Recent memory has seen a host of polarizing films debated online, but this year’s Superman may be one of the most unpredictable in prognosticating just what the reception will be for the new DCU’s launching point. On the one hand, director James Gunn has earned a lot of goodwill from audiences, crafting 3 great Guardians of the Galaxy films and a better-than-expected The Suicide Squad (2021) for DC. On the other hand, this is the umpteenth Superman reboot, a character whose adaptations have fallen on their face multiple times previously. In a post-Endgame landscape, where audiences are becoming increasingly critical of the proliferation of the superhero flick, and whether such movies are truly additive to a healthy film landscape. Combine that with a fraught social landscape, and it’s anyone’s guess if audiences will be receptive to another attempt at hitting a home run on the optimistic Übermensch. For James Gunn’s sake, I hope he hasn’t written in any multiverse shenanigans to further add to the online scrutiny.

The new Man of Steel is portrayed by David Corenswet, whom you likely either believe is filling in the role nicely so far, you haven’t seen enough footage to come to a verdict, or you’re upset that he’s not Henry Cavill. Nonetheless, while admittedly some shots of the actor, particularly in flight, have appeared a bit goofy and unflattering, Corenswet’s portrayal seems to be going for a balance between charismatic earnestness and an empathetic viewpoint of the humanity that surrounds him. The screenplay and story still need to aid in this character’s journey, but thus far I can’t say Corenswet has performed poorly in the scenes we’ve seen. In fact, as seen in the latest trailer below, his take on the role appears to be an All-Star-Superman-esque return to the optimism the character hopes to embody, and it’s Corenswet’s confidence in that space that amplifies the impact of a world ready to reject this would-be saint:

The initial setup is a good hook to the story. Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) interviews Clark Kent, who’s portraying Superman in a clever and casual sit-down, but the conversation quickly goes south. Lois, who feels she is just doing her job, questions the motives and choices of Superman, placing doubt on how much of a right he has to unilaterally act. Superman has a completely different philosophy on the matter, suggesting that the supposed social norms don’t have to be rigidly adhered to when you have the chance to save lives.

While Superman doesn’t always work on screen, so far the formula that has worked is keeping the character relatively close to his idealistic comic book portrayal, and simply using the contemporary landscape of the modern era to juxtapose Superman’s simplistic and optimistic values. For Superman: The Movie (1978), that modern era was a cynical 1970s where the boy scout initially seemed out of place. Now, the modern era has the same cynicism, mixed with an argumentative pessimism about world politics and a pragmatic but morally compromised adherence to protocol and the status quo over opting for the salvation of human lives. Superman, and James Gunn, question this cantankerous logic and wonder if there’s a layer of humanity we’re leaving behind by simply following groupthink and an inconsistent adherence to the letter of the law.

Based on certain images in the trailer, some parallels can be made with Man of Steel (2013). However, I suspect Gunn’s writing will place a heavy focus on Superman’s adopted father, Jonathan Kent, in contrast to the character’s portrayal in Man of the Steel. To establish an edgier tone aiming for realism, Zack Snyder’s version of Jonathan was a bit lacking in instilling optimism in Clark, and the audience. Gunn, who seems to have a friendly relationship with Snyder, clearly has a drastically different view of Clark’s parentage, which is ultimately the root cause for why this film will be so tonally different from Snyder’s predecessor.

As the trailer progresses, we see the universe open up and are greeted with glimpses of the likes of Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and a host of gargantuan Kaijus. Understandably, some of the reception to this has been expressed as being overwhelmed by further cinematic universe-building. To the film’s credit, Gunn’s history with the Guardians films has shown that he can juggle a platoon of characters and turn it into a strength for the film as opposed to a detriment. Similarly to the teaser trailer, we’re inundated with images of these bizarre characters without getting any dialogue out of them; we have yet to experience the depth of their personalities. So I’ll hold out judgment for these characters until we can see how they are portrayed and how necessary they are to the plot. Perhaps some of these characters are comedic, while others provide the story a much-needed gravitas.

The look of the film is another complex subject, but a critical component of this film’s execution. The film is vivid and colorful while using an abundance of close-ups and athletic camera work that bounces around the space of each scene. With that said, I don’t love every shot here; one that sticks out is Superman shooting further into the sky, with a skyscraper in the background – the garish nature of the image chipping away at the immersion of the scene. The film’s visual look is a risk, but I can appreciate it as a motivated artistic choice that at least wants to try something different. However, I do worry that the film’s intense/saturated look, which does provide some striking images (the establishing shot before we cut to Lois & Clark’s conversation could be a painting), could come off as hokey or like a poorly lit soap opera in some contexts.

This is all to say that Superman looks like a mixed bag so far, filled to the brim with bold choices and a massive character roster. Near the center of this cornucopia is Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and the baggage the character brings with attempting to portray him accurately. There are a lot of different directions the movie can go in while illustrating an immensely powerful and vain man, who comes to feel threatened by Superman and the change he looks to bring. Luthor is one of many who controls the world, and a consequence of Superman’s efforts will potentially upend that control. If the film portrays this dynamic well, it can pit Superman as a symbol of positivity that hopes to nullify conflicts based simply on the idea of peace and acceptance. But before Superman can do battle with Luthor directly, it seems he and the film itself must tackle centuries of social conditioning that has incentivized common citizens to unknowingly run cover for the rich & powerful who oh so love things just the way they are.

Superman takes flight on July 11th, 2025.