Ever since he first graced the pages of Action Comics #1 in 1938, Superman has been one of the most recognised names in not only comic book history, but also television and cinema. He is a pop culture icon and the face of the superhero genre. Even with all the success on the big screen, the Last Son of Krypton hasn’t always been invulnerable to movies that underperformed, with his fair share of highs and lows.

The original Superman film from 1978 starring the late great Christopher Reeve is still regarded as the best Superman movie of all time and set the standard for all superhero films that followed. 2013’s Man of Steel starring Henry Cavill was the beginning of the DC Extended Universe brand of films and was meant to be DC’s answer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that saw huge success, but overall severely underperformed and came to an end in 2023.

Now in 2025, a new era has begun as the new DC Universe brand of movies kicks off with Superman, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as the new Man of Steel, ready to take flight into cinemas worldwide.

Clark Kent, better known to the world as Superman, has been a polarising figure that no matter how much good he does for the world, people will always be divided in their perceptions of him. Superman believes what he is doing is right and for the good of humanity, but politics and other factors always make things more complicated than they need to be. One man in particular, Lex Luthor, is trying to sabotage his reputation to rid the world of Superman and take over Metropolis. The Man of Steel must not only battle powerful supervillains, but also discover his true purpose and his place in the world.

When it was revealed that Henry Cavill would not be returning to the iconic role, it was met with backlash from fans who believed he deserved better and wasn’t given the proper chance due to the circumstances. The fans’ reactions were indeed valid, and this set expectations extremely high for the next man to don the red cape.

David Corenswet now stars in the titular role of Superman as well as his alter ego, Clark Kent. David puts in an outstanding performance as both sides of the one character and making them two distinct people. As Clark Kent, he is incredibly convincing with his disguise as a regular everyday man from his appearance with his business attire, thick frame glasses and unkempt hair to his mannerisms with his slightly hunched over posture, some shy and awkward personality and a little nervous tone in his voice.

As Superman, he of course dons the red and blue suit now with the trunks on the outside again, removes the glasses, has an upright posture and has his hair slicked with the iconic fringe hanging at the front. David’s performance shows that Superman is more than just a powerful being from another planet; he is also human who feels the same emotions as everyone else.

Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane, the girlfriend of Superman/Clark Kent and his colleague at the Daily Planet, where she works as a reporter. She takes her work seriously and is a strong, independent woman, but can also relax and unwind to spend quality time with Clark. Lois and Clark do conflict over whether Superman’s actions are right or wrong, especially because it’s part of their jobs, but that also becomes a big part of their developing relationship.

Rachel’s performance as Lois shows that she can be serious but also has a fun personality and gets plenty of opportunities to prove her importance with Superman’s challenges and be more than just a damsel in distress. She gets to do a lot than you’d expect, and it’s all entertaining to watch.

Nicholas Hoult portrays Lex Luthor, the arch-nemesis of Superman. He is the CEO of LuthorCorp and absolutely hates Superman for having the power to do almost anything but not align with Luthor’s own beliefs. He is hellbent on turning the world against Superman and praising him as the greatest man on earth. He has access to the most advanced technology and even has powerful beings at his command that can match Superman in strength and speed, but his genius intellect is his greatest weapon, and he can talk his way out of a dangerous situation while maintaining a calm demeanour.

He outsmarts Superman on more than one occasion and uses politics and social media to try and expose him and make the public see him through his eyes. One of Superman’s greatest rivals in this film is obsessed with his own image, determined to prove he’s right and shows no remorse. Despite being human, he’s still a serious threat to the Kryptonian. There have been many portrayals of Lex Luthor in the past, but Nicholas Hoult’s portrayal easily stands out amongst them. Even his facial expressions tell a lot about what’s on his mind.

Superman isn’t the only superhero in town as the film also features the Justice Gang with Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as the Guy Gardner version of Green Lantern and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl. Mister Terrific is the genius of the three, utilising his own advanced technology, mainly his T-Spheres for battle. Green Lantern has his Power Ring, but is arrogant and seems to care more about his public image, and Hawkgirl is a fierce warrior with wings and armed with a spiked mace.

Metamorpho also appears and is played by Anthony Carrigan, with the ability to transmute elements in his body into various forms. They all play supporting roles, meaning they do get less screen time, but they still get plenty of opportunities to show us what they’re made of. Even with smaller roles, Mister Terrific and Hawkgirl get far better portrayals than past live-action media, namely the Arrowverse.

Clark’s adoptive human parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, are played by Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell, respectively. The film shows how they were a huge part in their son becoming the man he is today, and gets some deep, heartfelt moments when Clark feels lost and needs help with putting things into perspective.

A minor gripe is that one emotional scene was abruptly cut short with a comedic moment when it could’ve been more, but it is still an impactful scene that will likely make you shed a tear.

This portrayal of the Kent family is more accurate to how they are in the comics, with their fun and uplifting personalities and is a big contrast to their portrayals in the Zack Snyder version. In the 2013 film, they were against him using his powers at all, which led to the needless death of Jonathan, but in the 2025 reboot, they are actually supportive of their son using his powers to do good in the world. Superman may be powerful beyond measure, but he also needs his parents to guide him in the right direction.

Various other characters from the Superman comics also appear with Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Mikaela Hoover as columnist Cat Grant and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, just to name a few. Frank Grillo reprises his role of Rick Flag Sr., the director of A.R.G.U.S. from the animated series, Creature Commandos, which actually started the DCU brand in 2024, where he voiced the character and now portrays him in live action as part of the same continuity. There are many cameos of other DC characters throughout the movies that also act as teasers for future films. The biggest supporting role is, of course, Krypto the Superdog, who makes his long-awaited debut in a live-action movie in a big way. He is adorable, playful and overexcited, but doesn’t hesitate to protect Superman when things become dire.

To make a superhero film exciting, it needs to have jaw-dropping action scenes, and this film has plenty of them. A lot of live-action Superman films in the past either played it too safe or didn’t have the technology available, but the 2025 film has everything it needs and holds nothing back. The action scenes are an excellent display of all the superpowered characters’ abilities, showing them at their full potential. The action isn’t just for the sake of action either, as they help carry the story and are full of emotions.

The set pieces of Metropolis and other locations all look amazing and provide a great backdrop for all the action and storytelling. Even during its darkest moments, the overall film is bright and colourful as a Superman movie should be, as opposed to the dark and gloomy design in the 2013 version.

Zack Snyder did create an interesting take on the Superman franchise, but the doom and gloom atmosphere just wasn’t the right fit, and James Gunn’s vision is proof of that.

The iconic Superman theme song, originally composed by John Williams, makes its epic return to a Superman film. John Murphy composes new versions of the song, but keeps the same spirit as the original. They can be heard at different stages of the film and fit their respective scenes based on their emotions. Rather than being a replacement of the original, it feels more like an evolution of the famous tune that respects its history. The theme song set the tone of what to expect from the trailers, and hearing it in the movie will no doubt make any fan emotional.

James Gunn has proven he can indeed make great superhero movies with his work on the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy by making lesser-known characters more mainstream and turning the critically panned Suicide Squad into a critically acclaimed sequel. His version of Superman is the film that fans have been screaming for, and we finally have it.

The face of DC Comics gets to show his full potential and not have everything feel sad and depressing, even during his darkest moments. The 2025 film reminds us of what Superman was meant to be in the first place: an inspiration, a role model and a symbol of hope. It’s safe to say that the future of DC movies and all related media is in good hands, and this is only the beginning.

With a solid cast, action scenes that pull no punches, powerful storytelling and more accurate to the comics than ever, the new DC Universe brand of films is off to an excellent start. David Corenswet is easily the best Superman in the modern era, and Nicholas Hoult plays the most ruthless and intimidating Lex Luthor we’ve ever seen. 2025’s Superman takes the Man of Steel and the DC Comics franchise to a whole new level, leaping far beyond tall buildings in a single bound!

Written by: Sammy Hanson