by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
A superhero must fight to prove his dedication to his adoptive planet when a rich tyrant wants to show that aliens have no allegiance to Earth in Superman.
Superman has been on the planet for decades now and has been saving lives for more than three years. After he stops an international conflict by stopping an invasion, the world starts to cry foul. Led by Lex Luthor, an anti-alien sentiment grows. The powerful and smart Luthor has it in for the “superhero†and starts using all the brains he has to take him down. Can Superman and his super friends survive?
Superman is written and directed by James Gunn, based on characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The movie stars David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Skyler Gisondo, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Isabel Merced, Nathan Fillion, Wendell Pierce, Mikaela Hoover, and Frank Grillo. Superman is the first film in chapter one (Gods and Monsters) of the new James Gunn-developed DC Universe.
Originally titled Superman: Legacy, the title was shortened to Superman because Gunn, the Legacy part of Superman’s title, had a “looking-back feeling about it,” which is not the connotation he wanted to enforce. Legacy is still an important theme of the movie because Superman is trying to figure out whose legacy he should be a part of, his Kryptonian legacy or his Earthly one. Gunn also stated that much of the inspiration for the movie came from the All-Star Superman comic book series by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely that started in 2005. (Morrison serves as the writer for Gunn’s upcoming movie, The Brave and the Bold.)
One of the great things about this movie reboot of the Superman franchise is that James Gunn accepts the obvious. Everyone knows the origin of Superman, so he does not bother feeding it to the audience again. This story begins with an already established Superman and a world full of metahumans, including Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern (the Guy Gardner version), and a few others. Gunn doesn’t even give us an origin story of Lex Luthor. He just jumps right into a story and then allows the audience to follow along.
Along the way, Gunn gets each character perfect. Superman is a Boy Scout. Green Lantern is a butthole. Luthor is evil. Hawkgirl is hot, and Mister Terrific is…terrific! Edi Gathegi is phenomenal in his scene-stealing work as the blackest superhero of all time. He commands attention, has well-earned swagger, and is incredibly smart. It’s too bad that Gathegi, who played Duncan in X-Men: First Class and Will Pickett in The Harder They Fall, will not get a chance to reprise the role anytime soon because there is no Justice League or solo movie in the works.
The casting is full of standout performances. Corenswet makes a decent Clark Kent and even better Superman. His Kent reaches its fullest potential whenever he is paired with Brosnahan’s Lois Lane. His Superman is great from the moment he starts. Brosnahan is perfect as the dedicated and focused reporter who holds no quarter in her questions and dedication to telling the truth. Skyler Gisondo shows the audience a side to Jimmy Olsen unseen in the past. No longer the boyish, naïve reporter, this Jimmy Olsen is a player!
After years of Batman darkness and the Snyder-verse, it is great to see a DC superhero movie that is not dark and muddied, and depressing. Superman has very little of this. Supes does brood ever so slightly when he has to figure out how to handle the mission that his Kryptonian parents gave him, but even the darkest of scenes in this film are tinged with humor and hope. When it comes down to it, Superman is about saving lives and protecting the planet, even if it seems too good to be true.
Rated PG-13 for violence, action, and language, Superman is an undeniably good time. Gunn seems to respect the comics and at the same time give the audience some credit for its intelligence. Although the film is titled and about Superman, Gunn knows how to assemble a team of superheroes. This is the summer blockbuster we have been waiting for. (Look for cameos everywhere and two post-credit scenes.)
Superman can be seen in theaters starting July 11, 2025.
Grade: B
