Review: James Gunn's SUPERMAN Is the Awesome Punk Rock Rebirth the Genre Needs
I was excited about James Gunn’s Superman, but I didn’t expect the film to hit me the way it did. I walked in thinking I’d get a decent kickoff to Gunn’s DCU, and I walked out convinced I’d just seen one of the most wildly creative, emotionally grounded, and straight-up fun superhero films in years.
Gunn infused this film with that weird, wild, rebellious spirit he’s known for. This isn’t a movie trying to copy what came before. This is Gunn throwing the rulebook into the sun and building something new with the superhero genre. He thought outside of the box while on this one, and it totally worked for me.
This thing screams punk rock! Not in the leather-jacket-and-Mohawk kind of way, but in the way it challenges the polished, formulaic superhero structure we’ve seen a million times. It’s confident, vibrant, and unafraid to get weird and be unique.
Gunn’s world-building is alive and packed with personality, full of playful energy, and yet it still leaves room for real emotional depth. The tone feels like a balancing act between earnest hope and chaotic irreverence, and it totally sticks the landing.
David Corenswet crushed it as Clark Kent/Superman. I’ll admit, I was skeptical when he was first announced. He had the look, sure, but did he have the thing? Turns out, he does.
He brings this quiet nobility to the role, not just because he’s powerful, but because he cares. That’s what hit me. His Superman isn’t a god looking down on us, he’s someone trying to be the best of both worlds: Kryptonian and human. That’s the core of the film.
His scenes with Lois (played brilliantly by Rachel Brosnahan) have this breezy, flirty rhythm that feels genuinely fun. They just click. And Krypto is an MVP. Every moment with him is gold. That scrappy dog rules!
As much as this is Superman’s movie, Gunn makes sure the supporting cast pops. Yeah, there are a lot of characters, but it never feels overcrowded. Mr. Terrific brings this dry, deadpan humor that cracked me up every time.
Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) make solid impressions, and I seriously wish we got more of Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). He’s got that weird, tragic energy I really dig. He’s also got some rad powers Hopefully he gets more time in the sequels.
The Justice Gang is ragtag crew of colorful heroes, who chose to fight for something, and their relationship with Superman makes for some amusing moments.
Now let’s talk Lex Luthor. Nicholas Hoult is perfect. His take on Lex is chilling and dark. There’s this simmering resentment under everything he does, and his dynamic with Superman is very personal. He’s not just a villain because he hates aliens, he sees Superman as a threat to the world he wants to build.
The way he tries to dismantle Superman’s image is really clever. It’s not all brute force, it’s also calculated, manipulative. I loved watching their back-and-forth, because it felt like two worldviews clashing more than just two guys punching each other.
The action is awesome and massive moments that are pure comic book chaos. It’s fast, stylish, and Gunn leans into the pulp of it all. You feel the punches, but I was grinning from ear to ear because of how bonkers and imaginative it all is.
The thing that really stuck with me, though, was the heart. There’s this brief moment that stuck with me between Clark and his dad, Jonathan Kent that just... hit me. No irony, no wink—just a real, vulnerable conversation that was filled with emotion. That emotional throughline gives the movie weight.
People are gonna have opinions on this one. Some will say it’s too weird, too goofy, not “serious” enough, and that’s fine. But for me? This is exactly what I wanted. A Superman movie that embraces hope, that dares to be crazy, that makes room for action, comedy, heart, and, most of all, joy.
It reminded me why I love superhero stories in the first place. Not because they’re perfect, but because they show us how we can be better. Gunn didn’t just relaunch the DCU with Superman, he reignited the genre.