Superman (2025) Review: Is James Gunn’s Reboot Good? The Middling Verdict

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The Verdict: Perfectly Average

Let’s get one thing clear: Superman (2025) isn’t a disaster. It’s not the franchise killer some feared, nor is it the bold new beginning James Gunn might’ve hoped for. It’s squarely… fine. A serviceable reboot with a few fresh faces, a lot of familiar tropes, and one big cape-shaped problem — it doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s like flying in circles for two hours. Stylish circles, sure, but still circles.

Corenswet & The Justice Gang: Bright Spots

David Corenswet does a decent job donning the cape, offering up a version of Clark that’s equal parts earnest and capable. The “Justice Gang” subplot actually pops — it’s one of the few new ideas the movie dares to have fun with.

Gunn’s Tone Whiplash

But for every scene that lands, there’s another that faceplants under the weight of Gunn’s worst habits. He can’t help himself. Right when a moment starts to feel emotionally grounded, he undercuts it with a forced joke that clangs like a busted bell. It happens more than once, and every time, it pulls me out.

Supporting Cast Misfires

And the supporting cast? Largely a mixed bag. The new Ma and Pa Kent feel like downgrades, particularly Ma, whose lines get swallowed in a swamp of unintelligible delivery — subtitles felt mandatory. Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) gets a cool villain entrance, sure, but when a drone explodes right next to his face and he walks out untouched like he just stepped out of a cologne commercial? Come on. I don’t need realism in a Superman movie, but there’s a difference between comic book logic and complete physical nonsense.

Action: Déjà Vu Destruction

Then there’s the action, which leans heavily into the kind of destruction porn that got Zack Snyder endlessly roasted. Remember when people freaked out over half of Metropolis being leveled in Man of Steel? Well, Gunn casually topples buildings like dominoes here too. This time, it’s dressed up as a dull Kaiju-style stadium brawl. We’ve seen that before. In DC films. In Marvel films. In monster movies. It’s nothing new, and that’s the problem — it feels like a placeholder spectacle rather than meaningful progression.

Stagnant Hero, Stalled Future

To be fair, I didn’t hate the movie. I liked Superman enough. But it’s frustrating to see a film that’s meant to launch a new era for DC feel this non-committal. Superman himself feels stagnant. Not regressing, not progressing — just stuck. And for most of the runtime, he’s getting absolutely walloped, which doesn’t do much to inspire confidence in his arc, let alone excitement for what’s next.

Conclusion: Playing It Too Safe

Superman (2025) plays it safe when it should’ve been brave. It’s not terrible, it’s not triumphant — it’s just stuck in the middle. And if DC wants to soar again, “middle” isn’t going to cut it.

Superman (2025) is in theaters July 11, 2025 (USA)

Details

• Rating Certificate: PG-13 (for violence, action and language.)
• Studios & Distributors: DC Studios | Domain Entertainment | Troll Court Entertainment | The Safran Company | Quebec Production Tax Credits | New Zealand Film Commission | Screen Australia | Warner Bros.
• Director: James Gunn
• Written By: James Gunn (written by) | Jerry Siegel (Superman created by) | Joe Shuster (Superman created by)
• Country: USA | Canada | Australia | New Zealand
• Language: English
• Run Time: 129 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 | 1.90:1 (IMAX version)
• Release Date: 11 July 2025