Superman, dir. James Gunn (Burbank, CA: DC Studios, 2025) is a marvelous retelling of one of America’s most recognizable heroes.
Rather than analyze Superman’s (David Corenswet) upbringing, Gunn opts to begin the story in media res: the first time our caped protagonist loses a fight. Immediately, audiences are given a dose of fan service as we see Superman’s secret base in Antarctica, a brief–misread–communiqué from his parents, and a bounding Krypto the Super-Dog.
All of the major anchors for a Superman story make their way into Gunn’s story: Superman’s alter-ego, Clark Kent, works as a journalist at the Daily Planet, where he begins dating the fierce Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult)–Superman’s long-time nemesis–is the primary villain of the story. And, of course, the end of the second act makes a detour to Smallville, where we meet Superman’s quietly humble Midwestern parents.
What is striking about Gunn’s rendition is how much it sticks to the original source material. Naturally, the story is Gunn’s: Boravia’s invasion of Jarhanpur is very clearly meant to parallel two contemporary conflicts, while he includes more recent tropes in the superhero genre: the introduction of multiverses, “pocket universes,” and interdimensional rifts. He also satirizes the high-stakes fights that consume audiences attention these days: as an “interdimensional imp” rampages across Metropolis, Superman shares an intimate moment with Lois Lane, reassuring her that the “Justice Gang”–Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabel Merced)–has it under control.
In spite of these innovations, the story being told plays homage to the earliest renditions of Superman: Clark Kent fundamentally believes in the goodness of all human beings, and he is willing to do anything it takes to protect life on earth.
This disposition drives the entire story: for his entire life, he believed he was sent to our planet precisely to accomplish this task. However, he learns at the beginning of the second act that his parents sent him to rule the planet with an iron fist, which turns most humans against him. This is a moment of intense cognitive dissonance for Superman, and he questions his own purpose. Nevertheless, Lois Lane and the heroes in the Justice Gang believe that he would never harm another person.
Superman’s character development culminates in his recognition that he is as human as anybody else, and he will determine his own fate. Rather than being sent to earth to accomplish some task for other people, he chooses to protect all life on our pale blue dot.
Our hero’s attitude here stands in stark contrast to Zack Snyder’s gritty Man of Steel (Burbank, CA: DC Entertainment, 2013), which attempted to build an identity for the DC Cinematic Universe as a much grittier reflection of superhero tropes. While Snyder is an excellent filmmaker, this “brand” struggled to find the popular acclaim received by DC’s competitor, the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Gunn’s depiction of Superman is a rejection of Snyder’s, and it makes the film all the stronger. Superman was initially designed as an all-American hero who lacks the moral complexes found elsewhere. His popularity was further strengthened by the United States’s entry in the Second World War, which was easy to mythologize as “the good war” against a barbaric evil (ultimately leading into the Holocaust). The United States’s imperial interventions throughout the world also made Superman an indefensible character: at best, his development seemed naïve.
Rather than grapple extensively with these moral ambiguities, Gunn’s refreshing resuscitation of Superman’s original character offers an aspirational take not on the United States as it is, but as it could be. Jon and Martha Kent, Superman’s parents, represent America’s values as most American people want to see themselves, and Gunn’s depiction suggests that these are as valuable now as ever. The United States may have lost itself in its imperial interventions, populist nationalism, and atrocities like enslavement and settler colonial expansion, but there is some element of American identity that is truly worth holding on to.
As much as Gunn respects Superman’s original characterization, he also pays homage to the history of superhero films. Early in the film, Superman fights a kaiju stampeding through Metropolis. After such villains fell out of favor in cinema, they continued through popular youth media like The Powerpuff Girls and Teen Titans. Such scenes feel quaint on the big screen, but Gunn handled this one with dignity and care while simultaneously showcasing Superman’s inspirational character.
The acting throughout the film was–across the board–superior. The three main characters (Superman, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor) were particularly well-casted.
Moreover, the film was filled with one-liners and quips that added to the movie instead of detracted from it.
In conclusion, James Gunn’s presentation of the lead character was admirable and inspiring, and Superman is a must-see depiction of America as it could be rather than as it is.
