10/07/2025
My Opinion on James Gunn's Superman
I was genuinely excited to see this movie and there are definitely a lot to like in this movie. From the casting to some emotional moments, to a few scenes that feel ripped straight out of a comic book.
That said, here are the parts that didn’t work for me as well:
Corenswet brings a solid performance as Superman, especially in scenes where he just wants to prevent conflict or save lives. This version of Superman is emotionally reactive. He gets angry easily, lashes out, and acts like a regular person under a lot of stress.
Although the movie eventually portrays this as a component of his character and it is relevant to watch Superman go through same struggles as everyone else, I believe Gunn went too far in making him seem like an everyday person. Yes, we can and should relate to Superman’s human side but at the end of the day, what separates him from the rest of us is that he’s not just like us. He’s someone we’re meant to look up to. He’s an ideal. A symbol. The one we hope will do the right thing when we can’t. And when that symbolic weight is softened too much, something important about Superman is lost.
I was excited when I saw the physical difference between Gunn's Superman and Clark Kent and thought it's an indicator that we will see a performance similar to how Christopher Reeve did it, but this new version of Clark Kent is just Superman with glasses and a TikToker haircut. With so little screen time Clark Kent had, Corenswet made a very little effort to create a dual identity. No attempt to act differently as Clark. He did that voice change we all saw in the trailer but that's it. I guess Gunn was not interested in the dynamics between Superman and his alter ego.
Mr. Terrific and Guy Gardner have some great moments, and Hawkgirl feels like she's just there. They feel like one-dimensional characters and make the movie feel crowded but shallow.
The biggest problem I had with James Gunn's direction here is that he seemed afraid of letting emotional scenes land. Almost every emotional moment is immediately followed by jokes. Gunn tries to funnel his humor into too many places, disrupting the tone. Most of it feels unnecessary and often sabotaging the tone. He should have let emotional scenes play out fully so the audience could feel the weight of what was happening.
Lex Luthor suffers from a confused motivation and suffers most from Jame's Gunn's tonal inconsistencies. His serious moments are constantly undermined by out of place jokes. He is meant to be a menacing villain. Instead of building tension, his scenes are disrupted by humor and Luthor loses his impact as a villain.
Another issue is how predictable it feels. The plot follows the familiar plot we've seen in other Superman adaptations. No real surprises or dramatic twists. It played out almost exactly how you would expect a Superman movie to go. Gunn played safe. It doesn't take many risk and more like a remix of things we've already seen.
This is clearly the Superman movie that most people want, and it is surely for the new generation, but it is bogged down by predictability, supporting characters with no depth, and a directional tone that constantly shifts in ways that feel jarring. Superman is a visually beautiful movie, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing I was hoping for.
I’m still excited about what this new Superman could bring to the DCU despite some things that I didn't like. David Corenswet has a big potential to grow more into the role, and there’s a strong foundation in this movie if Superman is given room to evolve. I genuinely hope this movie is just the beginning of something bigger! That it leads to the kind of cinematic arc DC fans have been waiting for.
6/10
