Superman 2025 Movie Review

Comics Movie Reviews
Superman 2025 Movie Review
By Hervé St-Louis
July 13, 2025 - 06:08

Studios: DC Studios, Domain Entertainment (II)
Writer(s): James Gunn
Starring: David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Anthony Carrigan Anthony Carrigan, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría María Gabriela de Faría, Alan Tudyk
Directed by: James Gunn
Produced by: James Gunn, Peter Safran, Galen Vaisman
Running Time: 129 minutes
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Rating: PG13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Distributors: Warner Bros.

Superman has appeared in the world only three years ago. Meta-humans have appeared 300 years ago. Today, Superman, the most powerful of all meta-humans, has been defeated by the Hammer of Boravia, a challenger from the small nation of Boravia. Is lex Luthor secretly pulling the strings behind the Boravian affair in a quest to destroy Superman?

It’s odd. In 2006, I reviewed the Superman Returns movie starring Brandon Routh. It was a continuation of the Christopher Reeves’ Superman. Routh’s likeness to Reeves was one of the main reason director Bryan Singer cast him. In 2013, ComicBookBin editor Andy Frisk, Biowars’ creator Scott Humphrey, and I each wrote reviews defending The Man of Steal movie, another reboot or attempts by DC and Warner Brothers to reinvent Superman. Today, I supposed that I should be writing another such review. Oddly, the first Fantastic Four movie was released two weeks later, and I reviewed that one too. Am I caught in a time loop?

I like the movie. It was fun. David Corenswet is a great Superman. He’s full of good intentions and not too smart. Unfortunately, I’ve watched and read many reviews of this film since seeing it. I’ve broken an old rule about reviews. Don’t watch or someone else’s before writing your own, to avoid their influence and biases. I’ll try my best to review this film without other people’s influence, which is tough, given how this film is already being used in the American cultural wars. Can anything not be part of that stupid war?

At the core, the film is about Superman and his heritage. This can be seen both in the story but also the elements used throughout the plot. For example, Superman is back to wearing his underwear on the outside, whereas the last Superman movie was known as the anti-red trunk movie. Every character was sourced from the comics or a prior version of the film, such as Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio), Lex Luthor’s girlfriend. Even the fictional country of Boravia is from Superman’s second adventure way back in 1939. Nothing is new.

Director James Gunn follows a formula that has served him and others well at Marvel. Run with the crazy comic book concepts, characters, tropes, and madness as much as possible. That’s why there is a Krypto the dog in this movie. In The Man of Steel, the super dog would have been considered too weird to be included. Even the wacky John Donner Superman films did not include him. There is a freaking Hall of Justice where the Justice Gang, allies of Superman, composed of superheroes Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, and Green Lantern Guy Gardner all live.

At the same time, the characters’ abilities are limited. Clearly, Superman is not as powerful as in other iterations of the character where he could turn back time or lift an island of kryptonite. Lex Luthor is smart, but he is not a science and technology genius. He simply knows how to surround himself with capable men and women to foster his designs. Mister Terrific is also smart, but he cannot fix a major dimensional rift alone. He still needs Superman. That is different from many Superman comics where all characters are the most powerful versions of themselves, but it is also in continuity with some of the best comics with Superman, like those by cartoonist john Byrne, where Superman’s feats were also reduced.

This Superman tries his best. That’s his main quality. He says it himself. He is not perfect. He makes errors, but he tries to make it all work, as he embraces his humanity. Stories where Superman can do everything always run into the problem of what’s next? Here Superman cannot shut the dimensional rift through sheer brute force. He can’t even escape it without help.

I have not watched the other James Gunn parts of his new DC cinematic universe, but he seems to have a solid plan and a vision. Superman was a good introduction to that world, and I am intrigued. I want to see more of that vision, and of course, I want to watch that film a second time. Let’s hope the naysayers won’t destroy another DC cinematic universe once again.

P.S. My only disappointment was Hawkgirl. The actress, her battle shrieks, her suits, her helmet, nothing worked.
P.P.S. Metamorpho’s baby looked fake as hell!