Review: Superman
It feels strange to call a Superman film timely, but James Gunn’s Superman (2025) lands at exactly the right moment. At a time when the world feels divided, anxious, and sometimes defeated, David Corenswet’s Clark Kent feels like the balm we didn’t know we needed. This is a Superman who doesn’t just save the day; he makes you believe the day can still be saved.
From the opening scenes, Gunn makes it clear this isn’t a grim deconstruction or a gritty reimagining. Instead, it’s a return to something both old and quietly radical in our current era: earnestness. Clark Kent here is a man whose decency isn’t just a mask — it’s the point. Corenswet plays him with a kind of steady warmth, never slipping into irony or cynicism. The film’s best moments come not when Superman is throwing punches, but when Clark is simply talking, listening, or quietly reassuring people who’ve all but lost hope.
The plot itself is a straightforward blend of classic comic-book storytelling: a powerful threat to Metropolis in the form of Alex Luthor (Nicolas Hoult), and the ever-present struggle of balancing Clark Kent’s human upbringing with his Kryptonian origins. Gunn, who also wrote the screenplay, keeps the narrative tight and largely free of the convoluted world-building that has weighed down other recent superhero outings. Instead, the heart of the movie beats strongest in its smaller moments — Clark sitting at his childhood home in Kansas, remembering his parents’ quiet wisdom; Superman being “interviewed” by Lois Lane.
What’s striking is how Corenswet’s performance leans into the very thing Superman has often been criticised for: being too good, too perfect, too naive. In Corenswet’s hands, those qualities don’t feel like flaws — they feel like choices. His Clark knows the world is messy and that people can disappoint. Yet he still chooses to believe the best of them. This optimism doesn’t come across as simple-minded but as an act of quiet bravery. In our age of dark antiheroes, that feels surprisingly fresh.
Visually, the film finds a balance between the larger-than-life spectacle audiences expect and moments of grounded beauty. Metropolis shines, full of hopeful light instead of dystopian gloom. There’s action, of course — soaring battles and city-spanning rescues — but they’re shot and scored in a way that never loses sight of what Superman represents: not just power, but hope. Gunn’s direction is often at its best when it slows down and lets the camera rest on Superman hovering silently above the city, a silent guardian rather than an unstoppable weapon.
The supporting cast also does solid work. Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane is sharp and stubborn without slipping into cliché. She matches Clark’s idealism with her own brand of fearless journalism, and their chemistry feels built on mutual respect more than forced romance. Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, meanwhile, avoids cartoonish villainy, coming off as a man whose cynicism is rooted in genuine fear of what Superman represents: the idea that humans might not be the centre of the story anymore.
In the end, what lingers most isn’t the action or the plot twists, but the spirit of the film. Gunn and Corenswet’s Superman isn’t a symbol of perfection — he’s a reminder that hope itself is a choice worth making, even when it’s hard. That feels profoundly comforting in a year where the headlines rarely offer us anything to cheer about.
Watching Superman, we’re reminded that real strength isn’t found in power alone, but in kindness, mercy, and an unshaken belief that goodness can prevail.
Some might dismiss the film as old-fashioned. But maybe that’s the point. Superman (2025) doesn’t chase trendiness or ironic distance. Instead, it dares to be sincere, to wear its heart on its cape, and to tell us that optimism isn’t weakness — it’s strength. And right now, that feels exactly like what we all need.
