Superman is the most recognizable superhero in the world, and for good reason. He’s been around almost as long as there have been comic books. He’s also one of the toughest to modernize and to keep, well, “cool”, because his values, the goodness and heroism that he represents, don’t change even as the rest of the world does. While I was a bigger fan of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel than most, I think it’s fair to say there hasn’t been a truly great Superman movie since Richard Donner’s 1978 classic. DC Studios co-chief James Gunn has given himself quite a challenge launching the DCEU with Superman, featuring an unproven actor, David Corenswet, in the suit and cape. But if anyone could be trusted to do it with heart, humor, and exciting superheroic action it’s Gunn, who delivers the promising start that we all had hoped for.
This is the most fun Superman has been in ages, and that’s no slight on Snyder’s vision, but dark and gloomy isn’t what people were looking for, nor was it right for the character. Gunn brings that same dynamic, kinetic, quirky spirit and eclectic needle drops that made us fall in love with his Guardians of the Galaxy. And while there’s a lot of nostalgia there’s also something a bit edgy about this movie, in that it doesn’t follow the typical structure of a superhero movie. There’s no origin story. We’ve all seen it, we all know it. In fact, the story starts with Superman already an established hero, and one who has just lost a crucial battle against a metahuman pissed off that his homeland was prevented from waging war against a weaker neighbor.
If that sounds a bit like Russia invading Ukraine, well, Gunn has openly said that his Superman is a “political” movie. There are lots of little nods to our world right now, including a Trumpian dictator making a grab for power, vast xenophobia regarding Superman’s status as an alien/immigrant to our planet, and social media toxicity driving the 24hr news cycle. This stuff will likely be very polarizing depending on where you are politically, but personally, I like a filmmaker who has a perspective and isn’t afraid to share it.
Gunn’s Superman is absolutely jam-packed with, well, everything he could throw at it. In some ways it’s a jumbled mess, but it’s never boring and there’s always something huge going on. The story finds Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) using his brains and his money to foment hatred towards Superman, forcing people to question whether he is truly here to protect humanity or to destroy. Hoult’s version of Luthor is the nastiest we’ve ever seen on film, with shades of both Trump and Elon Musk in his petty jealousies, ruthlessness, and willingness to corrupt the truth to sort his own ends. He employs entire legions of armored soldiers, one metahuman equal to Superman in power, and the nanite-fueled Engineer ( María Gabriela de Faría). There’s also a giant monster smashing through Metropolis like Godzilla, a separate pocket universe used as a prison for all of Luthor’s enemies, and did I mention the Justice Gang?
A lot of time is spent introducing the Justice Gang, although that’s not their actual name, it’s just the one the always-arrogant Guy Gardner, played perfectly (with bowl haircut!!) by Nathan Fillion, prefers. We also see Edi Gathegi who steals the show as Mister Terrific, using his T-Spheres with acrobatic ease and his brains to combat Luthor. Isabela Merced doesn’t get to do much but scream and smash things as Hawkgirl, but you get the feeling there’s a lot more for her in the future. We also see a surprisingly sympathetic turn by Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, who is forced to use his element-shifting ability against Superman. This is just a small taste of what the movie is loaded up with, including Frank Grillo who returns as Rick Flag Sr. in a role that is destined to be much bigger. Loads of cameos from Gunn favorites only add to this movie’s ability to keep you on your toes.
Gunn skillfully finds time for everyone to get their moment, which is no small feat. That Corenswet, arguably the least recognizable actor in the entire movie, never feels slighted is a credit to him. His version of Superman is different than Henry Cavill, Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, and even Tom Welling. They all were great at displaying Superman’s humanity, courage, and even physical power, but Corenswet brings a fresh-faced quality and a bit more humor than the rest. He’s quick to drop a quip, to express frustration, and to fall in love. He even loves his Pa and Ma Kent (played by John Carroll Lynch and Neva Howell), and there’s a really beautiful sequence when he returns home to Kansas and reconnects with his roots.
Unfortunately, the relationship between Clark Kent and Lois Lane, played by Rachel Brosnahan, doesn’t get nearly enough time. I like that they are already an item when we meet them, albeit keeping it secret from everyone else. It’s also interesting to see how Lois, far more worldly than Clark ironically, doesn’t share his hopefulness and that causes disagreements. She sees him as naive, and questions his actions constantly. I’m not sure Brosnahan and Corenswet share much romantic chemistry, but the Lois/Clark exchanges, especially over journalistic integrity, are terrific.
There’s one character that I’ve mostly left out and he’s going to be the breakout star of Superman. That, of course, is Krypto. Yes, the super-dog is in the movie and he’s in it A LOT. Sometimes it feels like we’re watching a Krypto movie. The super-canine is everywhere and crucial to the plot, and he’s not exactly “Kryptonian’s Best Friend”, either. This pup needs obedience lessons ASAP, but Krypto is also a blast to have around which is why the screening I attended had audiences howling and wanting a dog of their own.
My gut tells me that James Gunn’s Superman is going to be very divisive, but I also hope that people give it a chance. Gunn is telling a big story, but there is an even bigger beating heart underneath that red and blue costume. It’s not just CG spectacle, although there’s plenty of that, too, with Gunn making sure that this looks like a comic book come to life. Is Superman perfect? No, but I believe Gunn has given this iconic comic book hero his best shot to connect with a new, wider audience than he has in far too long.
