- J.D. Valdepenas
- Jul 26, 2025
Updated: Jul 30, 2025
After seeing James Gunn’s interpretation of Superman, I am glad to say good riddance to Zack Snyder’s reign of dark, hard-to-see, gritty “realistic” movies. For a long time, the Snyderverse seemed to be the only hope for DC to break into the mainstream, but they always fell short. The issue with Snyder’s films was the fact that they were always so grim and gloomy compared to Marvel’s free-spirited, comedic, action-filled fun (and star power). Sure, the point may have been to show how this world is “dark,” but who wants to see a superhero movie like that? Superheroes were meant to be stories of fantasy, escapism, and aspiration.
Gunn dives headfirst into embracing the science-fiction, fantasy world that Superman inhabits. Creating an otherworld filled with vibrant colors, a slight 60’s aesthetic, and regular alien invasions that have to be stopped by the Justice Gang (the Justice League still in its startup era, complete with scattered furniture and a single computer in the Hall of Justice). At any moment of the film, you could pause, and it would look like a panel from a comic book. Practical effects and CGI alike are tools used to create visual works of art that bring the Silver Age of Superman comics to the silver screen. Superheroes are not forced into our world, but we are immersed in the fantastical world of Metropolis, letting us know that this is a movie that is ultimately meant to be fun while paying homage to the source material.
When the trailer showing Clark Kent/Superman’s (David Corenswet) interview with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) was first released, there were a few commentators quick to point out the way Corenswet alters his cadence and body language when going from Clark Kent to Superman was a similar choice that Christopher Reeve made during his iconic run in the ‘70s. He sits up straighter, his voice is deeper, and he generally looks more confident than Clark Kent, but instead of simply serving as a cover for Superman, Corenswet plays them as one and the same.
What won me over right away was the fact that we open with a brief textual exposition, immediately invoking the feeling of flipping through a comic book or
graphic novel, even down to the font, which was delightfully bright and bold while still complementing the snowy landscape where we open the film. Colors are much more saturated, allowing for everything to stand out and literally light up the screen. Even in scenes that take place at night or in dimly lit settings, there is constantly a light source that illuminates the actors and highlights the colors that they are wearing.
Costume designer Judiana Makovsky leans into the campiness that has always been inherent in the design of superhero costumes. The Superman suit is a refreshing break from the trend of superhero costumes always needing to look like a weird combination of military-grade uniforms and Nike sportswear. Instead of darkening the blue and red color scheme of the suit, each part is highlighted (but not too much) in a way that immediately pulls your attention to Corenswet every time he enters a scene. The costume leans away from trying to appear smooth by adding some texture as well. There are visible panels and geometric seams on the suit, which give it a sci-fi appearance but don’t appear to be made of anything overwhelmingly solid or hardy like Marvel supersuits, and the cape looks curtain-like in the way that it billows in the wind as Superman takes flight, creating a cool flourish.
It’s also nice to see superhero costumes that aren’t ridiculously right. It adds up to a practical look in the sense that these costumes appear lived-in, resulting in these heroes looking more natural. This aesthetic continues in the costumes of the Justice Gang as well. Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Michael Holt/Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl’s (Isabela Merced) outfits similarly appear very tangible, almost animated in the best way possible. Lois Lane is one of the few characters who mostly dresses in darker colors such as blacks, browns, and earth tones, which makes sense given her roots as a “punk rock” kid. It’s also a great contrast to the brighter color scheme of Clark Kent/Superman.
Moving away from costumes, the cinematography deviates from what is typical of action movies. Rather than constant hard cuts between characters during fight scenes, the camera actively moves around either in a 360-degree motion or from the perspective of another character. The best use of this dynamic camera work comes when Mister Terrific and Lois venture to rescue Superman from the pocket universe where Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is holding him prisoner. Terrific keeps Lois safe in a force field while he fights off soldiers attempting to keep them from accessing the portal to the pocket universe. Instead of a rapid-fire series of quick cuts at various angles showing Terrific kicking and punching bad guys inexplicably coming at him one at a time, we are placed in the position of Lois herself. Throughout the whole ordeal, we observe Terrific from a distance, but by staying inside the force field, we are immersed in the center of the action.
Identity is a major theme of the movie, but instead of a push-pull between Clark Kent and Superman, it’s between Clark’s identity as a human v. alien. At the very beginning of the film, when Superman recovers from injuries in the Fortress of Solitude, Superman Robot #4 (Alan Tudyk) requests that the message from his Kryptonian parents play to soothe him as they assess the extent of his injuries. The message is delivered in Clark’s native Kryptonian language (because why would an alien race be speaking English in the first place?), which he translates to himself as he is carried to a stretcher. The message starts to glitch towards the end, which Clark explains is due to it being damaged in his ship upon arriving to Earth.
At first, the message appears to be a last farewell from loving parents reluctantly sending away their only son to another planet in hopes of a better life, but after being stolen by Luthor and translated by linguists, the message becomes something much darker. It turns out that Clark’s biological parents sent him to Earth because they viewed the inhabitants as “simple” and would therefore be easy to rule over, his father encouraging him to do so “without mercy.” His mother even urges him to “take as many wives as [he] can” so that he could repopulate the Earth with a new generation of Kryptonians.
When Clark hears this message, he is still wearing his suit and presenting himself as
Superman, but once he looks around and sees the looks of fear, betrayal, and disgust on people’s faces, everything falls apart. In that moment, he is no longer Superman nor Clark Kent, but he feels himself being labelled and reduced to an alien sent to destroy Earth rather than protect it. Corenswet channels Lena Headey during her famous Walk of Shame in “Game of Thrones,” staring straight ahead as the angry crowd surrounds him. His suit is still covered in dust and ash from an earlier battle with a kaiju unleashed by Luthor to distract him. Superman never acknowledges the crowd, even as one person throws a metal can at his head, quietly walking into the lobby of a building before allowing himself to feel the weight of this revelation.
The film frequently plays with blurring the lines between Superman and Clark Kent, the divide becoming nonexistent during his interview with Lois. During Lois’s questioning, we see that Clark/Superman is imperfect; He grows frustrated when being confronted with the recklessness of his diplomatic interference, he tries to come up with punchy soundbytes, and he tries to turn some questions back on Lois. But for all his flaws, he genuinely wants to do good for the planet he has come to know as home.
Another standout performance of the film that is not nearly spoken of enough is that of Nicholas Hoult’s chilling yet grounded interpretation of Superman’s arch nemesis. Hoult is no stranger to taking on dark or villainous roles, from the damn near sociopathic Tony Stonem in “Skins” to fellow rich asshole Tyler in “The Menu.” Hoult’s Luther hides behind his money and walks through danger without a care in the world. When walking into the Fortress of Solitude, he doesn’t flinch even as sharp debris flies in his direction while the Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria) attacks the Superman Robots.
However, fitting with the rest of the movie, Hoult still maintains a sense of humor. After taking Krypto hostage, Superman angrily bursts into his office, interrupting a meeting and ripping the door off its hinges in the process. Luthor is hilariously unbothered, simply taking another sip of coffee while Superman flips his desk over and his girlfriend Eve (Sara Sampaio) films the disastrous confrontation on her phone.
On the other end of the spectrum, Luthor is the epitome of terrifying indifference. In the film’s darkest scene, Luthor loads a pistol with a single bullet and engages in a scarily fast-paced game of Russian Roulette with a pro-Superman civilian as he questions Superman about his true intention for coming to Earth. With Superman weakened from Kryptonite exposure, Luthor heartlessly shoots the man in the head without a second thought. It’s no question that Lex Luthor is meant to be a stand-in for the tech billionaires of today who endlessly pursue wealth, power, and prestige by profiting off of warfare, controlling the media, and unnecessary involvement with government powers while disregarding the ways that they are putting innocent lives at risk.
Hoult has a talent for finding the emotional core of even the most evil characters, and Luthor’s is his deep-seated insecurity, which he openly admits to feeling at all times. He wants to be recognized for his intellect like Einstein and Tesla before him, while resenting Superman because he feels as though it is unfair that he was born with power,s while Luthor had to find ways to make his own. Unfortunately for Luthor, as soon as his involvement in international conflict is revealed, everything he has built crumbles around him. As he watches every news station report on his illicit activities, Hoult’s bright blue eyes tear up, and the supervillain Lex Luthor is reduced to a sad little man.
I don’t say this often, but this is a superhero film that is practically perfect in many ways. Most of all, it does what many other similar films have failed to do: genuinely inspire hope. The scene that drives this point home is one where Superman is absent. The people of Jarhanpur are on the brink of war, and a group of children is seen putting something together. As soldiers attempt to scatter the crowd, the children hoist up a flag with Superman’s “S” painted on and begin calling for him. The adults begin to join in, the call becoming less of a cry for help and more of a chant showing their refusal to give up hope.
Superman is not and should not just be viewed as a vehicle to launch an action movie career, but he is meant to show the ways in which we can continue to persevere and do good in dark times when everything around us seems to be telling us to give up or give in. There is this earnest optimism and heart that has so long been missing from the current slew of DCEU films. Sure, there may be critics who try to argue that this film is “preachy” or guilty of not being subtle in its commentary on the complexity of the human condition or condemnation of government corruption and capitalism, but the time for subtlety is over, and the time for outright condemnation and inspiration is now.
Written By J.D. Valdepenas
