Superman Review: Truth, Justice and the James Gunn Way

James Gunn’s Superman arrives with the kind of pressure few superhero films ever face. It is not just a reboot of one of the most iconic characters in pop culture, it is also the starting pistol for an entirely new DC Universe. In many ways, Gunn’s take is refreshing: bright, sincere, and almost defiantly hopeful. And while it soars in tone and character, its overstuffed plot and lack of dramatic weight keep it from truly taking flight.

First, let’s be clear: this version of Superman is a huge improvement over Zack Snyder’s gloomy, gods-among-us approach. David Corenswet brings a grounded likability to Clark Kent. He smiles. He jokes. He helps people. He saves squirrels. He’s not brooding or haunted, he’s the guy you want Superman to be. Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane is equally charming, with a sharp wit and crackling chemistry that helps anchor the film’s emotional center.

The opening scenes strike the right chord. The film doesn’t waste time retelling the origin story. Instead, we find Superman already a presence in Metropolis, navigating trust issues in a world where powerful beings trigger as much fear as admiration. Gunn uses this premise to explore themes of disinformation, paranoia, and hope, often paralleling real-world concerns without getting too heavy-handed.

But as the film unfolds, the wheels begin to wobble.

Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is solid, if not particularly menacing. The character is pitched somewhere between corporate sociopath and sci-fi tinkerer, but he never quite lands as a genuine threat. Instead, he becomes one of many characters orbiting Superman, along with a dozen others that seem crammed in to set up future DC projects. From The Engineer to Ultraman to Krypto the Superdog, Superman feels more like a pilot episode for the DCU than a standalone movie.

The sheer volume of characters and subplots leaves the core emotional arc underserved. While Corenswet’s Superman feels authentic, his inner journey lacks urgency. Conflicts are mostly external, and the story often pulls away from his perspective to check in with side characters. What starts as a heartfelt character piece gradually morphs into a noisy ensemble with tonal whiplash. One minute you are watching a moving scene between Lois and Clark, and the next you are thrown into an over-CGI’d action sequence that looks like it was imported from a Saturday morning cartoon.

The action is passable, though rarely memorable. Gunn’s direction favors colorful spectacle over realism, which is fine in theory, but some of the major set pieces feel weightless and rushed. There is a lack of visual clarity and punch in the film’s third act, where emotional stakes are supposed to peak but instead get drowned in particle effects and exposition.

What does work, more often than not, is the film’s spirit. There is a clear love for the source material. The score nods to John Williams respectively. The costume design embraces classic comic book aesthetics. There are even a few charmingly corny moments that feel like genuine throwbacks to the Christopher Reeve era. This Superman wants to inspire, and it largely succeeds in that mission.

However, it’s difficult not to walk away with a sense of missed opportunity. The film sets the stage for something potentially great, but spends too much time looking ahead rather than making the most of the moment. And in a post-Spider-Verse, post-Guardians 3 world, that just might not be enough.

RATING: 3.0 out of 5.

Superman is in theaters on July 11th, 2025.