Superman 2025

The Gunn doesn't jam

Superhero movies have become one of the most popular genres of this century. The creation of the critically acclaimed Marvel Cinematic Universe started a chain reaction in Hollywood, creating other superhero movies and universes. 

One attempt was Warner Bros. trying to start their own cinematic universe with the DCEU. While there were a few good movies in this extended universe, the majority of the films flopped at both the box office and with the fans. 

Wanting to start fresh, a soft reboot was done. Warner Bros. hired James Gunn to lead the charge for their new universe, rebranding it to DCU. 

Gunn is famous for some of his previous superhero films, like the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and the TV series “Peacemaker.”  

Gunn decided the first film of his new world would be “Superman.” The honor of portraying the iconic superhero would go to David Corenswet. 

Alongside Corenswet, Gunn would cast Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern. With a star-studded cast, the movie was given high expectations by the fans. 

The movie easily crushed these expectations and set the bar for hero origin story films. It offered a newer, fresher perspective for knowledgeable fans who have watched Superman stories their whole life, while still making it easy to understand for new audiences. 

Instead of starting with Superman as a baby and getting adopted by the Kent family, the movie begins three years into the young hero’s career, with him recovering from a fight at his base, the Fortress of Solitude. 

The plot sees Superman trying to stop the invasion of Jarhanpur from the nation of Boravia. Superman’s nemesis, Lex Luthor, is funding the Boravian government's invasion in exchange for half the land when the nation falls. 

Luthor is also hoping to embarrass Superman in the public eye. With the help of his metahumans, Luthor decisively beats up the Man of Steel and destroys the inside of the Fortress of Solitude. 

While in the base, Luthor discovers a message Superman’s birth parents sent with the young Kryptonian. The end of the message was destroyed, but Superman kept the beginning of it because his parents told him to protect Earth. 

Luthor recovers the ending, which reveals his parents wanted Superman to rule over the Earth, as humans are an inferior race to Kryptonians. Sharing the message to the world, Luthor has beaten the world’s hero both physically and psychologically. 

This new direction is refreshing because it shows the Last Son of Krypton in a different light. Superman always wins his fights, so for him to be beaten and put into a worn-down state adds a sense of urgency to him defeating Luthor. 

Mentally, he must recover. He believes his life’s purpose has been ruined because he thought he should be the protector of Earth, not its ruler. After talking to his adoptive father, Superman realizes his purpose is whatever he decides it to be, not his biological parents. 

The film also focuses on the private persona of Superman, Clark Kent. Kent works for the newspaper “The Daily Planet” as a journalist, where he will interview “Superman” for an exclusive.  

I will always love seeing this side of the hero because it makes him more relatable and easier to root for. While as Superman he might be this confident, strong hero, Clark Kent is a bumbling dork who is trying to break out into the world. 

One of the other sides of Kent explored is his love life with Lois Lane. The pair of them work together at the newspaper but have been dating for about three months. 

Their relationship offers an insight into the mind of Kent. He trusts people quickly, as he already told her about his superhuman identity. Kent also cares for her but struggles with expressing it. 

The film ends with one of the best superhero movie kiss scenes ever. Superman picks Lane up and kisses her inside the newspaper office as the sunlight beams around them. This camera shot is just one of many fantastic shots, showing off Gunn’s incredible cinematography work. 

Another amazing job done by Gunn and the crew is the incredible soundtrack. Gunn has become famous for his soundtracks in movies, and in this one, he offers another banger.  

The entire movie is fantastic. It teaches learning how to be true to yourself, accepting yourself, being kind to others and helping those in need are just a few of its themes.  

This film also makes me excited to watch future DCU films to see if they can be as good as this one. “Superman” did not just set the bar but raised it all the way to space.