Superman 2025 review: what James Gunn's new movie is really worth

Context: why a new Superman in 2025?

After the Henry Cavill years in Zack Snyder's DCEU, marked by Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman (2016) and the controversial Snyder Cut of Justice League (2021), Warner Bros. and DC Studios decided to reset the counters to zero. James Gunn, freshly appointed co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, officially unveiled the new DCU through the "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" slate on January 31, 2023.

The flagship project of this new era is Superman, released in July 2025, which marks the first big-screen appearance of David Corenswet in the Kryptonian costume. Gunn announced a more optimistic, more colorful Superman, more faithful to the spirit of the original comics than the dark iterations of the DCEU. The pressure is immense: pulling off the relaunch of the publisher's most iconic character without repeating the mistakes of the past.

The film was released amid initial skepticism: Snyder fans were uncomfortable with the change in tone, while new viewers were expecting genuine modernity. Our analysis reviews, scene by scene, what the film really delivers. To place this new installment in the broader context of the Superman filmography, our complete guide to the Cavill films retraces the previous era.

David Corenswet as Kal-El: verdict

The big question before the film's release was: can Corenswet carry the costume? After watching it, the answer is clear: yes. The actor, until then known for his roles in The Politician and Pearl, has several essential qualities that previous incarnations either shared or lacked.

First, the physical presence. Corenswet stands 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), with an imposing athletic build that isn't excessively muscular, which brings him closer to the Christopher Reeve archetype than to Cavill's ultra-bodybuilt silhouette. This credible physical presence, without being intimidating, makes it easier for the viewer to identify with him.

Next, the emotional warmth. Where Cavill, in the DCEU, was often presented as distant and tormented, Corenswet embodies a warm, approachable, sometimes even funny Superman. This human dimension reconnects with the Reeve spirit and the character's original optimism.

Finally, the Clark/Superman double act. Several scenes in the film show Corenswet switching between the two identities with remarkable fluidity. His clumsy, stooped, hesitant Clark Kent clearly nods to the founding performance of Christopher Reeve in 1978.

James Gunn's direction

James Gunn comes to Superman with a solid superhero resume: the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy at Marvel, The Suicide Squad at DC, the series Peacemaker. His style is characterized by a balance of humor, sincere emotion and ambitious action sequences.

In Superman 2025, this signature shows up in several narrative choices. The film opens without an exhaustive origin story: Superman is already Superman, already in Metropolis, already in a relationship with Lois Lane. This narrative economy allows the film to devote its time to the stakes of the present rather than rehashing the origins. Our analysis of the new James Gunn era retraces all the creative decisions guiding this nascent DCU.

Visually, Gunn opts for bright, saturated colors, a clean break from the dark palette of Snyder's DCEU. The Superman costume is more colorful, the red brighter, the blue more electric, the central S wider. This aesthetic embraces the character's comic-book dimension without diluting it in a pseudo-realistic grayness.

The film's pacing is brisk but knows how to let the emotional moments breathe. The Clark-Lois scenes have room to breathe, the action sequences build in intensity progressively, and the climax does justice to Kryptonian power while preserving the dramatic tension.

The expanded cast: Brosnahan, Hoult, Krypto

Beyond Corenswet, the film's cast delivers several major successes:

Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane brings the character a verbal combativeness and a professional intelligence that echo her performance in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Her Lois is a journalist before being a love interest, and the screenplay gives her several scenes where she drives the plot rather than being subjected to it.

Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor offers a never-before-seen version of the criminal genius. Younger than the previous Lexes (Hackman, Spacey, Eisenberg), Hoult plays a contemporary tech-bro Luthor, an uninhibited billionaire, intellectually arrogant. To explore this new incarnation, our complete analysis of Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor retraces his interpretation.

Krypto the Superdog is without a doubt the surprise of the film. Inspired by the comics and by thecomplete analysis of Krypto, Superman's dog, this character, a hybrid between loyal companion and walking disaster, brings a sincere comic dimension to the film while playing a serious role in several action sequences.

The rest of the cast features well-chosen supporting roles: Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern (Guy Gardner). These appearances plant the seeds of the DCU without harming the focus on Superman.

Faithfulness to the comics: successes and liberties

One of the film's big challenges was its faithfulness to the spirit of the original comics, after years of a DCEU that took more liberties in its adaptations. James Gunn clearly opted for an approach closer to the source material.

The film's comics-accurate successes:

• The Superman costume, faithful to the modern comics with the classic red trunks
• The Daily Planet as the hero's social epicenter
• The professional Lois-Clark dynamic in the newsroom
• The inclusion of Krypto as a full-fledged character, not an easter egg
• The visual references to several emblematic comics runs (All-Star Superman, Birthright)
• The hero's optimistic character, faithful to the historical archetype

The liberties taken by the screenplay include a chronological compression (Superman is immediately established in Metropolis without a long learning arc), a slight modernization of the tech-bro Lex Luthor, and the introduction of several DCU supporting characters absent from the canonical Superman storylines. These liberties are generally welcome because they serve the film's pacing without betraying the spirit of the character. To place these choices in the context of the other Superman films, our complete analysis of Superman Legacy develops the production context.

Cinematography, music and special effects

The film's cinematography, by Henry Braham (a recurring Gunn collaborator), embraces the comic-book dimension with visual compositions inspired by DC's finest panels: dizzying high-angle shots of Metropolis, classic heroic low-angle shots, emotional close-ups on Corenswet's eyes when Superman doubts.

The music by John Murphy picks up evocative motifs from John Williams' legendary theme without literally imitating it. Several musical passages in the film work as winks to fans of the Reeve saga without harming the film's own sonic identity.

The special effects shine particularly in the flight sequences. The flight of Superman, the main visual challenge of any adaptation of the hero, is rendered with a fluidity and a poetry reminiscent of what Superman 1978 had achieved technically almost fifty years ago. The fight sequences with Krypto, the urban destruction sequences and the confrontations with Lex and his creations are visually impressive without becoming unreadable.

Weak points and criticisms

No film is perfect, and Superman 2025 has received several recurring criticisms that deserve an honest analysis.

The initial pacing. The choice to open without an origin story exposes new viewers to a narrative heaviness in the first twenty minutes. The screenplay assumes some prior knowledge of the character and his universe, which can be disorienting for newcomers.

Too many characters. The simultaneous introduction of Mr. Terrific, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern and other figures of the nascent DCU sometimes dilutes the focus on Superman. Several critics judged the film "too ambitious in its universe-building" at the expense of narrative intimacy.

The humorous tone. Gunn's humorous signature, which worked perfectly in Guardians of the Galaxy, can feel slightly out of place in certain serious moments of Superman. The dose of humor is generally well calibrated, but a few scenes may seem to step out of register.

The final climax. Without spoiling anything, several critics judged the film's climax, despite its visual beauty, a little too rushed in its resolution. Some stakes seem to resolve too quickly compared to their patient build-up early in the film.

These weaknesses remain largely offset by the feature's major qualities. For a more succinct opinion, our first Superman 2025 review offers the essential takeaway on the film.

Comparison with the other Supermen on screen

How does Superman 2025 position itself in the hero's historical filmography?

Compared to Superman 1978 by Richard Donner, Gunn's film picks up the optimism and the emotional warmth but adds an inevitable visual modernity. No drawn-out youth in Smallville as in Donner, more narrative efficiency, but the same cultural tone.

Compared to Man of Steel and Snyder's DCEU, Gunn marks a clean break: bright colors instead of a gray palette, an optimistic Superman instead of a tortured one, sincere humor instead of melancholy. Both approaches have their defenders, but they don't compete on the same ground.

Compared to Superman Returns by Bryan Singer, Gunn's film is more assured in its art direction. Where Singer hesitated between retro tribute and modernity, Gunn clearly chooses modernity while respecting the classic legacy.

The overall comparative verdict: Superman 2025 achieves what all its predecessors had attempted without always succeeding, namely honoring the comics spirit while delivering an effective contemporary cinematic blockbuster.

Final verdict: should you go see Superman 2025?

Our final verdict is clear: yes, Superman 2025 is a film to see, for several converging reasons:

• A solid performance by David Corenswet that durably legitimizes his casting
• Fluid, ambitious direction by James Gunn, who owns his vision
• A successful expanded cast (Brosnahan, Hoult, Krypto in particular)
• Top-tier special effects and cinematography
• A successful balance between comics faithfulness and cinematic modernity
• A convincing launch of the DCU that opens up interesting prospects

The film is not free of flaws (initial pacing, too many characters, a few questionable humorous moments), but its largely positive qualities make it a successful cinematic experience and a lasting landmark in the Superman filmography. To place this film in the broader context of the mythology that inspires it, our complete guide to the history of Superman retraces the eight decades of the character that culminate today in this new era.

To celebrate the film every day, our store offers a complete selection of products inspired by the new DCU era: Superman 2025 figures, movie posters, and Superman apparel with designs from the film.

Conclusion

Superman 2025 meets the franchise's toughest challenge: renewing DC's most iconic character without betraying him, caricaturing him or imitating him. James Gunn and David Corenswet deliver an optimistic, warm and visually assured vision that reconnects with the spirit of the original comics without falling into retro nostalgia.

If Mister Terrific left a mark on you, our article looks back at his origins in the comics and at his performer, Edi Gathegi.

If the relationship between Lois and Clark won you over, our portrait of Rachel Brosnahan looks back at the actress's preparation and performance.

On the numbers side, the film finished at 618.7 million dollars worldwide: our Superman box office places it against the eight other films of the franchise.

The film is not perfect, and its flaws (heavy initial pacing, too many characters, humor that is sometimes out of place) are real. But its largely positive qualities - Corenswet's performance, the Brosnahan-Hoult-Krypto cast, Gunn's direction, the special effects, the overall tone - make it a successful cinematic experience and a lasting landmark in the hero's history.

For Superman fans, it's an absolute must-see. For newcomers, it's an excellent gateway into the contemporary DC universe. And for skeptics of the DCU restart, it's concrete proof that James Gunn and Peter Safran have the means to execute their ambition. To go further in the analysis of this new era, our complete guide to the new James Gunn era and our analysis of Superman Legacy cover the overall stakes of the DCU.