Cover Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), David Corenswet (Superman/Clark Kent) and director James Gunn read Superman comics (Photo: David Corenswet)
Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), David Corenswet (Superman/Clark Kent) and director James Gunn read Superman comics (Photo: David Corenswet)
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For gags, for action, for hope. James Gunn’s version of Superman is caped and ready to carry the entire DC universe back to the forefront of the superhero genre. Fair warning, minor spoilers ahead
All promises, fulfilled. James Gunn’s Superman is funny, action-packed and daringly political. With quips tossed in at just the right moments, the film’s two-hour run plays like a nostalgic page-turn through the comic book that introduced us to the red-caped hero we’ve always loved and never quite outgrew.
In the past decade, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and NetherRealm’s Injustice reimagined the Man of Steel as stoic and reserved but also brooding and emotionally remote. It’s arguably a welcome shift for newcomers and long-time fans alike to see Gunn’s version as less of a reboot and more a revival of what Superman ought to be: a symbol of hope.
The opening scene wastes no time setting the tone: Superman lands in Antarctica with his fractured bones and beaten skin. He may wield god-like powers, but he bleeds and loses just like the rest of us.
In case you missed it: Superman 2025 reflections: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, James Gunn and Peter Safran unveil their vision for the new ‘Man of Steel’
Above David Corenswet’s ‘Superman’ is a symbol of hope (Photo: Warner Bros)
David Corenswet’s ‘Superman’ is a symbol of hope (Photo: Warner Bros)
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The hero finds himself at the centre of a geopolitical uproar after single-handedly stopping Boravia’s invasion of Jarhanpur. The act, though heroic in intent, raises diplomatic eyebrows, particularly from the United States, a longstanding ally of Boravia. His interference has sparked sharp scrutiny over whether he had any right to act, but the political fallout is only one front in a much larger storm.
Escalating the conflict is a fresh controversy surrounding Superman’s origins. Lex Luthor, ever the opportunist, breaks into his Fortress of Solitude and unearths a long-lost fragment of a message from Krypton. The first half is familiar: his parents sending him to Earth to do good. But the missing piece, now revealed, carries a far more troubling directive: that he was meant to conquer the planet.
Above Superman, his ‘super dog’ Krypto and Robot number Four (Photo: Warner Bros)
Superman, his ‘super dog’ Krypto and Robot number Four (Photo: Warner Bros)
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This revelation rocks the Man of Steel. What was once a clear sense of purpose now fractures into doubt. Who is he really? Earth’s guardian or its would-be ruler? The internal struggle is noticeable, yet through it all, his goodness and instinct to help emerge.
This is Superman at his most human: plucking civilians and small animals alike from burning wreckage, shielding the helpless from falling debris and even rescuing the occasional city squirrel from chaos.
More from Tatler: Who is the new Superman 2025? Meet David Corenswet
Spot-on main cast
Above Behind the scenes: Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor) with David Corenswet and James Gunn (Photo: Warner Bros)
Behind the scenes: Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor) with David Corenswet and James Gunn (Photo: Warner Bros)
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Gunn and his casting team made shrewd choices, and none more so than Rachel Brosnahan, who delivers a Lois Lane that is as sharp as she is unshakable. Fearless on the frontlines and razor-smart behind the byline, this Pulitzer-winning journalist does not wait for the story, she makes it.
Even while entangled with Clark Kent at the Daily Planet, Lane holds her professional ground and integrity intact. And when she turns her questions on Superman, they’re anything but soft.
David Corenswet, for his part, delivers a believable performance as the dorky Clark Kent and the commanding and compassionate Superman.
In one scene set within Luthor’s pocket universe, he endures kryptonite-induced agony, refusing to reveal the whereabouts of his adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent. It is here that Corenswet delivers his most affecting work, portraying a man desperate to spare others from harm.
Above Rachel Brosnahan is the empowered, Pulitzer-winning journalist from The Daily Planet, Lois Lane (Photo: Warner Bros)
Rachel Brosnahan is the empowered, Pulitzer-winning journalist from The Daily Planet, Lois Lane (Photo: Warner Bros)
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Nicholas Hoult delivers exactly what you’d hope for (and perhaps a bit more) as Lex Luthor. Gleefully wicked and self-assured, his portrayal just leans into the villain’s textbook brilliance. In most of his scenes, Hoult makes convincing reactions every time he hurts and outsmarts Superman.
In the end, when Luthor’s plan crumbles and the tide turns against him, Hoult sheds a tear and convinces us that it is not out of remorse, but from the collapse of his plans.
Related: How Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ raises the bar for the horror genre
Colours, giants and a pocket universe
Above Krypto the Super Dog is modelled after James Gunn's real-life adopted dog ‘Ozu’ (Photo: Warner Bros)
Above Baby Kaiju in James Gunn’s Superman 2025 (Photo: Warner Bros)
Krypto the Super Dog is modelled after James Gunn's real-life adopted dog ‘Ozu’ (Photo: Warner Bros)
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Viewers were promised a comic book come-to-life movie, and Gunn delivered just that. From the giant Baby Kaiju to a parade of super allies—Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner (Green Lantern) and Mister Terrific—the striking colours deviate from the darkness we have seen in Snyder’s live-action portrayal of the Justice League. The magic is ever present in scenes such as inside Luthor’s pocket universe and, of course, in Krypto the Super Dog.
Krypto is far from the clever and obedient canine we typically see in the comics; here, he is delightfully chaotic but very loyal and, most of the time, unpredictable. It’s this tail-wagging mischief that injects a lively humour and undeniable charm into the film’s playful spirit.
See more: Movie review: the new ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ is a rare remake that earns its wings
A promising restart for the DC universe
Above The official trailer for James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ (2025)
Gunn’s Superman (2025) is a good standalone and an even better restart for the DC franchise. Ultimately, what makes this film truly resonate is the sense of hope it strives to project beyond the screen.
Superman’s strength isn’t measured by how fast he flies, how far he leaps or the laser beams he fires from his eyes. Even with all these extraordinary abilities, the movie implies that he cannot save the world alone or by chance.
His true power lies in his capacity to admit that he yearns: for friendship, help, love and, above all, humanity.
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Jove holds a degree in Journalism and is currently pursuing graduate studies in Philosophy at the University of the Philippines–Diliman. She has flair for in-depth, interview-driven stories that explore politics and culture, shaped by her background in national broadsheets.
When she’s not on assignment, Jove spends her days painting, sipping lemonade, and walking her dog, Jupiter. She can often be seen in Escolta with a film camera in hand, browsing novelty shops in search of rare memorabilia. For leads, reach her at Jove@tatlerphilippines.com.
