Basic Rundown of the Film
“Superman” is like any other superhero introduction film; we follow Superman, also known as Clark Kent or Kal-El, as he has supposedly been Superman for a year or two. We begin with Superman saving the country of Jarhanpur from an invasion by its neighboring country, Boravia. This leads to a super villain called “The Hammer of Boravia” defeating Superman in a battle, who is also Lex Luthor’s metahuman, “Ultraman,” in disguise. Everybody in Metropolis is familiar with him; however, his role is still being debated. Later, he’s labeled as a dictator/conqueror under Lex Luthor’s influence, revealing his parents’ full message to the world that had been fragmented after Superman landed on Earth. Superman believed he came here to help Earth and keep everyone safe; however, his parents actually sent him there to conquer it and spread Krypton’s rule. This causes the world to doubt if he’s truly a hero, so he gives himself up to the U.S. government, and they hand him over to Luthor for questioning. Luthor then traps him in a pocket universe, leaving Lois Lane, Krypto, and the Justice Gang (which is composed of Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific) to help find out what happened to him. After he’s rescued, they take him to see his parents, Johnathan and Martha Kent. Superman becomes demoralized after finding out what his parents truly sent him here for. Jonathan comforts Superman and reassures him that his actions and choices, not his parents, determine who he truly is. Luthor then opens an unstable rift in Metropolis, bringing Superman back to Metropolis while the Justice Gang handles the conflict over in Boravia. In the end, Luthor is arrested for his crimes, and Superman returns as Metropolis’s hero. However, Supergirl appears at the end credits of the film, which teases a future project of the DCU, a Supergirl film.
The Characters
The film featured the standard Superman characters, including Superman, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor; however, it also introduced other characters that rarely receive live-action adaptations. But let’s look at our main protagonist and antagonist first.
Superman
Superman is drastically different compared to his last live-action adaptation, as Zack Snyder’s Superman felt a lot more edgy and dark instead of the happy and campy superhero we commonly see. Obviously, I’m not saying Superman can’t be dark, as there are a plethora of dark Superman stories in the comics, but he’s just commonly a bright and joyful character, so that’s why Synders’ Superman felt less appealing compared to how Superman was commonly portrayed at the time. Personally, as a Batman fan, I do very much enjoy the lightheartedness of Superman’s stories, and it’s a good shift in tone compared to Batman’s stories, and that’s why I fell in love with the new film, as this movie felt like the actual Superman instead of some edgy version of him.
Lex Luthor
Now for the main antagonist, Lex Luthor. When I watched the film, he felt like a genuine villain to me. He didn’t have a dark or upsetting past that most antagonists commonly have, like Harleen Quinzel being manipulated by the Joker into becoming Harley Quinn, or Harvey Dent having acid thrown in his face, creating Two-Face. Luthor’s motivation was the fact that he didn’t want to be second best; he wanted to be number one, and he saw Superman as a threat to that. He was petty and hateful, which I think can create a great antagonist besides the pure evil or broken villain archetypes. Even his actor, Nicholas Hoult, did an amazing job of conveying his hatred and anger towards Superman with very powerful delivery when saying his lines.
Other Characters
There are a few other noteworthy characters that appear in this film, like Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, Green Lantern, Metamorpho, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Krypto, The Engineer, Ultraman, and Supergirl. These were great characters to choose from, as they were cast brilliantly. Most of these characters, such as Mister Terrific, rarely had live-action appearances, while others, like Metamorpho, had none at all. I think this was a better option to go for instead of the standard Superman characters we see all the time, as it can sometimes be repetitive to see the same villains and heroes that appear in live-action movies every time.
James Gunn vs. Zack Snyder
Now, one big reason why “Superman” (2025) was better received compared to “Man of Steel” (2013) was the directors behind them. James Gunn was the director of Superman and is going to be directing the new live-action DCU, while Zack Snyder was the director of Man of Steel and was directing the DCEU.
What Gunn Did Right
To keep it simple, Gunn made Superman an actual campy and joyful character in this film. Superman felt more like a human than an alien in this film, and when he’s confronted with the idea of his parents wanting to conquer Earth, he rejects the idea, caring more about the people and showing basic human empathy. As this can even be compared to media like “The Boys” with Homelander or “Invincible” with Omni-Man, it has become the trend of characters that are just evil versions of Superman. However, I’m not saying “The Boys” or “Invincible” are bad, and I highly recommend watching them if you like darker superhero media. Gunn has even been a dedicated fan of the comics, and the comics heavily helped with coming up with the script of “Superman,” and it really paid off in the end. Gunn even interacts with comic book artists and writers, posting on social media about how much he enjoys the comics and references back to them in his writing/directing.
What Snyder Did Wrong
Where do I even start with Snyder? To keep it simple again, he made Superman duller and more dark. He didn’t feel like a symbol of hope and didn’t show basic signs of human empathy for everybody on Earth, and was limited only to his close friends and family. The writing didn’t really help with how much he already butchered Superman’s personality and character. I get that he was trying a more “realistic” approach to the character, but let’s be honest, what’s realistic about an alien that comes from a destroyed planet and becomes a superhero? Most people, including myself, even think Snyder can’t empathize with Superman as a character; he seems to depict him as more inhumane instead of with the qualities that make him human. Off topic from Superman, but Jimmy Olsen? Synder had no clue himself how to include Jimmy in the narrative of “Batman vs. Superman,” so instead he decides to kill him off around the start of the film.
What Made ‘Superman’ so Good?
In the end, after all the terrible DCEU films and movies that “killed” DC, we finally got a good film to kick off a new universe for DC. With “Peacemaker” (Season 1 being partially canon and Season 2 being fully canon), “Suicide Squad” (2021) being loosely canon, “Creature Commandos,” and now “Superman,” I think it’s safe to say DC is back and is here to stay in the hearts of people for years to come. With the next film being “Supergirl,” I hope to see this universe last for years to come.
