Superman (2025 film)

 

Based on the DC Comics series by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman is the story of an alien superhero who is trying to save the world while coming to terms with who he really is and the family that has adopted him on Earth. Written and directed for the screen by James Gunn, the film is a re-telling of the Kryptonian hero as he tries to find his place on Earth while dealing with those who are afraid of him and those who oppose him as David Corenswet stars as the titular role/Clark Kent/Kal-El. Also starring Rachel Brosnahan, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Superman is an exhilarating and wondrous film by James Gunn.

The film is the story of an alien superhero who has chosen to use his powers to do good while he copes with constant criticism and attacks from different forces, including Lex Luthor who has created a smear campaign on Superman. It is a film that explores a man who believe he was sent by his biological parents from Krypton to be a beacon of hope on Earth during tough times where he would stop an invasion from one country towards a neighboring country without government approval or sanction. That action would lead to criticism from social media and others including the American government with Luthor amping up the criticism because of his hatred for Superman. James Gunn’s screenplay is straightforward in its narrative where it is more about Kal-El playing not just the role as a superhero who is trying to make the world a better place but also understand his own place in the world as Clark Kent who was raised by kind-hearted humans in Smallville, Kansas.

The script opens with Superman crashing onto a snowy landscape after he had lost a fight with a mysterious being known as the Hammer of Boravia following Superman’s own involvement in stopping Boravia from invading the neighboring country Jarhanpur. Kent also works for Metropolis’ newspaper Daily Planet with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whom he has been in a relationship with as she also knows his identity as Superman where she questions him about what happened at Jarhanpur since Kent always created his own interviews with Superman where Kent is forced to realize that things are not as simple as he wants them to be. Especially with the U.S. government having their own relationship with Boravia unaware that their leader President Vasil Ghurkos (Zlato Buric) is conspiring with Luthor in a scheme that Luthor wants to do with Jarhanpur. Luthor is an antagonist that is smart but is also hoping to be this godlike figure that is feared and revered yet he is unhappy with the presence of Superman to the point that he has one of his henchman in Ultraman and a nanotech metahuman in Angela Spica/the Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria) help find ways to get access to Superman’s secret lair in the Fortress of Solitude where they steal the message from Superman’s parents as well as Superman’s pet dog Krypto.

The script’s second act plays into Superman dealing with Luthor’s smear campaign and Superman turning himself to the U.S. government where Superman is sent to a mysterious pocket universe that Luthor has created. There, Superman is forced to endure torture by a metahuman named Rex Mason/Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) who can change his body into any form as he turns his hand into Kryptonite with Luthor also doing whatever he can to hurt Superman every way he can much to Mason’s own disgust as he is forced to torture Superman. The second act also has Lane making some discoveries about what is happening to Superman and Luthor’s connection to Boravia as she turns to a team of metahumans in the Justice Gang led by Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) along with Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) for help but only Mr. Terrific decides to help Lane who also learns about Luthor’s pocket universe due to sources from fellow journalist Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) who has his own mysterious connections.

Gunn’s direction is sprawling in terms of its overall presentation and different settings to play into a world that is chaotic yet there is this element of hope in this superhero from another planet. Shot on various locations at Trilith Studios in Duluth, Georgia as well as locations in Atlanta, Ohio, and Svalbard, Norway as the last of which is used for the scenes where the Fortress of Solitude is placed. The film opens with images in Antarctica where Superman crashes down the snow only to be picked up by Krypto to the Fortress of Solitude. What Gunn does is create something different rather than play into what has been told already about Superman as it plays into something more immediate as he has known to the world for about three years and this is the first time he lost a fight. Gunn’s usage of wide and medium shots not only establishes the locations that the characters are in but also a world that is falling apart due to war, misinformation, and the ambitions of those who want to destroy it for their own gain.

Gunn also maintains a sense of intimacy with the medium shots and close-ups as it relates to Kent’s relationship with Lane where he would let the camera linger for a bit during Lane’s interview with Superman where Kent would have trouble answering questions. There is also this air of dread and extreme that Luthor would bring when he confronts Superman as he has no problem killing ordinary people or those who are close to Superman to get a win over him. Even as Ultraman is controlled by Luthor’s people who would predict every move Superman makes in a fight as it highlights Luthor’s own desire for power above his own wealth. Gunn also knows when to slow things down and ground them into reality as it plays into Kent’s own identity as he wonders what his biological parents really want from him, yet it would be his adoptive parents in Jonathan and Martha Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell, respectively) that would give him the guidance that he needs to just be himself. Flaws and all as superheroes are imperfect as Gardiner is a bit of a dick while Mr. Terrific takes himself a bit seriously at times. Its climax has Gunn going all-out where Superman does what he can to be the savior that Metropolis and the world needs while also knowing he could not do this alone where Lane would also play a role in stopping Luthor. Overall, Gunn crafts an enthralling yet rapturous film about an alien superhero who fights evil to make the world a better place for everyone.

Cinematographer Henry Braham does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on vibrant colors in some of the daytime exterior scenes while using some harsh lighting for the interiors of Luthor’s pocket universe to bring that air of darkness while the nighttime interior/exterior scenes help play into the tense atmosphere of what Luthor’s goons will do for their master. Editors William Hoy and Craig Alpert do excellent work with the editing as it does utilize fast cuts for some of the action scenes and big set pieces while also knowing when to slow things down to let shots linger and knowing when to cut. Production designer Beth Mickle, with set decorator Rosemary Brandenberg plus supervising art directors Drew Monahan and David Scott, does amazing work with the look of the sets from the interiors of the Fortress of Solitude, the Luthorcorp building, and other places in and around Metropolis. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does fantastic work with the costumes in the look of Superman’s suit with its vibrant colors to some of the clothing that Lane wears that is casual but more business-like with pants.

Makeup designer Alexei Dmitriew and hair designer Peter Swords King do terrific work with the look of some of the characters including Mr. Terrific, Metamorpho, and that awful haircut that Gardner has. Visual effects supervisor Stephane Ceretti does brilliant work with the visual effects in some of the visual backdrops for some of Superman’s flying scenes as well as the look of the pocket universe and some of the creatures that Superman and other metahumans deal with. Sound editors David Acord and Katy Wood do superb work with the sound in the way Superman lifts off from the ground as well the layer of sounds in the action scenes as well as some eerie scenes at the pocket universe. The film’s music by John Murphy and David Fleming is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score that features elements of heavy string arrangements and brass arrangements as well as create variations of John Williams’ theme from the 1978 Richard Donner film while its music soundtrack also include pieces by Noah and the Whale, Teddybears with Iggy Pop, and a fictional band known as the Mighty Crabjoys that Kent is a fan of.

The casting by John Papsidera is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances such as Michael Ian Black as the talk show host Cleavis Thornwaite, Will Reeves as a news reporter on the ground, Terence Rosemore and Stephen Blackehart as a couple of associates of Luthor respectively in Otis and Sydney, Frank Grillo as U.S. military official General Rick Flag Sr., and in the voices of the Superman robots at the Fortress of Solitude are Jennifer Holland, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, Alan Tudyk, and Grace Chan. Other notable small roles as staff members at the Daily Planet in Beck Bennett as the sports columnist Steve Lombard, Christopher McDonald as reporter Ron Troupe, and Mikaela Hoover as the columnist Cat Grant. Wendell Pierce is terrific as Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White who is trying to run the paper while he has his own issues with Luthor. Sara Sampaio is fantastic as Luthor’s girlfriend Eve Teschmacher as this bimbo who often does selfies only to be smarter than people think she is. Maria Gabriela de Faria is superb as Angela Spica/the Engineer, as one of Luthor’s henchpersons whose body is filled with nanotech as she can access things while doing what she can to cause trouble for Superman.

Zlato Buric is excellent as Boravian president Vasil Ghurkos who is secretly aligned with Luthor as he hopes to profit from Luthor’s plans as well as get one over Superman. Skyler Gisondo is brilliant as Jimmy Olsen as a photojournalist for the Daily Planet who has his own secret sources about the pocket universe while is also a flirt of sorts as he attracts all sorts of beautiful women. Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell are amazing in their respective roles as Jonathan and Martha Kent as Clark’s adoptive parents who help him find himself after his own trials and tribulations including his own views on his biological parents. The dog Jolene is great as a stand-in model for the dog Krypto who has superpowers where he would help Clark anyway, he can while also being aggressive in his need for attention. Anthony Carrigan is incredible as Rex Mason/Metamorpho as an alien figure who can change his body into anything as he is forced to torture Superman by turning his hand into Kryptonite only for Luthor’s inhumanity to finally push him to the edge where he helps Superman.

In the roles as the members of the Justice Gang, Isabela Merced, Nathan Fillion, and Edi Gathegi are great in their respective roles as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, and Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific. Merced’s performance as the reserved Saunders is low-key in someone who is the youngest person in the group as she often deals with Gardner’s arrogance as well as being someone who will do the kind of things Superman would not do. Fillion’s performance as Gardner is full of wit as someone with a horrible bowl haircut that can create things with a ring while also believing that he is a leader despite his many flaws. Gathegi’s performance as Mr. Terrific is the major standout of the three as he has the funniest lines as an inventor who makes unique tech while is the smartest guy in the room as Gathegi brings a lot of humor to his performance. Rachel Brosnahan is remarkable as Lois Lane as a journalist for the Daily Planet who is also in a relationship with Kent/Superman knowing his true identity as she is not sure if this is a relationship that would work until she makes discoveries about what Luthor is doing with Boravia where Brosnahan brings a no-nonsense approach to Lane while also bringing nuances to a character that who is often cynical yet finds hope in what Superman does.

Nicholas Hoult is phenomenal as Lex Luthor as a wealthy businessman who is seeking to be revered and feared by many as he is also ruthlessly doing whatever he can to defeat Superman through social media and other things to discredit him. Hoult also has this menacing quality that makes Luthor a villain that everyone loves to hate as he is also extreme in what he does while he does not care who gets killed as it is a career-defining performance from Hoult. Finally, there’s David Corenswet in a tremendous breakout performance as the titular character/Clark Kent/Kal-El. Corenswet brings in that sense of humility of an alien trying to do good for the world as he deals with getting his ass kicked in a fight as well as constant criticism about his actions. Corenswet also has this charm to his character as well as knowing that he is flawed where he brings a lot of nuances as both Superman and Clark Kent as there is also an element of Superman being a bit of an asshole though not intentionally. Corenswet’s performance is a major revelation as he understands what makes Superman unique as well as bringing elements that feels fresh while retaining the nuances that makes Superman so beloved.

Superman is an outstanding film by James Gunn that features a great break-out leading performance from David Corenswet as the titular character. Along with its ensemble cast, colorful visuals, an exhilarating music score, sprawling action set pieces, and a riveting story of identity and the need for hope in dark times. It is a film that exudes all the elements expected in a superhero film, but it is also a film that knows when to not take itself too seriously as well as bring something that is hopeful in a hero who represents truth, justice, and a better tomorrow in tumultuous times. In the end, Superman is a magnificent film by James Gunn.

DC Universe: (Supergirl (2026 film)) – (Clayface)

Related: (Superman) – (Superman II) – (Superman III) – (Superman IV: The Quest for Peace) – (Superman Returns) – (Superman II: The Richard Donner’s Cut) – Man of Steel - The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened? - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - (The Auteurs #76: James Gunn)

James Gunn Films: (Slither) – (Super (2010 film)) – Guardians of the Galaxy - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - The Suicide Squad (2021 film) - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

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Selma

Directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Paul Webb, Selma is the story of the events leading to the 1965 march led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and several other Civil Rights leaders trying to make a difference during the Civil Rights movement in the American South. The film is a dramatic account of the non-violent march from Selma to Montgomery in the state of Alabama as it is considered a key turning point in the American Civil Rights movement. Starring David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, Giovanni Ribisi, Tim Roth, Tessa Thompson, Wendell Pierce, Alessandro Nivola, and Oprah Winfrey. Selma is a mesmerizing and riveting film from Ava DuVernay.

The film is a dramatic account of the events that preceded the non-violent march from Selma to Montgomery led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) in an attempt for African-Americans to have the right to register to vote that would eventually lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Told in a straightforward manner, the film follows Dr. King and fellow Civil Rights leader who prepare for this march just as Dr. King is having frequent meetings with President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) about allowing African-Americans to have the right to register to vote without any issues. Johnson is reluctant as he has other things to deal with where he is also dealing with some opposition like FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (Dylan Baker) who thinks King is up to no good while King would also have to deal with Alabama’s Governor George Wallace (Tim Roth).

Paul Webb’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Dr. King’s attempt to get the march going with several other Civil Rights leaders but also dealing with the authority in Alabama where a lot of planning occurs. Even as Dr. King ponders if the media will see what happens as he also deals with the church bombing in Birmingham that killed four young girls and other events that includes the death of Malcolm X (Nigel Thatch). The script also plays in moments behind the scenes where Dr. King becomes weary and unsure of what is doing as his own personal life would nearly unravel when the FBI tries to create discord between Dr. King and his wife Coretta (Carmen Ejogo) over the former’s supposed extramarital affairs. Still, Dr. King tries to get the march forward where he also deals with members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who don’t agree with Dr. King’s views.

There is a structure where much of the first half is about Dr. King and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference trying to plan for the march as well as deal with all sorts of legal and social issues. Even as Dr. King copes with loss and other things as well having to go back to his home in Atlanta and flying to Washington D.C. to meet with President Johnson. The second half is about the first two attempts for the march as the first one ends in violence where it is captured by the press while the second one would end abruptly by Dr. King due to an act of faith. Especially where he would hear that those who would march with him including whites would be targeted in this small Alabama town where racial tension is very high. The third act is about President Johnson’s decision as he is aware of the role he is playing where he knows what might happen if he doesn’t act.

Ava DuVernay’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of the fact that she doesn’t go for anything grand nor play too much into exposition which is often the case with a lot of films based on historical events. While much of it is shot in Atlanta and other parts in the nearby city including a few key shots in Selma and Montgomery. The film is more about the American South as a whole where it plays into a landscape that is changing where you have a group of people that want change but you have this other group that opposes change. DuVernay’s usage of wide and medium shots help play into this tension that is happening in Alabama which is the centerpiece of this old idea of the American South dating back to the 1800s. Even as Dr. King would meet this old man who is in his 80s as he is waiting for the right to vote as it is this very simple moment where this old man just endured loss as he ponders if he has a say in anything in this country that is supposed to be about equality. The direction also has DuVernay create moments that are quite intense such as a non-violent confrontation against a county sheriff that does unfortunately turn violent because the old man couldn’t sit down where a woman would hit that sheriff and all hell breaks loose.

The usage of close-ups and hand-held cameras play into that chaos as well as a moment where people are attempting a march at night where it turns very violent in the hands of the police. There are also moments during these meetings where DuVernay does create something where there is tension but also the need to resolve something not just in the meetings President Johnson would have with his staff and Dr. King but also a scene with him and Governor Wallace that plays into a world that is changing. The latter of which is actually afraid of change but is also indifferent in what history will think of him as it’s something President Johnson is aware of. While its ending is predictable, it does have something to say in what Dr. King has done to make the world better no matter how troubling it is but it’s also in the idea that one person does have a say. Overall, DuVernay creates a gripping yet engaging film about one of the most watershed moments in American history.

Cinematographer Bradford Young does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from its usage of low-key lights for some of the interiors in many of the scenes set day and night to the look of the towns in the daytime including the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Editor Spencer Averick does nice work in creating some unique rhythmic and jump-cuts to play into some of the drama as well as some of the intense moments in the film. Production designer Mark Friedberg, with set decorator Elizabeth Keenan and art director Kim Jennings, does fantastic work with the look of the home of Dr. King and his family as well as some church interiors including the scene in Birmingham where the four little girls would be killed on that day. Costume designer Ruth E. Carter does wonderful work with the costumes as it play into the period of the times as well as the dresses the women wear.

Visual effects supervisors Anup Shakya and Dottie Starling do brilliant work with some of the minimal visual effects such as the Birmingham church bombing sequence as well as a few other moments that is essentially set dressing. Sound editor Greg Hedgepath does superb work with the sound as it play into some of the chaos in some of the protests as well as some chilling moments in the conversations. The film’s music by Jason Moran is terrific as it‘s mostly low-key and doesn’t appear very much as it is largely a mixture of orchestral, folk, and gospel to play into the times while music supervisor Morgan Rhodes provides a intoxicating soundtrack that mixes a lot of the music of the times from folk, gospel, soul, and blues from artists like Joyce Collins & Johnita Collins, Duane Eddy, Sarah Vaughan, the Staple Singers, Otis Redding, Odetta, the Impressions, and a new song called Glory by John Legend and Common.

The casting by Aisha Coley and Cynthia Stillwell are incredible as it features a massive ensemble with notable small roles from Jeremy Strong as white Boston pastor James Reeb, Tara Ochs as white Civil Rights activist Viola Liuzzo, Stan Houston as Selma’s sheriff Jim Clark, Nigel Thatch as Malcolm X, Michael Papajohn as state trooper leader Major John Cloud, Henry G. Sanders as the old man Cager Lee that Dr. King befriends, Keith Stansfield as the old man’s grandson, Ledisi Young as the legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson that Dr. King turns to for guidance early in the film, and Oprah Winfrey in a small yet wonderful standout performance as activist Annie Lee Cooper who is just a woman that just wants the right to vote. Other noteworthy appearances include Martin Sheen as Judge Frank Minis Johnson who decides whether Dr. King could march, Cuba Gooding Jr. as civil rights attorney Fred Grey, Dylan Baker as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, Stephen Root as Governor Wallace’s advisor Al Lingo, Niecy Nash as activist Richie Jean Jackson, and Giovanni Ribisi as President Johnson’s advisor Lee C. White.

In the performances of the many associates of Dr. King, Colman Domingo as Ralph Abernathy, Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Bayard Rustin, Stephan James as SNCC co-chairman John Lewis, Wendell Pierce as Hosea Williams, Lorraine Toussaint as Amelia Boynton Robinson, and Andrew Holland as Andrew Young are all excellent as people who are trying to see what they can do for the movement and make sure it goes in the right direction. Tessa Thompson is superb as Diane Nash as an activist who helps Dr. King in the strategy of the Selma march while Common is fantastic as Reverend James Bevel who also helps in making sure things go right in the need for non-violence. Alessandro Nivola is amazing as Assistant Attorney General John Doar who meets with Dr. King to understand what is doing while trying to ensure him that President Johnson is at his side knowing that what Dr. King wants isn’t easy.

Tim Roth is brilliant as Governor George C. Wallace as Alabama’s then-governor who tries to make sure Dr. King doesn’t march as Roth sells that air of racism in the governor as well as display a sense of fear about what could happen if change does happen in Alabama. Carmen Ejogo is radiant as Coretta Scott King as Dr. King’s wife who is aware of what her husband is doing while also knowing that not everything in her marriage is great though she stands by him when he needs her at the march. Tom Wilkinson is great as President Lyndon B. Johnson who wants to invoke an act where African-Americans can vote without any issue but is trying to see how he wouldn’t get into trouble as he also copes with how history will see him. Finally, there’s David Oyelowo in a tremendous performance as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as the civil rights leader who is trying to make change and ensure that the people of Alabama have a say while dealing with everything that involves in the march and its outcome as well as dealing with personal issues where he becomes overwhelmed with his role as a civil rights leader as it is a performance for the ages from Oyelowo.

Selma is a sensational film from Ava DuVernay that features an incredible performance from David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Featuring a great ensemble cast and a compelling story that plays a lot into some of its historical context and its stakes. It’s a film that doesn’t just carry a lot of importance but also showcase a moment in time that would prove to be a major moment in American history. In the end, Selma is a spectacular film from Ava DuVernay.

Ava DuVernay Films: (This is the Life (2008 film)) - (I Will Follow) - Middle of Nowhere (2012 film) - 13th (2016 film) - (A Wrinkle in Time (2018 film))

© thevoid99 2016