Review: James Gunn Reimagines Superman in a Modern Political World | FirstShowing.net

Review: James Gunn Reimagines Superman in a Modern Political World

by Dan Marcus
July 11, 2025

For the 1978 original, Superman: The Movie, the tagline was – “You’ll believe a man can fly.” By all accounts, that film lived up to its tagline. Richard Donner’s iconic film was not just a slice of Americana at the time, it brought gravitas and a grounded sense of believability to the comic book superhero. Fly ahead 47 years and audiences are well-accustomed to seeing people fly. So the question of James Gunn’s reboot is, “Can he make audiences excited again in 2025?” The answer is a little complicated. On one hand, Gunn’s reboot – also acting as the genesis for a brand new cinematic universe – brings color & charm back to the endurable superhero. The last time we saw Superman on the big screen (if you ignore that brief cameo in 2022’s Black Adam) was Henry Cavill’s Superman in 2017’s misshapen Justice League. Even that film tried unsuccessfully to reform Superman’s image back to the Christopher Reeve / Richard Donner era, as Cavill’s portrayal in both Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a somber, colder, and more contemplative take on the character. A take that was popular to some, but also deeply unpopular to others.

David Corenswet steps into the Superman role for a new generation. Corenswet’s Clark also has shades of Reeve’s bumbling reporter, but his Superman is another story. Reeve and Cavill brought a statuesque, god-like stoicism to the character. Corenswet’s performance is a bit of a departure. He plays Superman with a sort of “aww, shucks” mentality that brings a sense of much-needed humanity and pathos to the character. Corenswet’s Supes is imperfect, impetuous, but wonderfully and awkwardly human. He gets upset, loses his temper, and struggles with a lot of contemporary issues like how he’s being judged online. Yes, social media is a big part of Gunn’s reinterpretation, and it helps not only to modernize this version, but also helps bring this Superman back down to Earth. The whole ethos of Gunn’s approach is allowing this Supes, who bleeds and is quite vulnerable compared to other versions, to emphasize his humanity. It’s a smart approach that makes Corenswet’s Superman by far the most relatable version of the character on the big screen to date.

This is also the most politically-charged Superman film since Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. It seems almost impossible to avoid politics these days, as they have become deeply entrenched in our everyday lives. It was about less than a week ago that James Gunn and the filmmakers received criticism online from right-wing pundits for signaling out the fact that yes, Superman is an immigrant (he comes from another planet, Krypton, and is sent to Earth by his parents before his planet explodes!). A big part of Superman’s journey in this film is reconciling his Kryptonian heritage and his place as an American. There’s a wonderful scene early on in the film where Clark is interviewed by his girlfriend and Daily Planet reporter, Lois Lane (played by Rachel Brosnahan). Lois doesn’t play softball with “Superman” and asks him some hard questions, specifically about events that precede the start of the film where Superman stops an international conflict by intervening without political oversight. And this has made many people upset.

There are obvious shades to the Israel-Palestine conflict in this, and this Superman seems pretty peeved that he would need to answer for his actions, or even consider the political ramifications of them. This Superman sincerely cares about saving lives, above all else, but it’s similar to how it might feel for some to operate in today’s highly polarized culture – simply having good intentions is not enough. When real-life politicians obfuscate the truth in such blatantly conspicuous and transparent ways, the original comic book slogan “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” no longer holds that much weight. It’s no longer acceptable for Superman to simply want to save lives, we need to know where he stands morally and politically, too.

Unfortunately, this is where Gunn’s new superhero movie somewhat falters. Gunn quickly abandons any meaningful interrogation of Superman’s ethos and instead prioritizes a nefarious scheme orchestrated by the vile businessman Lex Luthor, played with extreme gusto by Nicholas Hoult sporting the classic bald look. Luthor is not a fan of Superman, a rivalry that was established off-screen before this story even begins, and has set a plan in motion that allows Superman to be illegally detained by the government. In case you forgot you were watching a superhero movie, Superman doesn’t face due process but is instead sent to a “pocket universe” where he’s trapped alongside meta-human Metamorpho (played by Anthony Caragan). Lois and Jimmy Olsen (played by Skyler Gisondo) attempt to locate and rescue Superman and the rest of the narrative plays out in predictably rousing fashion.

Yes, of course there are exciting action sequences featuring truly dynamic camera work by cinematographer Henry Braham, who received scorn online for his preference of wide angle lenses. However, what starts out as a promising, character-driven, politically-minded superhero movie quickly devolves into just another glossy superhero story. There’s a whole subplot involving “The Justice Gang“, which is comprised of a gang of already established other DC superheroes including Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, and most notably Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific. Out of those characters Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific is a highlight, not just because he has the most to do but because he’s one of the few actors in this film making deliberate, interesting choices. There’s a long stretch of this where Superman is held prisoner in the pocket universe and Gathegi & Brosnahan help give the film life where otherwise it would have likely withered from superhero exhaustion. The film barely has enough breathing room to stop even for a second, all the while introducing new heroes and villains while never really spending enough time with any of them.

If there’s one main critique I have with Gunn’s Superman is that it juggles a lot. Gunn is trying to introduce audiences to a brand new Clark Kent/Superman, featuring a roster of supporting characters including his numerous colleagues at The Daily Planet, while also expanding out the edges of his newly created DC Universe – in which he is also now the CEO. Gunn deliberately drops the audience right in the middle of the action. For those who grew up reading comics (such as myself) the feeling will be quite familiar, no different than picking up a comic book issue mid-run while trying to catch up to a story that has already started. For general audiences, it might be the equivalent of starting a novel fifty pages in. At times, Gunn’s movie feels like a sequel to a film we never got to see, and unfortunately there just isn’t enough screentime to properly explore or justify the film’s robust roster of superheroes, villains, and side characters.

With those criticisms aside, Gunn injects so much charm, whimsy, and heart into this film that it is hard not to be swayed by the film’s immense warmth. DC Comics and the film counterparts have struggled, outside of Batman, to reach the same stratospheric heights as Marvel’s pantheon of superheroes for quite some time. The complaint that often gets thrown about is that DC’s mightiest are not as relatable or interesting as Marvel’s heroes, with their god-like powers and personalities. However, this is where Gunn excels – taking larger-than-life characters and making them feel tangible on screen – and this is also where this Superman movie excels. There are shades of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man in this film, with an overabundance of syrupy sweetness to make all the fancy and elaborate superheroics go down a bit easier. The difference is Raimi was considerably better at walking the delicate tightrope between cheese and sentiment, while Gunn – mostly known for his comedic snark as a writer – doesn’t quite have the same balance here.

As it stands, James Gunn’s Superman is a bit of a mixed bag. I suspect for audiences who have longed for a lighter, more family-friendly iteration of the character that this will deliver the goods. It is an exceedingly fun and charming affair, with the superpowered Krypto the Superdog 🐶 stealing the spotlight in every scene in which he appears. For those that were hoping for a slam dunk similar to Gunn’s earlier superhero efforts such as the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy or even 2021’s underrated The Suicide Squad, you might walk away disappointed. This isn’t as sharp or as incisive, but it is still the best Superman film in 47 years.

For a studio such as Warner Bros. that has put a lot of money and hopes on this film launching a brand new sprawling cinematic universe and franchise, Superman delivers just enough to justify those expectations & demands. It isn’t a total disaster, but it’s also not a home run, either. There are several plot threads that are intentionally left dangling – likely to be expounded upon in sequels, other films, and TV shows – and your patience for that is totally dependent on a desire to become invested in another dense cinematic mythology. I wish Superman was a little more focused, a little more interested in actually exploring the ideas it presents at the onset, but at this rate if you’re reading this review you are likely already invested. Gunn’s Superman likely won’t convert any new fans to the genre but maybe that’s not the goal anyway. If Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve convinced skeptics that a man could fly, James Gunn has convinced this skeptic that a Superman film can be heartfelt & sincere again. For right now, that’s enough – even if I’m left wanting more.

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