It would be an understatement to say that the last Superman movie, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)”, was hated by an entire generation of comic book lovers. After the scathing backlash the movie received, DC didn’t dare to make another Superman movie for almost 10 years. When a new Superman movie was announced in December 2024, many audiences were weary of a new adaption of their favorite character, especially after the disappointment of the previous movie.
James Gunn was tasked with the duty of rebooting Superman into something that new and old audiences alike would be able to enjoy. Younger audiences complain Superman’s too intimidating to be seen as a relatable or friendly character, while older audiences argue that his on-screen character has strayed too far from his character found in the comics.The people are sick of Superman, and Gunn knows it. Gunn was the first to be trusted with creating a Superman movie in almost 10 years, and he’s well aware of how big of a task he has been given. When creating the new movie, he was also tasked with recreating the identity of Superman. He had to break down the oversimplified Clark Kent that we have grown accustomed to in the past, and build a better Superman almost from scratch.
The movie doesn’t fully stray from typical superhero cliches: giant scaly monsters, comically evil villains and the iconic theme song. “Superman” keeps many of the pleasant cliches that audiences have grown to love, while deciding to discard some of the less tasteful ones. The movie lets Superman’s character return to what longtime fans recognize as the comic book adaptation of their favorite superhero. Superman is no longer the unstoppable force of nature that he’s seen as in past movies, and instead embraces his emotional and loving nature.
Superman has incorrectly been characterized in previous movies as an unstoppable, aggressive type. The truth is, he does what he does because he loves humanity. This is what separates him from many of the heroes he tends to work with, which is why it was such a great choice on Gunn’s part to have him join forces with a group other than the Justice League. It was certainly a breath of fresh air to see him band together with a new group. The Justice League is a true classic, but it was a fun twist to have him set up with a new set of heroes.
What sets this iteration of Superman apart from others is where we start. The story starts in the middle, deciding to skip over his tired backstory. The movie knows that the audience already knows who Superman is, they already know his background, because everybody knows Superman. The movie doesn’t feel the need to tell the audience what’s happening, because the audience is already clued in.
The film discusses the ethical implications of Superman placing himself in various conflicts that haven’t previously been explored. This reminds the audience that Superman has as many ethical obligations as a superhero as Clark Kent has as a journalist. Doing this brings Superman into a real world context, leaving audiences wondering what a hero filled world would actually look like.
It was a great movie, and leaves so much room for many more great DC movies. Gunn rewriting Superman in the way that he did has left audiences with anticipation for future rewritings of other beloved characters.
“Superman” is now available on streaming services
