Writer-director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad) helms this new take on Superman and other characters from the DC Universe. David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent/Superman, who’s struggling to reconcile his alien Kryptonian ancestry with his adoptive human upbringing in Smallville, Kansas. (134-min.)
Glen: When conservatives start calling James Gunn’s Superman “too woke,” I know he’s made a movie that matters. The film—set in a retrofuture ’50s milieu—certainly taps into the contemporary zeitgeist. Clark Kent is in the middle of an identity crisis. He’s an alien on Earth but raised by human parents. He’s the “other,” but his actions are driven by his very human set of morals. As the film opens, he’s suffered his first defeat at the hands (and fists) of a heavily armored super strong being called the Hammer of Boravia. He lives in a world where metahumans exist (think X-Men) with extraordinary powers who fancy themselves the protectors of humanity, so what’s his worth now? His nemesis, the billionaire egomaniac Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is green with envy that Superman is super loved, so much of the film concerns itself with Luthor’s scheme to destroy his reputation. Clark is really at a crossroads, and even Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) begins to question what drives him.
Anna: If I’m going to be talked into a superhero flick, it has to have some heart behind it, and luckily this one does. Sure, there’s buildings crashing down and big monsters terrorizing the streets of Metropolis, but the story is just as internal as it is external for Clark. He’s always thought he was sent to this Earth to be a beacon of light, to be a helper, to live in kindness and compassion for all living things. He just saved the people of Jarhanpur from annihilation at the hands of Boravia, but while he thinks what he did should be seen as a universally humanitarian move, others are questioning it as overreach by the “alien.” Add in Luthor’s dogged determination to take the hero he hates down, and Superman’s image soon needs a makeover. Lies spread, Luthor’s evil plan falls into place, and even Kent’s relationship with fellow reporter Lois Lane gets rocky. But it wouldn’t be a hero’s journey if there wasn’t a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, and when your hero is fighting for what it means to be human—he can’t lose. But he can certainly have a hard road to the win.
Glen: You can really feel Gunn setting up a new path for the DC Universe. We get to know the “Justice Gang,” abrasive Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion sporting an atrocious haircut), pompous Michael Holt/Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), grumpy Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and later empathic Rex Mason/Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). Superman’s obnoxious hard-partying cousin, Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock), makes a late and funny appearance. Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) also gets a bigger than usual part in the story. I’m looking forward to where Gunn takes the franchise.
Anna: We also get a taste of Krypto the dog, whose naughty behavior winds up being a real asset to the good guy team. It certainly feels like we’re in the thick of summer blockbusters, and Superman is just that. I’m just happy that even though we do have a “gang” of heroes in this film, it isn’t the bloated mess that The Avengers became. This is Superman’s story, and it’s rare that I look forward to second installments of films like this one, but I am. Keeping the story focused on Clark’s inward struggle—alongside all the fun, big-action scenes—gives it a nice balance. Well done, Gunn. Let’s hope the next one has as much heart as the first.
New Times Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jul 17-27, 2025.