Superman: The Hero of Tomorrow

Look! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Or a plane? Nope, it’s society’s fleeting appreciation for feel-good superhero movies. I know everyone wants to be thought-provoking and mysterious, but sometimes, feeling hopeful and giddy is exactly what the world needs. Millions of people walked out of the theater feeling that way after seeing Superman (2025). James Gunn, the current head of DC Studios, kicks off his DC cinematic universe by building the world of Superman.  Gunn has been very open about his mission to shine the spotlight on the lesser-known comic book characters while still incorporating the household names we all know and love, and so for the first time in almost a decade, our beloved boy in blue is back once again, fighting for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.

Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman/Kal-El, Rachel Brosnahan as investigative journalist Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and Nicholas Hoult as bald billionaire hater Lex Luthor. These four characters are the foundation of everything Superman, and Gunn does an incredible job of letting each of them shine. 

My favorite aspect of this film is the fact that we don’t get another drawn-out character backstory for the Kryptonian; we all know he’s the last son of Krypton, and that his parents sent him to Earth for survival. But there is an interesting twist this time around. Kal-El’s treasured video message from his birth parents is not what it seemed to be. Lex Luthor got his hands on this video message and revealed that the Kryptonians may have had more nefarious reasons for sending Kal-El to Earth. Now, Superman has to deal with an existential crisis on top of trying to stop a war, exposing Lex Luthor’s true colors, and finding his alien dog named Krypto.

My absolute favorite scene in the movie is the semi-professional, impromptu interview Lois has with Supes during their three-months-of-dating celebration. Gunn expressed the creative gamble he was taking with this scene by saying, “The biggest risk I took was putting a 12-minute talking scene in a superhero movie…there’s just no doubt… It's fantastic.”  I agree. 

Corenswet and Brosnahan capture the dynamic of Clark and Lois impeccably. All Clark wants to do is help people and save lives; he doesn’t care about getting permission. Superman does not sit idly by while people are suffering, and while Lois agrees that saving lives is important, her inner journalist can’t help but feel suspicious over Superman’s motives. Does he get a power kick out of beating up evildoers? Why does he get so defensive when anyone, including his girlfriend, criticizes him? How can he be so oblivious to the fact that he isn’t truly acting on his own when interfering with international affairs? 

All these questions and more are touched upon during this scene, and I loved every minute of it. It captures the core of Superman’s values that kindness is the greatest superpower one can have. Lois and the audience have this conversation in the back of their minds for the rest of the movie. It forces you to see things from Superman’s perspective and ultimately ask yourself that burning question: What would Superman do?

One of the most beautiful things about Superman is that, despite being the strongest man on Earth, he still needs help. Lois and Jimmy are more than Clark’s co-workers; they’re his (and Superman’s) friends, and they handle the groundwork. Jimmy pursues his leads to obtain evidence proving Lex is involved in the impending war across the ocean, while Lois partners up with Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) to tackle the laundry list of crises happening all at once. This is where Gunn fulfills his mission of introducing characters that many people haven’t heard of before, and I am very appreciative of finally getting to see a new set of characters make their cinematic debut in such an awesome way. 

Mr. Terrific is an intellectual genius who specializes in creating advanced technology. Guy is a clumsy Green Lantern who likes to do things his way, and Hawkgirl is a war general from the planet Thanagar, who swings first and asks questions later. The clash of personalities, playful banter, and shared superhero pride created an incredible dynamic between Supes and this trio known as the “Justice Gang” (this is why Guy Gardner is not allowed to name things). My only complaint is that I would’ve liked to see their development firsthand a bit more, but the movie is called Superman and not Superman & Friends, so I’ll take what I can get. 

Speaking of taking what I can get, Superman isn’t the only comic book movie we’re getting this summer. Fantastic Four: The First Steps premiered on July 25th, and everyone is gearing up for the age-old debate: Who did it better, DC or Marvel? For the better part of a decade, Marvel has been putting out one box office hit after another, creating a cult of movie-goers whose sole purpose is to support the MCU. Mastermind Kevin Feige and his team specialize in making movies that you can enjoy without having to read any comic books. This has brought together nerds and normies alike to follow along on the epic cinematic journey, and Avengers: Endgame broke the box office and became the highest-grossing comic book movie ever with its nearly $2.8 billion global earnings. 

You could say that DC has been struggling to keep up, trying and failing time and time again to show the world that there is more to them than a depressed billionaire in a bat suit and an alien farm boy in a cape. I’d like to believe that the current DCU launching with our very own symbol of hope at its forefront isn’t a coincidence and that this shared hope will carry into next year for Supergirl’s cinematic debut. Superman set the stage for his cousin’s film during its opening weekend by bringing home a total of $217 million, which is a win considering its predecessors. Do I think a DC movie is going to break any box office records? Not at all, but I’m excited to see characters I grew up with on the big screen again, and that’s more important to me than societal approval.

I often wonder what comes to mind when people think about Superman. Do they consider the box office earnings as well-earned, or could it have been better? I asked one of my friends for his opinion after seeing the movie, and he was leaning towards the latter. He prefaced by saying, “It was a great movie but…,” and I readied myself for a debate. Apparently, he was dissatisfied with the “weak” portrayal of Superman’s powers since Clark, and I quote, “is basically a God.” I know you can’t see me, but I’m staring blankly into the camera right now. 

Anyways, I spent the next 30 minutes trying to explain to him that the point clearly went over his head. That he’s right, Superman is essentially a god amongst men, but does he act like it? Do you think Zeus, the Greek god of Lightning, would get a job as a journalist? Take time out of his day to help an old woman cross the street or save a cat stuck in a tree? Absolutely not, because like many gods, he believed he was too good for those things. That mentality is what separates Superman from other godlike beings. It’s why Lex Luthor dedicates his life to destroying Superman—because he feels inadequate and he can’t comprehend that someone with God-like powers would spend his time helping humanity. Superman holds a mirror up to people by being kind… and how dare an alien be more human than humans themselves?

For almost a century, Superman has been a symbol of hope. An emblem for people to stand up for what’s right, even if that means you stand alone. To prove that even someone from an alien planet who grew up on a small farm in Kansas can be a part of humanity and can help change it for the better. By the end of Superman’s aforementioned existential crisis, he realizes that he doesn’t have to be what his birth parents sent him to be. He can do what feels right to him and guide humanity into a peaceful, more accepting era through kindness, not brute force. 

I don’t think it’s far-fetched to say that James Gunn and everyone behind this recent Superman project portrayed the best Man of Steel we’ve seen in a long time. And while Gotham’s Dark Knight will always be number one in my heart, the overgrown Boy Scout in Metropolis earned his place in there, too.