Superman (2025)

By now, Quentin Tarantino’s hot take on Superman has resurfaced online enough times for it to have seeped into the cultural consciousness. Via one of his onscreen mouthpieces, Tarantino theorised that Superman truly was an alien living among us. The blue suit with the large ’S’ wasn’t a costume for him; it was the attire of his people. The real costume was the suit and tie he wore as Clark Kent. “Clark Kent is how Superman views us,” Tarantino said. “And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent? He’s weak… he’s unsure of himself… he’s a coward. Clark Kent is Superman’s critique on the whole human race.” The same theory, funnily enough, could be applied to James Gunn. In his new Superman movie, the filmmaker offers a similar outsider’s perspective on earthly matters. Positioned as a quasi-apology for Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel — the most expensive emo music video ever filmed — Gunn’s Superman harkens back to the goofy cartoons of the 1980s. It’s bright, kid-friendly, and energetically performed. It’s also surprisingly contemporary. Not only does this Superman live in the DC Universe’s equivalent of 2025, he also finds himself at the centre of a divided world. The film’s opening titles inform us that ‘metahumans’ like him first arrived on Earth 3,000 years ago. Three years ago, Kal-El ‘came out’ as Superman, and three minutes ago, he suffered his first loss on the battlefield.

Following the release of Man of Steel (2013) and the critically panned Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), which failed to perform well at the box office, the Kryptonian superhero was granted a hiatus. This film has been in the works for some time; however, when Justice League (2017) encountered production difficulties, the sequel to Man of Steel was also sidelined. James Gunn, who directed the three Guardians of the Galaxy films for Marvel, has transitioned to D.C. with this new Superman project. Although Guardians franchise featured a team of superheroes while this one primarily focuses on a solo hero (with the Justice gang making a brief appearance), there is a significant difference in the tone of the two movies. Guardians was predominantly a light-hearted film that utilized humor to navigate its narrative, whereas Superman does not follow the same pattern. He faces a serious mission to thwart the nefarious schemes of Lex Luthor. With Lois Lane present, there is an opportunity to incorporate some romantic elements, and some of the most delightful moments arise from Krypto, the Superdog. . But otherwise, Superman plays it by the numbers.

It requires metahuman skills to keep rebooting and refreshing a comic book character that was created in the 1930s. Writer-director James Gunn does it with Krypto. When a gasping-for-life Clark Kent/Superman (David Corenswet) is dragged to his secret crystalline home to be revived, Krypto the dog saves not just the superhero from an alien planet but also Gunn’s film. Bow-wow, wag-wag, Krypto gets the applause each time he flies in for a timely rescue. He also gets the laughs with his overenthusiastic greetings, his jumps and his boundless energy. Truly, a doggie version of almost killing with love. Amidst a whole lot of confusing metahumans, some good, some bad, an assortment of black holes and universes that include a pocket universe, and powers that provide sci-fi and CGI experts with lucrative employment, Gunn brings in one more aww-inspiring moment – an alien infant that must be rescued from CGI fire by Superman, good metahuman Mr Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Krypto. With Krypto slobbering all over the infant, the cuteness quotient shoots up.

Superheroes have one job: they save people. This job profile is fairly uncomplicated. It does not discriminate between the people being saved, as long as they don’t deserve to die. As long as they’re innocent, in one way or the other. American superheroes have forever used this macro profile — of focusing on all of humanity, the universe, the past, the future — as a front for their micro aversions and distinctly apolitical identities. It’s easier to put the ‘petty disputes’ within a planet in perspective when all-time baddies like Thanos and co. threaten mass extinction. At best, our dark friend Batman mined the more systemic problems; politicians have been his adversaries more than once, but he has no time for politics itself. Creators and screenwriters have often shied away from contemporary cracks in favour of big pictures and bigger fish to fry.

I really don’t want to bring up Zack Snyder. His films cause me physical pain. But even I have to admit there’s a grim conviction somewhere in all that humourless, quasi-mythological imagery. His films, which include Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League for DC, stand for something, even if I can’t stand them. James Gunn’s Superman stands for nothing except a desire to please. It’s the aesthetic and philosophical opposite of the Snyder Superman films. Underlit greys and browns give way to pleasing whites and blues. There’s a scruffy dog. David Corenswet’s Clark smiles more in his first scene with Lois than Henry Cavill did in three films. There’s a persistent goofiness that I’m sure will drive Snyder acolytes crazy. It’s more watchable, and yet, almost weightless, lacking a sense of definition and purpose.

Clark Kent (David Corenswet) has been leading the dual life of a journalist and Superman for the past three years. To save the world, he is forced to confront Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), a tech genius and xenophobe, whose sole intention is to destroy Superman because the world must bow down to intellect over physical prowess. Over the years, the superhero universe has become increasingly grim, and you can almost sense James Gunn’s annoyance with this trajectory. He gets Superman’s classic red trunks back for a reason - a reset. His hero radiates optimism, which explains why the caped saviour never gives up, even though he spends most of the movie getting beaten to a pulp. Gunn’s Superman is younger—aware of his power but still discovering his purpose. He turns a new page by stripping the character of its modern trappings and reuniting it with its roots – the comics. Though an alien from Krypton, Superman is a righteous superhero, an ultimate saviour, who must bear the weight of humanity’s survival.