Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Runtime: 2 hr 9 min
My Rating:
I am going to try to keep this review spoiler-free because it’s still new in the theaters. As such, I’m just going to come right out and say that I enjoyed this movie. I’ve always been a bigger Marvel fan, but in the DC Universe, Superman is my favorite. Perhaps Christopher Reeve is to thank for that. Admittedly, I was a little nervous; DC has been struggling to match Marvel’s success. I think James Gunn has started strong, and I’m excited for the next story.
This is a retelling of Superman, so they change a few things from the versions you’ve seen before. This is an especially important note for us Gen-Xers who grew up watching the Christopher Reeve movies.
Casting and K9s
Overall, I thought the casting was great. David Corenswet does well as the Man of Steel. He kind of gives me Tom Welling (Smallville) vibes. If you are not familiar with Corenswet, that’s understandable. He’s basically a no-name … until now. Rachel Brosnahan, however, is more familiar, especially for those Mrs. Maisel fans out there. There were moments where I felt she might have been channeling a bit of Margot Kidder (RIP).
I’ve said this before, but Nicholas Hoult is an amazing and underrated actor. I did enjoy his portrayal of Lex Luthor. He is better than Kevin Spacey (and I enjoyed Superman Returns) and on par with Jesse Eisenberg. While Jesse portrayed the “I’m the smartest person in the room” side of Lex (canonically, he is a genius), Hoult is the more villainous side. He really hones in on Lex’s hatred of Superman and sells it well.
I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the dog. Krypto was first introduced in the comics in 1955 and first appeared on television in 1966. I really enjoyed Krypto in the movie; he added a lot of entertainment value. He even provided Superman with a John Wick moment. Don’t worry, that isn’t a spoiler. His appearance in the film has even sparked a 500% increase in dog adoption interest. That is amazing!
I highly recommend this movie, and I think it’s worth seeing in the theater.
“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick