Review: ‘Superman’ is Satisfyingly Human

The Superman comics have had many adaptations over the many years since Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first created the superhero. Radio, stage adaptations, video games, television, and of course films – starting as early as 1948 (Wikipedia has a full list).

Most fans today, though, fall into two camps when thinking of Superman movies: those who were introduced via the Christopher Reeve versions in the late ’70s/early ’80s, and those who were introduced to him via the DC Extended Universe. (Yes, there was Superman Returns in 2006, but not many people tend to talk about that one.)

One of the (ongoing) complaints about the DC Extended Universe version, with Henry Cavill as the man in question, was that it made Superman way too dark. It was gritty, it was cynical, and those who enjoyed them argued that it was just representative of the times it was made in *gestures at the world*.

Thankfully, James Gunn’s version took a different tactic. Yes, the world is on fire, but Superman is—at his core—about hope and compassion. I can’t remember where I read it, but there was an article that talked about how when casting a superhero movie, you don’t cast the hero (especially since 85% of the time that’s a stunt person)—you cast the alter-ego. Gunn’s Superman (played by David Corenswet) is, in the end, about how human the alien from Krypton really is.

Another thing I liked about this version was that it wasn’t yet another origin story. We’re dropped straight into the story: Superman has been around for a while now, and as the movie opens, we’re told he just was beaten in his first fight. (Admittedly, the lore dump in the opening credits was a little too much ‘telling’ and not enough ‘showing’ for me.)

Kent is already in a relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and in fact she already knows that Kent and Superman are one and the same. (Actually, there’s a scene late in the movie that implies that pretty much the entire Daily Planet staff knows.) And Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult, who—as I just watched him in Nosferatu and loved him in Renfield—has found himself on the list of actors I’m paying attention to now) has already dedicated to bringing the superhero down.

As for the plot: prior to the opening of the movie, Superman had stopped ‘Boravia’ from invading ‘Jarhanpur’, which causes political ramifications. (A little on the nose for the parallels to Israel, but then again I see the lack of critical analysis when it comes to our media and wonder if maybe there needs to be such obviousness now.) The public eventually turn on the man, and of course there are fights galore. Add in a dash of pocket universes and the “Justice Gang” (more on that later), and the story ends up very engaging, barely feeling like the two-hour running time.

However, and this is a big however, Gunn drops the ball in a couple of different ways. Early in the movie, we see Clark talking to Ma and Pa Kent, and let’s just say that it is not the most favorable view of the two. You’d think that a man who was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, would not lean into the ‘people from the Midwest are stupid hicks with heart’ trope (and don’t even get me started on that accent they have: that thing is from the deep south, not Kansas!). While I only was a casual fan of Smallville, I do remember that the Kents were smart, resourceful, and an ally to the cause. The stereotype took me immediately out of the movie, and I spent the rest of the movie trying to get back to enjoying the storytelling.

Additionally, Gunn yet again seems to not know how to write female characters. (And boy howdy, does he need to be introduced to the Bechdel-Wallace test.) Cat Grant (who I loved in the Supergirl TV show: played by Calista Flockhart, she was a feminist powerhouse who was complex in many ways) is barely a character: a blond bimbo with cleavage you can ski down. Meanwhile, one of the tag scenes has Supergirl (Milly Alcock, who apparently is getting her own movie in 2026) show up, and is basically a drunk party girl. Finally, while Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) is a fun character and I’d love to see more of her, she’s barely in it.

As for the baddies, there’s a running joke about Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) secretly having an affair with Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) and is the clinging, whiny woman stereotype that has Olsen desperately trying not to break up with her due to her connection with Luthor. And while we get a little bit of background with Angela Spica / The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), she’s barely more than a plot device to get Luther’s story on track.

Lois is pretty much the only fully-developed female character in the film for the most part. One of the things I did enjoy was a scene where she ‘interviews’ Superman, and the discussion deals with the implications of what it means that Clark is the primary person covering him.

As for the good, Krypto the dog is amazing, and manages to steal every scene he’s in. We’ve got Alan Tudyk playing a robot (shocker). I also enjoyed the introduction of the “Justice Gang”: Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific is excellent, well developed, and I hope to see more of him. Meanwhile, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner is very Nathan Fillion (I need a movie where Woody Harrelson plays his father).

The movie is very James Gunn: there are scenes where the background action is humorous while the foreground is having a serious conversation. Half the cast are Gunn alumni (including, of course, his brother Sean), and the soundtrack is fabulous. (I love how he just said ‘screw it’ and went with the Williams score, and don’t get me started on The Mighty Crabjoys.) The comedy is sprinkled throughout and is sharp. There are also nods to the other adaptations: Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum has a bit part, as well as Will Reeve (Christopher Reeve’s son). And I personally LOVED the scene where he saved the squirrel: it showed that even what we feel are insignificant things mean something to the man.

In the end, I give the movie a thumbs up because when the dust is settled and the fights are done, Superman—as mentioned above—is very human. He makes mistakes, he doubts himself, he loves, and he worries. Corenswet manages to be endearing, loveable, and—most importantly—flawed in his portrayal. It reminds the audience that Superman was originally created by two Jewish men in the years leading up to World War II and has been used since as a reflection of the current state of the world. The end message is that being kind and believing in people is the real punk rock.

Superman opened in the United States July 7, 2025, and is playing at a theatre near you. For more information about the movie, go to the official website.

Author: Angie Fiedler Sutton

Angie Fiedler Sutton is a writer, podcaster, and all-round fangirl geek. She has been published in Den of Geek, Stage Directions, LA Weekly, The Mary Sue, and others. She also produces her own podcast, Contents May Vary, where she interviews geeky people about geeky things. You can see all her work (and social media channels) at angiefsutton.com.

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