🦸 Superman (2025) Review: Hope Has a New Hero
A Hopeful Reboot That Soars… But Doesn’t Quite Fly as High as It Could
🫎 The Doozy Dude Says…
“After all the hype—and after seeing all the buzz surrounding Supergirl—I decided it was time to revisit Superman (2025). My verdict? I enjoyed it… but I didn’t quite love it.”
Rebooting Superman was never going to be easy.
After decades of iconic performances, wildly different interpretations, and an entire cinematic universe built around darker storytelling, director James Gunn had one mission: remind audiences why Superman has been inspiring people for nearly 90 years.
Did he succeed?
Mostly.
Superman (2025) is fun, optimistic, visually exciting, and full of heart. It also introduces a fantastic new cast that gives the DC Universe a bright future.
But while it’s a very good movie, it stops just short of becoming a truly great one.
❤️ Why You’ll Like It
- A hopeful, comic book-inspired Superman
- Excellent casting across the board
- Plenty of humor
- Fantastic visual style
- Great setup for the new DC Universe
- Krypto steals nearly every scene
🎬 The Story
Rather than retelling Superman’s origin yet again, the film drops us into a world where Superman is already established as Earth’s greatest hero.
He’s joined—and occasionally challenged—by a growing roster of heroes while facing an increasingly dangerous Lex Luthor.
The movie wastes very little time getting into the action.
Sometimes…
Almost too little.
🌟 The Cast
⭐ David Corenswet as Superman
David Corenswet had enormous shoes to fill.
Fortunately…
He does.
His Superman is warm, optimistic, compassionate, and genuinely inspiring.
This version smiles.
He believes in people.
He wants to help.
It feels like Superman again.
🫎 The Doozy Dude Says…
“David Corenswet didn’t try to replace Christopher Reeve or Henry Cavill. He made the role his own—and that’s exactly what this reboot needed.”
⭐ Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane
One of the film’s biggest strengths.
She’s intelligent.
Confident.
Funny.
Independent.
Everything Lois Lane should be.
Her chemistry with Superman feels natural from the very beginning.
⭐ Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor
Possibly the movie’s biggest surprise.
Nicholas Hoult delivers a Lex Luthor who is calm, calculating, and genuinely intimidating—not because he’s physically imposing, but because he’s always thinking several moves ahead.
It’s one of the strongest live-action versions of Lex we’ve seen.
🦸 The Supporting Heroes
This movie introduces several DC favorites.
Mister Terrific
Scene.
Stealer.
Edi Gathegi absolutely owns every moment he’s on screen.
Smart.
Cool.
Funny.
Competent.
If DC announced a Mister Terrific movie tomorrow…
I’d buy a ticket.
Hawkgirl
Isabela Merced doesn’t get a tremendous amount of screen time, but she leaves a strong impression.
She feels like a character whose best stories are still ahead.
Guy Gardner
Nathan Fillion completely embraces Guy Gardner’s comic personality.
He’s arrogant.
He’s loud.
He’s hilarious.
Exactly what longtime fans expected.
Krypto
Let’s be honest…
Everyone loves Krypto.
He might be the movie’s secret MVP.
👍 What Worked
The Tone
This is probably James Gunn’s greatest achievement.
Instead of making Superman darker…
He made Superman hopeful again.
Bright colors.
Optimism.
Heart.
After years of darker superhero films, it feels refreshing.
The Action
Creative.
Fast-paced.
Comic-book fun.
Every major action sequence feels energetic and visually unique.
The Casting
Nearly every casting choice works.
That alone gives the new DC Universe a strong foundation.
👎 What Didn’t Work
Too Many Characters
This may be my biggest criticism.
The movie introduces:
- Superman
- Lois Lane
- Lex Luthor
- Mister Terrific
- Hawkgirl
- Guy Gardner
- Krypto
- Metamorpho
- The Engineer
- Multiple villains
- Government and political storylines
That’s a lot.
At times it feels like several movies squeezed into one.
Not Enough Quiet Moments
The pacing rarely slows down.
Fight.
Conversation.
Comedy.
Fight.
New character.
Fight.
The movie doesn’t spend enough time letting emotional moments breathe.
The Emotional Impact
I enjoyed the movie.
I smiled.
I laughed.
But I never had that unforgettable emotional moment that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
That’s what keeps it from being an all-time superhero classic—for me.
📊 The Numbers
The reviews tell an interesting story.
🍅 Rotten Tomatoes (Critics): 83%
🍿 Rotten Tomatoes (Audience): Mid-90s Verified Audience
⭐ IMDb: Approximately 7.0/10
🎭 CinemaScore: A-
📈 Metacritic: 68
Those scores reflect exactly how I felt.
Critics liked it.
Audiences liked it even more.
But very few people seemed to come away calling it the greatest Superman movie ever made.
🧠 Did You Know?
🦸 This marks the official theatrical launch of James Gunn’s new DC Universe.
🐶 Krypto quickly became one of the movie’s most beloved characters despite not being the main focus.
🎼 Superman’s hopeful tone intentionally moves away from the darker style that defined much of DC’s previous cinematic universe.
🦸 Several supporting heroes introduced here are expected to play major roles in future DC projects.
🍿 Pair It With
Planning a superhero movie night?
Pair Superman with:
- Fresh popcorn
- 🍔 Backyard burgers
- 🫐 Blueberry Bourbon Lemonade (or the mocktail version!)
- Movie theater candy
- Friends who appreciate comic book debates
🛒 Favorite Movie Night Gear
- Popcorn maker
- Movie theater popcorn seasoning
- Cozy throw blanket
- LED TV backlighting
- Bluetooth soundbar
- Candy variety pack
🫎 Moose Rating
🫎🫎🫎🫎☆
4 out of 5 Moose
Action: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Casting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Emotion: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
Rewatchability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🫎 Moose Nugget
A great reboot doesn’t have to reinvent a hero.
Sometimes…
It simply reminds us why we loved that hero in the first place.
Final Verdict
James Gunn didn’t try to remake Superman: The Movie. He didn’t try to outdo Man of Steel. And he didn’t try to copy Marvel.
Instead, he delivered something refreshingly hopeful—a Superman who inspires people simply by doing the right thing.
Is it perfect?
No.
Is it a promising beginning for DC’s new cinematic universe?
Absolutely.
For me, Superman (2025) lands somewhere between “good” and “great.” I had a lot of fun, loved the casting, and can’t wait to see where this universe goes next. I just wish the story had slowed down enough to let its biggest emotional moments soar.
🫎 The Doozy Dude™
Ambassador of Awesome™
Awesomeness Awaits.
