There’s a lot riding on James Gunn’s “Superman.” Not only is this Gunn’s triumphant return to DC after making the hilarious and critically-acclaimed “The Suicide Squad” (not to mention, seemingly leaving his days at Marvel Studios behind him with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”), but it’s also his first feature as head honcho of DC Studios and the first movie set in the DC Universe.
So far, there’s plenty of reason to be excited for Gunn’s “Superman,” be it the perfect casting of Skyler Gisondo as Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen or the fact that Superman finally has his trunks back (or even Gunn’s comments about wanting to make the Man of Steel a “big galoot”). The very idea of a live-action movie focusing on a version of Superman who’s fun and optimistic is both exciting and fresh in this era of antiheroes and evil superheroes.
Still, it’s important for this movie to deliver the goods, seeing as it may very well be the last chance to get Superman right on the big screen before he enters the public domain (that and for a DC cinematic universe to work before mainstream audiences lose interest in superhero movies). It might help Gunn’s “Superman” that, right now, the Man of Steel is thriving (at least on TV) and new takes on the character have been well received, especially those focusing on Superman and Lois Lane. There’s “My Adventures With Superman,” an animated series that blends superheroes with magical girl anime tropes to deliver a fresh and delightfully fun take on the eponymous hero. Meanwhile, The CW’s “Superman & Lois,” the last remaining Arrowverse show, has managed to deliver one of the best Superman stories in decades. The last season alone tackled the death of Superman and even an “All Star Superman” inspired ending, which introduced elements that had never been done in live-action before.
Now, the first trailer for “Superman” is out, giving us our best look at David Corenswet’s Clark Kent yet. Check it out above.
The DC Universe takes flight with James Gunn’s Superman
Both “Superman” and the DC Universe reboot find themselves in the tricky position of having to appeal to folks who were turned off by the decidedly uneven DC Extended Universe that came before it without completely alienating those who appreciated that era of DC Comics media and particularly Zack Snyder’s vision of the Big Blue Boy Scout himself. To his credit, however, Gunn seems keen on doing just that, starting with his “Creature Commandos” animated series (which very much plays like a spiritual sequel to “The Suicide Squad”).
In keeping with that theme, there are some noticeable parallels between Snyder’s “Man of Steel” and the “Superman” trailer footage, from the shots alluding to Kal-El becoming a beacon of hope across the globe to Supes breaking the sound barrier as he launches into the sky. At the same time, it’s obvious that Gunn isn’t taking the same Terrence Malick-inspired approach that Snyder did in his own Superman solo film. Far from it, it appears Gunn’s DC movie could just as easily be called “Superman & Friends,” with Clark’s faithful sidekick (and very good boy) Krypto arriving to lend him a hand (er, paw) in his time of need. It looks as though Gunn’s “Superman” will also continue the aforementioned trend of emphasizing the relationship between Clark and Lois Lane, which has served modern Superman stories well. (Rachel Brosnahan’s spunky Daily Planet reporter can be spotted sharing a romantic moment with Supes here.)
Above all else, this trailer feels like an announcement video for the DCU as much as Gunn’s film, with superheroes such as Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, and Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl popping up alongside Nicholas Hoult, seen here skulking about as a version of Lex Luthor who recalls your average James Bond antagonist. (Between his role as the nefarious DC baddie and his recent turn as a white supremacist in “The Order,” Hoult’s villain era is proving to be a really strong look for him.) Indeed, dropping audiences into a world already populated by super-powered individuals — or “Gods and Monsters,” as Gunn and DC Studios co-head Peter Safran are calling this phase of the DCU — is one of the bigger ways Gunn and co. hope to set their superhero universe apart from the marvel(ous) competition. We’ll see how that pans out for them when “Superman” flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.
(And no, we didn’t miss that flourish of John Williams’ “Superman: The Movie” theme in John Murphy’s score here. /Film’s Nick Staniforth has some thoughts on that.)
