I’d be the first to say that, like many, I was skeptical about a new Superman movie being made without Henry Cavill. He gave us solid performances, and there was still so much more for him to give to the role. But that ship has sailed, and it’s time we all accept that.
Here we are in a new era where David Corenswet is Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan is Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult is Lex Luther (with a perfectly smooth bald head).
Superman Review: David Corenswet & James Gunn
The James Gunn-directed hero flick doesn’t waste any time trying to give us a backstory – he’s aware we all know enough about the character, so he throws us right into the action. As you know, Gunn is also building up The DCU from scratch, so it was necessary for him to introduce us to a few new characters in his world as well.
Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern was the comedic relief in the film, and Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific was a scene stealer as he was truly putting in work to make things happen, without spoiling anything.
I’m personally glad Gathegi found a role as a DC character because the way he was wasted in Marvel’s X-Men: First Class was extremely disappointing.
Superman (2025) | Rotten Tomatoes
While we all love Isabella Merced from The Last of Us, her inclusion as Hawkgirl just doesn’t do anything to contribute to the film. This right here leads to one of my two issues with the film that stop it from being perfect: some characters could have used a little more development, and oftentimes, there was just too much going on.
A Compelling Story and Phenominal Character Performances
The real meat and potatoes of Superman is, well, Superman, of course. Corenswet gave such a phenomenal performance as the hero we know and love, but I do wish we had gotten to see him as Clark Kent more. While we do get scenes with him and Lois, there was only one brief moment where he was at the Daily Planet, and that was a bummer.
However, the times when Corenswet is going full-blown beast mode in the costume are just a pure joy to watch, as the mechanics of it all were flawlessly executed with no complaints about how unreal anything looked. Then, when it was time for him to convey emotion, he was able to deliver in that category as well, almost as if wanting to show the world that there is no need to compare him to anyone before. Corenswet’s portrayal was more of a comic book version rather than a Blockbuster movie take, if that makes any sense.
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Hoult as Lex was great, and how they showcased what he developed to beat Superman was an intellectual move. I can’t say we’ve seen him in a role that demanded this much rage and wit all at once, so he was quite the stand-out performance next to Corenswet.
There’s one scene in the third act where Superman gives a monologue, and that exchange between him and Hoult will probably be spoken about a lot. It’s that moment where the emotional pull happens, and you find yourself feeling bad for Kent. This plays on the immigrant idea that Gunn mentioned would be included in the film.
Superman really feels like it was made for everyone, but if you grew up loving the comic books, then you will truly appreciate what Gunn and the team have created. The camera work was stunning, the story was compelling, and the characters all showed the hell up to do what needed to be done to revive the DCU. Well done, team. Well done.
This is a massive win and I can’t wait to see what else Warner Bros cooks up, but one thing is for sure: David Corenswet is a perfect Superman and Clark Kent.
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Stick around for the mid-credit scene and end-credit scene. And yes, some cameos were fun, too. Superman hits theaters this Friday, July 11th. Watch our review on YouTube here!
