work great, especially when the spotlight is on Mister Terrific. And the doggo in the room, Krypto the Superdog, is a treat to watch as he both hinders and aggravates Superman, but also ends up helping big in the key action bits. You will believe a mix of CGI and a trained dog can make you cheer.

Speaking of which, the superheroics are all paced well, framed and shot just right, and work within the logic of its source material. A film like this that is half-tribute and half-new arc would not have gelled so well without tons of existing Superman works from the late 70s to post-pandemic 2020s. From giant alien beasts to pocket dimensions ready to rip and tear Earth a new hole, to even the background with superheroes fighting an alien jellyfish serving as mood lighting to a key emotional scene between two lovers, Superman (2025) goes all out while also not take itself too seriously with its Truth, Justice, And The American Way motif that is prominent in all Superman stories.

Also props to the writing team for NOT killing off the father figure to make a point that could have been made by rational thinking and level-headed decisions. The “S” on Superman’s outfit stands for “Hope”, not “meaningless sacrifices for the sake of garnering emotion”.

Can You Read My Mind

James Gunn’s Superman is a colourful and fun jump-start to the new DC Comics cavalcade of superhero films under new management. It pays tribute to the late 70s Richard Donner adaptation but without the baggage, it glorifies its superheroics and shows off more of the Man of Steel in action and in his element instead of giving half of that screentime to alter-ego Clark Kent, and it’s accompanied with a lovely score.

While the main narrative can get packed at times, its onboarding really loaded and almost topples its whole production, and its camera work plays it safe, this year’s Superman film is regardless what we always wanted: a live-action show that channels the past Warner Bros animated series superhero shows from Alan Burnett and Bruce Timm while being its own thing. James Gunn understood the assignment and made a rock-solid effort in delivering a remarkable live-action Superman experience, even at the cost of possibly alienating newbies to the new DC universe.

Final Score: 80/100