I’ve never seen a Superman film. Or anything in the DC Comics universe for that matter. But the newest “Superman” movie had me hooked.
The 2025 film “Superman,” written and directed by James Gunn, is at least the second reboot of the Superman franchise and the first movie to kick off the DC Universe (DCU). The movie follows Superman, played by David Corenswet, navigating his identity as Kryptonian being raised in a small-town Kansas setting, all while fighting the influence of a large corporation going to great lengths to destroy him.
The storyline was easy to follow, even with my lack of knowledge regarding earlier adaptations. It begins with a quick opening sequence of text to set the scene, providing enough information about the character’s origin and the state of the world, then the conflict is introduced early on, allowing the story to unfold from there.
From start to finish, this film was incredibly engaging. It’s hard not to use any cliche adjectives when describing “Superman.” It was captivating, suspenseful and intriguing; all the words you’ve seen hundreds of times for hundreds of movies. But few films fit the description of those words better than this one does.
The first aspect of a movie that draws me in is the cinematography, and in this film it was amazing. There were multiple shots where I couldn’t help but stare in awe at how perfect it looked; how intricate the details were, how stark the coloring was.
The camera work and editing made the fight scenes intense, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The way the scenes were set up, it felt as if I was in the middle of the battles transpiring. With each dodge and strike, the camera swerved and flowed, making for an unstable and slightly chaotic feeling, creating an immersive cinematic experience.
Despite having never seen a Superman movie before, I have enjoyed other films directed by Gunn – including the “Guardians of the Galaxy” series – and this was undoubtedly a work of his. The quippy one-liners, incorporation of old music and unconventional characters are all trademarks of his movies, and each of these elements were executed perfectly alongside the action and deep messages of the plot.
As it has been reported, when the project was conceived in 2022, “Superman” was being discussed under a different title. Gunn, newly appointed co-CEO of DC Studios, was tasked with overseeing the DCU, which was created due to the lack of cohesion in past DC projects. He decided to call the upcoming movie “Superman: Legacy,” planning on telling the story of Superman’s legacy and identity. As the story evolved, those intended ideas were still present, but Gunn felt that the one word subtitle was no longer needed to convey them.
In an interview with ScreenRant, Gunn shared, “I thought maybe the title was they had a looking back feeling about it. And this isn’t about looking back, this is about looking forward, so, although when you see the movie, you’ll understand where Legacy comes from because it is, again, it’s about Clark and his relationship to the script.”
And what Gunn intended to stand out — the development of the film’s themes through the idea of looking forward, not back -– truly made its way to the forefront. Many superhero movies are action focused, and while “Superman” was not lacking in the area of spectacular fight scenes, the development of the characters was astounding. Superman’s empathy, kindness, and, ultimately, his humanity portrayed his true goals: to make the world a better place.
His unwillingness to kill, even if he was in a heated fight, and his blind trust in almost anybody he encountered allowed for these messages of compassion, truth, and justice to be abundantly clear, all while forming a deep affection for the protagonist and his purpose.
Of course I can’t dictate the standing of this adaptation compared with the others in the franchise, but I can say that this “Superman” completely drew me in. It left me wanting to learn more about the character, his world, and the other ways his story has been told.
It’s up to the viewer to decide whether “Superman” lives up to their expectations, but I can say personally that it exceeded mine.
–July 9, 2025–
