Soaring onto the Big Screen: Superman (2025) Film Review

Look up — it’s the big-screen debut of the DCU! James Gunn’s DC movie lineup is packed with fan-favorite heroes and villains. However, this initial chapter is known as Gods & Monsters. The Superman movie begins by explaining that metahumans, the gods and monsters in question, appeared three centuries ago. Thirty years ago, Kal-El crash landed on Earth. Then, three years ago, he began working as a super hero.

With a universally known character like Superman, storytelling can take some liberties. The newest DC film throws you right into the aftermath of a disastrous battle, and it’s one that has lasting effects on Kal-El. He’s been defeated. How can that be? When you have a super hero like Kal-El, who is nearly perfect in every way, the trick is to expose his imperfection in a meaningful way. Often, that imperfection is found in Kal-El’s adopted humanity. It’s how we, as fans, connect to him and his stories.

Superman gives us a window into Kal-El’s journey finding himself as both a hero and a resident of Earth. It’s inspiring, it’s painful, and it’s a powerful start to a new era for DC films.

Superman Spoilers Ahead

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Superman Themes & Cinematography

“With a healthy dose of yellow sun, we’ll have him up and at ’em in no time.” – Superman Robot #4, AKA Gary

At the heart of Superman lore, it’s vital to understand he’s not from Earth. Kal-El is the Last Son of Krypton, fueled by a foreign yellow sun and instructed by his parents’ dying wish to protect humanity. Hearing Jor-El and Lara’s message is always bittersweet, especially since this version is delivered in Kryptonian: “We love you more than heaven, our son. … Hope vitalizes our hearts. And that hope is you.”

Superman feels realistic, with just enough grit, while also being colorful — because Superman is not Batman. He flies through the sky in broad daylight to fight evil and defend Earth. Speaking of flying, every time Kal-El soars between skyscrapers, with his red cape fluttering behind him, it’s truly breathtaking to behold. With John Williams’ revitalized film score in the background, your heart can’t help but swell with hope. These flying and fighting scenes are some of the most visually affecting during the entire movie. Faced with a world full of evil, Superman’s pure-hearted heroism is something we all desperately cling to in times of trouble. Seeing Superman’s colors whiz by faster than a speeding bullet feels like remembering a happy ending is possible.

The Plot of Superman (2025)

“I’m not who I thought I was.” – Kal-El

However, where there’s Superman, Lex Luthor is never far behind. And Superman’s arch-nemesis is determined to undermine any happy endings. Luthor creates Planet Watch, a nefarious task force he uses to manipulate an eerily familiar war between two fictional countries, Boravia and Jarhanpur. In defending Jarhanpur, Superman draws criticism from the world. Who is he to interfere without human oversight? Lois Lane’s candid interview with Superman is tense but fascinating. Of course, Luthor preys upon this growing anti-Superman sentiment.

We all know Superman struggles against magic. But this film questions how Superman would fare in a modern world, up against technology and journalism. Can tech overtake the Man of Steel in the same way? Luthor utilizes a pocket dimension to hop across the planet and sow discord. His meddling also helps sway public opinion against Superman, a plot we’ve seen played out before. Yet Superman examines the spread of misinformation via today’s easy-access to news, especially when Kal-El’s parents’ message gets altered into “Rule without mercy.” Or was it actually altered? We want to side with Superman but the film leans into the unknown, amping up the tension and forcing us to question a legacy that’s easy to take for granted. Kal-El certainly did.

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Strengths & Weaknesses of Superman

“I don’t think there’s anything funny about bad grammar, Lois.” – Clark Kent

For me, Superman really soars when it remains grounded. Its greatest strengths lie in character relationships (plus those flying scenes). In particular, Kal-El’s interactions with Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Ma and Pa Kent bring humanity to the Kryptonian. The love between Lois Lane and Clark Kent is a staple of Superman comics, and there’s a simmering chemistry between David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, especially in their teasing banter. I just wish more time had been devoted to showing their love early on, so that train station kiss would have felt even more earned. We saw their relationship struggles, but I wanted to see the love too.

Even if the film begins in media res, you still need a bit of that buildup for the romantic payoff to really hit. Yes, we know their love is true but a little evidence goes a long way. As for Kal-El’s family, the film creates a moving arc to show not only his devotion to Ma and Pa Kent (played by Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince), but also their unwavering support for their son. Ma Kent’s struggle to use her phone is immediately endearing and Pa Kent says something to Kal-El that every parent should hear: “Parents aren’t for telling their children who they’re supposed to be.” Clark Kent’s parents, with their brief appearances, instill much-needed heart into Kal-El’s recovery, even more so than a yellow sun.

Lex Luthor & Superman: Fated to Fight

“Don’t worry — tall, dark, and Martian isn’t my type.” – Lex Luthor

Why do Lex Luthor and Kal-El clash? They’re foils. Kal-El is humble, selfless humanity while Lex Luthor is hubris, arrogant pride personified. Luthor kills a bystander named Mali, who’s willing to sacrifice himself for Superman, in the interdimensional prison. This breaks Superman’s spirit and even convinces Metamorpho to fight for Kal-El despite the danger.

Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is at his best with looks of utter fury and disdain. There’s subtle power and weakness in his every move. He’s a petulant child knocking over mugs yet he’s also filled with impassive superiority. As Metropolis scrambles to evacuate, he whispers, “They chose him, let them die.” Only those depths of evil could rival Superman’s heroics. Luthor says envy is his calling, and it’s that rotting jealousy which drives him against Kal-El, endlessly trying to prove that brain beats brawn. Fortunately, Kal-El has both. In a classic Superman speech, he tells Luthor, “I screw up all the time. But that is being human, and that is my greatest strength.”

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James Gunn’s Distinct Directing Style in Superman

“I’m not like Superman.” – Hawkgirl

One of James Gunn’s specialties is creating an entertaining group dynamic. He has the unique ability to take unknown, seemingly random characters and make them shine together. After all, the film has a large cast, including deep cuts like The Engineer of The Authority. With the Justice Gang (name pending approval), we meet Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl. Kendra Saunders’ harpy-like screech is particularly satisfying when she snatches up the Boravian president, with her mace swinging in the air.

Plus, Gunn fills Superman with details for hawk-eyed fans. Lois mentions Clark’s hypnoglasses, which help bolster his civilian disguise. There’s a Peacemaker news segment cameo and a brief appearance by Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, whose LordTech pops up throughout the film. During the Metropolis evacuation, there’s a highway sign that says Gotham City Keep Left and there’s also an ad for Big Belly Burger, an in-universe franchise that’s been around since the late ’80s. For fans of recent comic books, we see a Waid Street and Pa Kent mentions Bilquis Burritos.

The Humor in Heroism

On the other hand, we also get those signature James Gunn fight scenes set against upbeat music. Do they detract from the seriousness? A bit, but maybe that’s the point. One of the eternal debates surrounding super hero media is the use of humor. Comic books, as a whole, combine fast-paced action with punchy one-liners. Translating that style to the screen is not always easy. You’ve got ultra-serious cinema like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy or, admittedly, the silly saturation of something like Guardians of the Galaxy. Finding that balance between the two is difficult.

With that in mind, you’ll always have two types of super hero moviegoers: the ones who want to see all the action and the ones who want to feel all the heart. In my opinion, James Gunn humor works until it doesn’t. For example, it’s funny when Lois quips, “You have a flying saucer but you couldn’t get a faster garage door?” However, in that same segment between the world-class reporter and Mister Terrific, Lois would never mistake a sphere for a circle. It also feels a bit overdone to make fun of social media use, when Kal-El says, “Superman doesn’t have time for selfies.” Sometimes humor doesn’t have to be forced, even for super heroes. Besides, the whole selfie thing turned out well for Eve.

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(2.5) Superman Post-Credits Scenes

Right before the credits begin to roll, when Kal-El has returned to the Fortress of Solitude, Supergirl (played by Millie Alcock) drops in with a bang. Her portrayal as Kara Zor-El promises to be a rougher, more playful Kryptonian hero than her cousin, especially since she likes to party on planets with red suns.

During the mid-credits, we also get a sweet scene of Kal-El and Krypto perched on Earth’s moon, looking down at their beloved home. Finally, the post-credits scene shows Kal-El inspecting Mister Terrific’s repair job in Metropolis. Kal-El gives some constructive feedback to Michael Holt, hinting at their burgeoning friendship. Who knows what could be in store for Superman and his super allies in the DCU?

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Up, up and to the movies! Superman weaves an all-new story of what it means to recharge yourself in the face of evil. We’ve got the groundwork for an exciting DCU future, with Kal-El helping lead the metahumans. Maybe an alien is exactly what Earth needs to unite in humanity.

Now that the DCU has arrived and Superman is in theaters, what are your thoughts? Share your DCU predictions with other DC fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!