Over the weekend I watched the new Superman (2025) movie. It’s wonderful. I’m very happy with how good this movie is. If you’re only going to read a sentence or two about this movie, it’s great, go in understanding Superman, know that this isn’t a kids movie, and it’s kicking off a whole new era for DC Comics.
I’ve been a fan of Superman for a long time. I read the comics, I’ve seen the movies, I’m a fan of Superman and all he has to offer. But previous movies and iterations of Superman have been a let down. From Superman Returns, to Man of Steel, to the Batman Vs Superman & Justice League movies, Superman hasn’t been represented well in the last decade. While the actors did great jobs with the character, it boiled down to poor writing, and corporate complications with the movie production. With James Gunn now the CEO of DC Comics, and truly loving comic books, by watching this movie you can tell that he is truly passionate about these characters.
James Gunn previously directed the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and DC Comic’s The Suicide Squad (2021 – not the 2016 version). Gunn has proved he can make a good super hero movie, and that he understands these characters and his vision for Superman speaks loudly. Not only the character of Superman, but Lex Luthor is also finally represented properly in film. He’s not some goofy and awkward nerd who wants power, he’s an evil, narcissistic, billionaire who stops at nothing to get what he wants and end Superman. He feels his intellect is so beyond everyone else’s that he constantly belittles everyone around him as he’s always right. This movie doesn’t hold back with how good of a journalist Lois Lane is, how entitled Green Lantern feels, how smart Mr. Terrific is, and how humble Hawk Girl can be. This movie takes a lot of characters in a matter of 2 hours and shows them off properly. Gunn does a fantastic job with these characters and made a great Superman movie.
But as great as this movie is, if you haven’t seen it, you need to know this isn’t a kids movie. Marvel Studios has made an industry standard for what can and can’t be in their movies. Even though the MCU movies are all (except Deadpool) rated PG-13, parents can judge if their kids can handle the movie because of how previous superhero movies have been in the past. This is a DC movie. It’s a DC movie that’s rebooting a new cinematic universe, directed by James Gunn, who has (almost) total control of this project and the future projects related to theses upcoming movies. Superman can get really dark and intense throughout the movie. It’s not “hero saves the girl from the bad guy,” but this movie tackles the morals of being a hero, the morals of being a human being in a trying world, and what we should and shouldn’t stand for as a human being. This movie is rated PG-13 and it’s a HARD PG-13. I cannot express this enough. The “S” word (that isn’t Super) is thrown around a lot, Lex Luthor calls people “idiots” and “morons” an excessive amount, there’s big monsters, war, assassination, and torture shown on screen. Don’t let that deter you from seeing this fantastic movie, but do some homework before you show your kid this movie. YOU know your child best and YOU are the best character of judgement when it comes to what your kid can and cannot handle.
Even if you’ve seen Man of Steel, Batman Vs Superman, or even the Peacemaker TV show, this Superman movie is kicking off a new cinematic universe for DC Comics. Their previous attempts at a cinematic universe were met with mixed reviews, continuity flaws, and poor script writing. With James Gunn overseeing everything for the upcoming DC movies, there will be consistency, and great writing. If this is going to be the standard for DC Comic’s movies from this point on, I’m very excited and very hopeful. My only fear is that in future installments, I hope they don’t undermine how amazing of a character Superman can be and all his potential. I’m excited for the next installment of the DCU. If you saw the movie, you already know what the next movie will be about, and if you’re just reading this review before you see Superman, it might take you by surprise.
Overall, this is the BEST Superman movie we’ve had since Superman 2 with Christopher Reeve. We dive into how complex Superman is compared to our society standards, the characters are fleshed out well, understood, and represented well. James Gunn directed a great new standard for Superhero movies. I’d definitely recommend this movie for everyone who enjoys a great superhero movie in a time when we need Superman the most.
I give this movie 4 ½ stars out of 5 – You can see what I’m currently watching by following me on Letterboxd @ roberthawk
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