Superman Returns, But Will It Matter?

_{David Corenswet as Superman (2025) ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection}

(Note: I am aware there were TV shows featuring Superman, but this article will not be about them. It will focus solely on the movies.)

The Superman series resembles more the James Bond series than it does movies featuring comic book heroes. First, whereas most comic book heroes wear a mask, Superman’s face is clearly visible and whoever is cast for that role must be convincing in a cape as well. A bigger reason is that, like Bond, Superman has been played by several actors and some of the Bond films were serious while others were rather light and campy. Yet, despite these notable variations, the Bond series as well as the Superman series are clearly distinguishable from any other film.

The Superman series began in 1978 and had some A-list talent involved, including Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman. Mario Puzo, who has written The Godfather novel, co-wrote the script. Yet, none of it would work without Christopher Reeve, who really looked like Superman. Superman II (1980) was filmed immediately after Superman (1978),as these installments were conceptualized like two parts of a whole film, akin to Dune: Part One (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024). Richard Donner had directed most of Superman II but was eventually replaced by Richard Lester due to arguments with the producers. (Donner finally got to do his own cut in 2006 and it is superior to the theatrical version.)

Lester was then hired to direct Superman III (1983), which has a comic tone and also featured Richard Pryor. By the time Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) was made, it was in the hands of a low-budget studio Cannon. They would keep the budget low, but one expense they could not spare was Christopher Reeve. Christopher agreed to it only if they make his pet project Street Smart (1987) and guarantee that Superman IV would be about nuclear disarmament.  But in the end, Reeve admitted that neither III or IV were good. The series appeared to be over.

Yet, the series was resurrected in 2006 by Warner Brothers in the form of Superman Returns directed by Bryan Singer, who had directed the X-Men series. The film earned $391.1 million on a budget of $204−223 million, but the studio was disappointed and cancelled a sequel meant for 2009.

Then, in 2013, Man of Steel directed by Zach Snyder and starring Henry Cavill came out. The film was much darker and more serious than its predecessors. Yet, many comic book fans welcomed the change and found Cavill suitable replacement for Reeve. Emboldened by such positive reviews, which were lacking since Superman II, Snyder would continue the dark tone in Batman vs. Superman (2016) and Justice League (2017). However, his cuts were too serious and were rated R, prompting re-cuts by Warner Bros to ensure a more family-friendly PG-13. This decision backfired, as the theatrical cuts were not well received by critics and audiences. Snyder eventually got his cuts streamed on HBO Max. Although they were clearly superior to the theatrical version, I wonder if Snyder/Cavill would have continued the series had the original versions been released in the theaters.

Still, nothing happened for a while, and it took some DC (the company that gave us the Superman comic strip) film projects that had not done well to resurrect the Superman series. To reverse their fortunes, DC asked James Gunn, who had directed the Guardians of the Galaxy films, to become the CEO of DC studios and oversee the creative development of DC film projects. The first project that Gunn would direct would be Superman (2025) featuring David Corenswet.

The tone of the movie is set in the first scene, as we see Superman is lying in the snow after being badly beaten. He is rescued by his dog Krypto, who tugs on his cape and brings him back to the Fortress of Solitude where he will heal. Gone is the darkness of Snyder’s films and a new light, comic tone emerges. This change will delight some audience members but will alienate others, especially those who liked the Snyder/Cavill films.

We are spared the origins of Superman and start right in the middle of his story. When he is not fighting Lex Luthor (Nicolas Hoult), he works as a newspaper reporter under the original name Clark Kent. Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) already knows that Clark is Superman. He also has a team called the Justice Gang, consisting of Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabel Merced). Krypto and the Justice Gang are light, humorous characters that could easily fit in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Anyone who is a Guardians of the Galaxy fan is most likely to enjoy the film.

Luthor is a tech genius, and has invented Ultraman, who is controlled by Luthor through drones. As Lex can predict Superman’s moves before he makes them, Ultraman can beat up Superman. Luthor has made connections with some US government officials, but also has a close relationship with a Putin-like dictator who runs Jarhanpur and is planning to invade Boravia, an ally of the US. The Boravia/Jarhanpur conflict is reminiscent of the Russia/Ukraine war. Despite his prominent role in geopolitics, Luthor’s primary focus seems to be on defeating Superman.

To do this, Luthor creates a creature that wreaks havoc everywhere it goes, forcing Superman and the Justice Gang to engage in the battle, allowing Luthor to invade the Fortress of Solitude. While there, Luthor comes across a hologram message that Superman’s father Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) (SPOILER ALERT) not only sent Superman to Earth because the planet Krypton was about to be destroyed, but also so Superman can rule the planet. Luthor broadcasts this hologram throughout the media, causing public opinion to turn against Superman. He also convinces the US government that Superman is a threat to the national security and must be sent to a secret prison.

After Superman is captured and jailed, Lois and Mister Terrific set out to rescue him. Once free, Superman must turn public opinion back on his side, but must also stop Luthor with the help of the Justice Gang, as this would prevent Jarhanpur’s invasion of Boravia.

This opening weekend, Superman grossed an impressive $122 million in the US. Yet, it had been projected to earn $130 million. Also, it had the third biggest domestic opening weekend of 2025. ( Lilo & Stitch and A Minecraft Movie had bigger domestic opening weekends than Superman.) While I do think Superman will be the box office champion of this upcoming weekend as well, it remains to be seen how it will do over the next few weeks. Much of this will depend on whether the audiences will like or hate its new tone. If they don’t, Gunn and Corenswet may not continue the series.(UPDATE: Regardless of the box office, Gunn and DC studios announced they will continue the series.)