by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
Superman is more than just a comic book character. He is a pillar of hope and a representation of doing the right thing all the time. Yes, he is faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive, but most importantly, he is a good person. Capturing that is essential to an accurate portrayal the Man of Steel. Without question, it is a difficult task to achieve, and many have fallen short of that. Reaching to find that perfect, statuesque standard is a challenge for any movie. But 2025’s Superman gets there. It isn’t perfect, but it delivers.
Going right for the head of the class, let’s talk about the titular hero’s portrayal by David Corenswet. This dude had nothing but pressure when he put on the cape. Christopher Reeve’s original performance is the George Washington on the superhero Mount Rushmore, and Henry Cavill has his share of fans for good reason. But Corenswet plays the part excellently. He delivers the right amount of small town boy in the big city, mixed with the unshakable sense of right and wrong. At no point does he feel cheesy — just like a good man trying to the right thing when it’s not easy. In an era where a goody two shoes character like Superman could be made a mockery, Corenswet handles the icon with grace and skill.
But Corenswet’s best scenes are when he’s sharing the screen with Lois Lane costar Rachel Brosnahan. Lane is similar to Clark in her sense of right and wrong, but she is more smarmy in her ways. Brosnahan has that almost cruel tone in her delivery like Robert Downey Jr. did as Tony Stark. But when Brosnahan gets down to business as the award-winning journalist, it’s inspiring to watch. There’s one particular scene between her and Corenswet in the first act that grabs your attention right away, and you know Brosnahan has the goods, and that this pair has a stellar back and forth. We haven’t had chemistry this good in a comic book movie since Steve and Bucky. What’s even more impressive, NEITHER OF THEM ARE EVEN GIVING THE BEST PERFORMANCE IN THE MOVIE!!!
I went to the deli after this movie, and they were all out of ham thanks to Mr. Nicholas Hoult. His Lex Luthor is the perfect comic book villain. Envious of Superman and driven to the absolute limit to crush his nemesis, Hoult is flat-out dynamite. He steals the screen every second he is up there. He gives off the same maniacal energy as a cult leader, while crushing someone ridiculous monologues about his morality. It is the kind of performance the Academy would never reward, but fans will praise for years. Bravo, sir. Also, just for safety, someone needs to check on Jesse Eisenberg.
Other supporting roles have moments too. Of the other heroes, I most enjoyed Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner and Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific. Both bring their own dry sense of humor to their tights and fill an overloaded supporting cast. (I said overloaded for a reason; we’ll get back to that.) Other costumed heroes like Isabel Merced as Hawkgirl, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and Maria Gabriela de Faria as the Engineer do well in limited minutes off the bench too. Skyler Gisondo looks like he was grown in a lab to play Jimmy Olsen. Neva Howell and Pruitt Vince are well cast as Ma and Pa Kent. Finally, Sara Sampaio plays and interesting girlfriend to Luthor.
*exhales finally*
Yeah, that’s a lot of actors doing good to excellent. Nothing bad to say about them. Trust me, I probably missed a few names in the there as well. But I’m okay with omitting them, because that list is absolutely massive, leading me to my main problem with the movie: There’s a little too much going on. It feels like director James Gunn wanted to start off his DC comics cinematic universe with a big property, while also hinting at or setting up a bunch of other little things. In theory, this makes the universe feel more lived in. I’m glad we don’t spend 30 minutes watching Krypton explode, but i think we could’ve toned back the sheer scale of this cast.
But that’s about the only criticism I have for Gunn’s work here. Taking on directing and writing was a big ask, but he knocked it out of the part with how well he wrote our main characters. Story wise, the film succeeds at getting us into this universe, while also getting us into the titular hero. Honestly, I am particularly impressed with Gunn toning back his sense of humor. With all the jokes he’s told in three Guardians of the Galaxy movies and his The Suicide Squad, I didn’t know if he could quite pin down the tone for a Superman story. But I’ll be if he doesn’t nail it.
Gunn, Corenswet, and the rest of the team behind Superman really soar over the standard for a good superhero movie. The genre has felt a little lackluster the past few year since Avengers: Endgame. Shoot, it might have even peaked right there. But if Gunn and the rest of the team behind this movie can improve on what they already did well here, I’m excited to keep coming back for more of the Man of Tomorrow.
Rating: Super Liked It
Superman is currently playing in theaters
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