Superman is arguably the most iconic and important superhero in all comic books. He’s also among the hardest to adapt. If you ask anyone their favorite Batman movie, you’ll get a variety of answers. With Superman, Richard Donner’s original gamechanger and its 1980 sequel remain definitive by a wide margin. Just over a decade after the “Snyderverse” got off to a rocky start with Man of Steel, James Gunn launches another DC Universe with his take on the Last Son of Krypton. Gunn delivers the most vibrant, optimistic, and character-driven Superman film since Donner was running the show. While Gunn’s Superman might not soar above the classics, there are many moments where it touches the sun.
Like the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents and Peter Parker’s radioactive spider bite, the audience surely knows how Superman came to Earth by now. The film thus plops us in the middle of a universe where Clark Kent (David Corenswet) has been Superman for three years and meta-humans have existed for 300. Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) has also learned this secret identity, while Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) has devised a plan to rid the world of Superman once and for all. Even if this is your introduction to Superman, the casting of the principal players is so pitch-perfect that you can immediately grasp their motivations and dynamics. Hoult, in particular, may be the most menacing Luthor we’ve yet seen on the big screen. Even when given exposition dumps, Hoult makes every line feel natural.
That said, Gunn’s script throws a lot of information at the audience, and even more characters. The story also finds room for Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Krypto the Superdog. Gunn risks falling into the same trap as his predecessors, potentially stuffing too many heroes into a busy plot. Unlike Batman v Superman, the supporting players aren’t purely here to tease future movies. They move the plot forward, and we get to know each character without unpacking their full backstory. Most importantly, none of them overshadow Superman, although Mister Terrific comes close.
One of the reasons Superman is so hard to write for is that he often lacks the complexities that draw us to Batman. Zack Snyder tried bringing some of those complexities to Superman, but in turn made a character too similar to Batman. Gunn’s version finds a better balance. Like Christopher Reeve, Corenswet creates a Superman we can look up to, but he’s forced to traverse a more morally gray world. Corenswet and Brosnahan do some of their best acting in a scene where Lois interviews Superman about the ethics of interfering in an overseas war. Superman cracks jokes while battling Kaiju, but he becomes defensive when dodging Lois’ questions.
Superman is challenged again when a revelation about his Kryptonian parents comes to light. This is where it goes from being another Superman movie to one that stands out. Initially, the film was going to be called Superman: Legacy. Despite dropping the second word, legacy is at the story’s core as our hero grapples with where he came from, who raised him, and what kind of man he wants to be. If the entire movie revolved around these quandaries, Gunn’s Superman just might’ve been an all-timer. With so many balls in the air, though, some aspects can feel underdeveloped, namely Clark’s relationship with his Earth parents. While Pruitt Taylor Vince has a nice scene as Jonathan Kent, Neva Howell’s Martha Kent is mostly played for laughs.
Gunn works in his signature humor, which plays well in something like Guardians of the Galaxy or The Suicide Squad. In Superman, it can come off as distracting, although Gunn thankfully doesn’t go overboard like Taika Waititi did in Thor: Love and Thunder. While his comedy can feel out of place, Gunn’s eye for colorful action is well-suited for this material. The result is possibly the most visually stimulating Superman movie, with set pieces that take full advantage of the character’s phenomenal powers. Gunn understands that the action is empty without relatable characters. We identify with Superman in what’s essentially an immigration story. And yes, that’s always been a component of Superman.
Gunn ultimately turns in a film that works as a standalone Superman story and a launchpad for a cinematic universe. Will the DCU take flight, especially in an age where superhero fatigue is real and even Marvel isn’t churning out guaranteed hits? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: Marvel let a big fish get away.