Superman (2025) Review — Soars high as the best comic book movie yet

James Gunn’s Superman is a full‑color comic book come to life—shamelessly colorful, brazenly hopeful, and barrels headlong as a bold defense of kindness as the mightiest superpower in a world that’s forgotten how to care.

It doesn’t even wait for you to settle in before dropping you in media res of Superman’s career, with Gunn putting a lot of faith on audiences' attention span. It’s only been 3 years since Superman (David Corenswet) began his superheroic life, endearing himself to the world, much to the consternation of one Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). When Superman’s naivety threatens to trigger a war, an unhinged Luthor finds the perfect opportunity to get rid of him once and for all or destroy the world trying.

It’s refreshing to see a DC Comics movie unashamed of its source material. Superman is such a burst of color and action and fun that there are times when my cynical ass was waiting for the pin to burst the bubble.

And yet the pin never comes. James Gunn works his magic to craft a movie with both “Bam! Pow!” comic book corniness as well as deeper themes of power, responsibility, and the radical concept of caring for your fellow man without so much as a derisive wink to the audience.

Because holding a mirror to society’s flaws doesn’t work anymore when it gleefully likes what it sees. Corenswet’s Superman flies defiantly into the face of all this negativity with a Big Blue Boy Scout schtick that’s feels sincere without being disingenuous.

And that sincerity spills over the world he inhabits. From a badass Justice Gang (Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, and Edi Gathegi as a terrific Mr. Terrific) to a flying superdog (watch out for Krypto the scene-stealer!), Superman is surrounded by the wondrously bizarre, which helps sell just how special the last son of Krypton is.

There have been no bigger boots to fill than Superman’s, and yet David Corenswet feels like he was born to play him in these misanthropic times. Corenswet charms as a Kal-El/Superman who bursts forth as a fully realized superhero with immense power and grounded vulnerability to spare. It’s also damn refreshing to see a Superman that’s confidently, well, kind.

Leaning hard into his role as Superman’s ugly reflection is Nicholas Hoult, who is a delight as an obsessed Lex Luthor. I expected a mustache-twirling villain to match schmaltzy Superman, but Hoult's Luthor is a cold, calculating menace who barely contains his contempt for the Man of Steel in every scene he’s in. His danger to Superman and to anyone standing in the way of his mission is palpable, and you can’t wait for him to get his comeuppance (which he does, in very cathartic ways).

But it's Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane that stands as the heart of Gunn’s Superman—a bold, intelligent, and very human presence whose chemistry with Corenswet 's Clark Kent/Superman positively lights up the screen. That said, the film’s sprawling ambitions leave little room for romance, with Gunn pushing their relationship to the margins in favor of more superheroics. But it's the case of being a victim of its own success, and this just makes me look forward to seeing more of this Clois pairing again in the future.

The rest of the non-metahuman cast may as well be window dressing, but what little scenes they get give this new DC universe a living, breathing quality that makes you want more.

All this world-building and all these characters crammed into 2 hours seems like a lot to take in, and it is. Gunn's Superman whizzes by at breakneck pace, going from rampaging kaiju to rising tensions in Europe and then to interdimensional portals with little respite. If you're the type of audience who needs all their info upfront to understand a movie, the experience could be off-putting. Like Superman, James Gunn is a bit too trusting of his audience's ability to keep up.

But if you come into this with an open mind and just enjoy the ride, Superman is the most fun you'll have in cinemas this summer. This is the Man of Steel movie we've been waiting for, and a shot of hope we need in a time when empathy is seen as passé. The bar is set not just for DC Studios but for comic book movies in general, and it's fitting that it's Superman that does it.