The first full-length trailer for James Gunn’s Superman was finally released, after plenty of build-up and hype through various teaser trailers. Now, fans have a good grasp on what to expect from the story, as the two-minute trailer features Superman struggling with pushback on a variety of fronts due to his intervention in a foreign conflict. What follows the intriguing setup at the beginning of the trailer are all the big, crowd-pleasing moments expected from our first full-length look at the film. However, an interesting narrative throughline explores Superman’s old-fashioned mindset clashing with a nihilistic modern-day world. In a way, this more optimistic rendition of the character is reminiscent of Zack Snyder’s vision.
Much of Zack Snyder’s second film in the now-defunct DC Extended Universe (DCEU), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, dealt with very similar topics involving Superman’s interventionist methods, specifically in an opening scene where he saves Lois Lane from a group of terrorists. While Batman v Superman received negative reviews and underperformed at the box office, it still posed intriguing questions about Superman’s place in the world and the extent of his reach and influence. James Gunn seems to be picking up that narrative thread with his Superman film, while also clearly learning from Snyder’s mistakes with his iteration.

Superman

Release Date

July 11, 2025

Director

James Gunn

Producers

Lars P. Winther, Peter Safran

‘Superman’ Uses Themes From ‘Batman v Superman’ in a Different Context

While James Gunn is taking this element from Snyder’s version of the character, he is seemingly doing it in an entirely different way. This is especially evident at the beginning of the trailer, where, instead of a congressional hearing like in Snyder’s film, Clark is forced to reckon with his choices through an interview with his girlfriend, Lois Lane. What starts as a romantic encounter and a gesture of goodwill from Clark soon becomes a tense discussion about Superman’s heroics. Instead of the character being confronted by a congressional representative he barely knows in Batman v Superman, Gunn’s Superman is challenged by someone he loves, creating a new context that hits harder than it did in previous films.

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Moreover, rather than creating a dark and dreary tone seemingly without aim and making the titular character depressed and conflicted about his actions, Gunn does the opposite. Clark defends his actions in an almost defiant tone, saying that he wasn’t trying to represent the United States; he was simply representing himself and wanting to save lives above all else. When Gunn was first announced as the new Co-Chairman of DC Studios and starting a new DC Universe, the director would state that the character has a “sort of innate goodness about [him]; it’s his defining characteristic.” It’s an exciting take that recognizes the potential Snyder’s character had while remaining true to what makes Superman, as a comic book character, work so well.
There will also be many superheroes and villains who contend with Superman and offer their unique viewpoints on the situation. Aside from morally upright characters like Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, Superman will feature heroes like Guy Gardner (Green Lantern), Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, and more morally ambiguous characters, such as The Engineer, a member of the Authority. Whereas Snyder’s Superman only really had Ben Affleck’s Batman to counteract him in terms of ideals and approach to heroics, Gunn’s Superman is in a much more lived-in DC Universe that will shed new light on the questions posed in both character iterations.
Superman’s Goodness Is Challenged on a Much More Personal Level

Lois Lane challenges Clark’s virtuosity in the trailer, which could be considered an interesting spin on the concepts explored in Batman v Superman. Henry Cavill’s portrayal of the Man of Steel in both films had him reckoning with his overwhelming power, something that Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) taught him to keep a secret. However, Gunn showcases David Corenswet’s Clark having a very different relationship with this version of Pa Kent, being told to do the right thing no matter what. So, while Gunn may be taking the best elements from Snyder’s vision for the last son of Krypton, he’s changing the context entirely in what will hopefully result in a much better film.
The fact that Superman has such a vast amount of power doesn’t seem to be the primary focus of James Gunn’s upcoming film. Rather, the movie wants to explore what it means to have old-fashioned values in a world so morally complicated that it can’t allow good for the sake of good to happen. The best part of Snyder’s exploration of Superman is how the character had to be held accountable for the destruction the hero’s fight with Zod caused, and his place in the world after it. It makes sense that Gunn would want to continue that storytelling trend, only through the lens of something much more optimistic and true to the character’s roots.

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While much of the new DCU’s future depends on how well Superman performs at the box office, it’s hard to ignore the potential character development that could come in sequels or future appearances in other DCU films and television shows. While Snyder only had two films to further expound on the character’s place in the world and his accountability to humanity, Gunn has a (potentially) much bigger canvas to work with.
As Superman goes through this pivotal journey in the first feature film in the DCU, it’s hard to believe that this will be the only time that Gunn uses Clark’s inherent goodness and place in the world as a storytelling device, especially when you have other big-name players like Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor to challenge the hero in new and inspired ways.
James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Fundamentally Understands the Character

Gunn has been vocal about how all sorts of Superman media, including Snyder’s films, have helped influence the Superman script that he would eventually write and direct. Superman’s relationship with everyday people and their trust in him are integral to his success in the narrative. Gunn understands this if this first full-length trailer is anything to go by. More than just showing the character fighting other powerful individuals, plenty of scenes show him saving as many people as possible.
While Zack Snyder’s brief exploration of Superman’s reckoning with his actions in Batman v Superman was one of the most interesting elements in his trilogy of films, it’s not used anywhere near its full potential. Thankfully, the creative team behind this new Superman film seems to know how much unused potential exists to explore that aspect even further. In just three minutes, James Gunn was able to provide a brief tease into not only how faithful the film would be to the comic books it was inspired by, but that this summer’s Superman would be a thematically resonant blockbuster that has a good grasp on who the character is at his core: a good person. Superman releases in theaters on July 11, 2025.