James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Embraces the Spirit of the Character
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a drone? Or is it a man? No, it’s the newest Superman movie that’s meant to bring back hope, spirit, and optimism into our hearts. James Gunn has created the kind of Superman story that reminds us why the character has lasted nearly a century. The film isn’t just about introducing a new actor or visual styles. It’s about reconnecting with the soul of the Man of Steel in a world that desperately needs him.
[Warning: Spoilers from Superman (2025) are discussed below!]
The story in Superman (2025): finding hope in modern times
The film opens without giving the viewers the very well-known origin we’ve seen many times before. We don’t see the destruction of Krypton, or a young boy lifting a tractor in Smallville, or his first flight. Instead, Superman drops us right into a world where Clark Kent (David Corenswet) has already become Earth’s greatest hero.
We know that he’s been Superman for 3 years and that he’s working full-time at The Daily Planet as Clark Kent. He’s doing his best to balance his human life with his Kryptonian legacy. This storytelling choice is smart. It avoids repetition in the unchangeable legacy of his past while still trusting the audience to understand who Superman is; and more importantly, who he’s trying to be.
The story quickly drops us into the middle of some strange but impactful events, starting with Superman stopping a war between the fictional countries of Boravia and Jarhanpur. He arrives as a peacemaker, hoping to prevent bloodshed. In doing so, the “Hammer of Boravia” fights him to punish him for meddling in events that don’t concern him.
Following the fight, Superman retreats to the Fortress of Solitude, not just to heal, but to reflect for a moment on how to defeat this new enemy. This is where the story starts in the film.
Inside the Fortress, we know there is a message left by his biological parents, Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara Lor-Van (Angela Sarafyan), as an ancient Kryptonian hologram telling him why they sent him to Earth. At first, it appears to be the same message he’s always known: that he was sent on a hopeful mission to protect Earth. But something feels off when it’s revealed that the full message had been tampered with. Later in the movie, we see that the missing piece of the message and the truth about what Krypton intended for Kal-El, falls into the hands of Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult).
As Luthor leaks the rest of the message to the public, fear spreads fast. The message strongly suggests that Superman was meant to rule Earth and rebuild Krypton. While Clark has never shown any sign of this intention, doubt starts to poison public opinion and makes Luthor seem like the savior of humankind.
People begin to question if their hero is truly on their side and the government takes no chances. Under pressure from public opinion, Superman is arrested and imprisoned in a pocket dimension. It’s cold, isolating, and completely cuts him off from his powers.
Inside this pocket dimension, Clark isn’t alone. He finds Krypto, his loyal super-dog, who is also imprisoned, as well as Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), a shapeshifting elemental man. The scenes there are slower and more intimate, giving the audience a moment to take a more in-depth look into Clark’s internal struggle. Stripped of his strength, even Superman is forced to consider who he is without any of those things.
Eventually, he escapes the prison with Krypto and friends, but poisoned with Kryptonite, he must escape to a safe house until he can recover. His parents’ farm, where he stays with Martha (Neva Howell) and Jonathan (Pruitt Taylor Vince) for 1-2 days to recover. They have short but meaningful interactions. Finally, after all these years, we don’t have to experience the passing of Papa Kent. He is there for Clark, and what’s most important, he supports him and shares his wisdom.
Once he’s recovered and ready to stop Lex Luthor, he travels to Metropolis and defeats him. In the end, Clark realizes who his real parents truly are and decides that being from Krypton won’t define him as a person or as a hero. He must become the better person to be who he was always meant to be. To be… Superman.
Mr. Terrific and the Justice Gang, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor
While Clark tries to fight off the doubts in his head, the world outside begins to create new narratives. We know that a small, but at some moments significant, support for Clark is the Justice Gang. Leading the charge is Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a Green Lantern with a cocky personality. He’s a talker, loud and often obnoxious, but there’s a real bravery under his rough shell. Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) herself is a mysterious and powerful figure. She doesn’t speak much, but her actions speak louder than words.
Then there’s Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), perhaps the most grounded and the smartest of the group. He’s intelligent, calm, and logical, the kind of person who prefers solving problems with thought, not fists. His role in designing the rescue mission shows that intelligence is just as heroic as raw strength.
His part in Clark’s rescue mission isn’t just a typical superhero jailbreak. It’s a defining moment in the story because it shows the world that Superman isn’t alone. People, humans, aliens, metahumans… they are all alike. Their unity, despite their differences, says a lot about Superman’s impact on the world. He inspires others, even when he himself is broken.
Meanwhile, Lois (Rachel Brosnahan) continues her mission in Metropolis. Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane is a modern and more developed version of Margot Kidder’s iconic version. She is fearless, more driven by her journalism passion, and sharp as ever. She’s not waiting around to be rescued by Superman, or to do something because it’s dangerous.
Her investigation in co-operation with Jimmy Olsen’s (Skyler Gisondo) “sources” (a.k.a. his ex-girlfriends) leads her to uncover dirt on Luthor. Her scenes with Clark, especially the one from the “First Picture Look” at Superman, where she reminds him that his humanity comes from the choices he makes, not the blood in his veins, are some of the most important parts of the movie.
The supporting cast of The Daily Planet, with Perry White (Wendell Pierce) whose aura is screaming “He indeed is the Chief”, or with Cat Grant’s (Mikaela Hoover) and Steve Lombard’s (Beck Bennett) influence, creates a deeper connection between Clark’s double life. He can easily (using his hypno-glasses) become the most clumsy person, and he still convinces everyone, sometimes even Lois.
Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is one of the most terrifying DC villains in live-action. I have to be honest, I was not sure about his casting. I had my doubts. But as soon as Hoult starts doing monologues, showing Lex’s negative emotions and more, he’s strong, loud, and emotional, just like typical Luthor. He speaks like a man who believes he’s the smartest person in the room, and just like in comics, he often is.
What makes him most dangerous isn’t just his technology or intellect, but his understanding of human fear and how to manipulate public opinion easily. He knows that all it takes is a little seed of doubt or manipulation to destroy a person’s reputation. Which, right now, is very easy to do. And with Superman, he doesn’t have to create lies. He just twists the truth to fit his narrative.
Visuals, music, and cinematic style of James Gunn’s Superman
From the very first frame, Superman makes it clear this is not another serious and dark DC movie. The colors pop, the skies are blue, the light shines bright, and there are different vibes. Not just visually, but emotionally. Metropolis feels like a comic book city with real people and real energy. The Daily Planet is alive with people chattering and has the atmosphere of a modern newspaper with a long-time legacy.
The Fortress of Solitude is another highlight. It’s not just a cool background. It’s a place of memory, legacy, and pain. The pocket dimension, meanwhile, is haunting and dreamlike (or more specifically, nightmarelike).
The action scenes are well-paced, and they look fantastic. Superman’s flying sequences are some of the most graceful ever filmed, and each one of them is full of epic music and amazing visual scenes to add that “Wow Effect”. The big third-act battle, though chaotic, never loses its focus.
John Murphy’s score elevates everything. It’s a perfect mix of each Superman theme up to date. The new Superman theme is beautiful, modern, heart-warming, and epic. It doesn’t copy the William’s, Zimmer’s, Romer’s, or Ottman’s score, but it feels like it’s honoring every single theme. The way the music starts when Superman finally takes flight again in the beginning is really unforgettable. It’s the sound of a hero who’s found his strength again.
The real start of the DC Universe
Although Superman introduces plenty of characters and is set in an already slightly established universe, it never lets continuous world-building overshadow its main story. This is Clark Kent’s journey, first and foremost. We hear and see the names of other cities and places. There are small hints of other heroes. The Justice Gang feels like the natural tease for something bigger in the future, a.k.a. Justice League International.
These heroes don’t become best friends overnight, but they share a cause, and more importantly, they share values, even though sometimes they have different definitions of them. But unlike past DC films, this one earns it. It starts with characters, not spectacle.
Final thoughts on Superman (2025)
In the end, Superman is a love letter to everything that makes the character great and the most important part of the cultural heritage. Not because he’s the most powerful being on Earth, or the most famous one, but because he chooses to believe in people, chooses his own way, and even when people don’t believe in him, he proves them wrong.
The monologue he does at the end, simple as it sounds, is more relevant today than ever. This isn’t a perfect movie, but it’s an honest one. It brings Superman back to the center of the DC Universe, not just as a symbol or another start of a new universe, but as a man who values life and proves he is one of us.
James Gunn has delivered a film that’s full of optimism without being naive or too serious. It’s full of emotion without being overly cheesy, and full of potential without being rushed, well… maybe sometimes. Even the brief introduction of Milly Alcock’s Supergirl in the end is there for a reason, not just another cameo. Everything in this movie is well thought out.
The final thought that we are left with at the end of the movie, probably the most important one, is what it means to be human. We love, we get scared, we make mistakes, but then we wake up every morning, and despite not knowing what to do, we put one foot in front of the other, try to make the best choices we can, and keep going. And that’s our greatest strength.
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Also check out: Superman and Shaping James Gunn’s New DC Universe
