Tito Review: James Gunn Superman

David Corenswet is not the Man of Steel, he is Superman, and that is a very good thing. James Gunn is going the opposite direction with his depiction of Krypton’s lost son from Snyder’s take. Though it is not doing the anti-Snyder route for the sake of being different, Gunn is going for a DCU that can stand up against Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. 

Not The Man of Steel

I only watched the first half of Henry Cavill’s take on Superman, but I did watch its sequel: Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. There was one theme that Snyder is portraying Superman and other heroes, superheroes as gods. Cavill’s Man of Steel owned this theme by exuding this larger-than-life aura. 

This portrayal is what turned off many despite being the strong point of Snyder’s DCEU.The Man of Steel is intimidating and just one bad day away from becoming Injustice Superman. 

Then there is David Corsenswet’s Superman. We are introduced to him at his lowest point throughout his three years of being the son of Krypton. Broken and limping, he relied on a dog to take him home. After healing up, he goes back for round 2 against Ultraman who delivered Superman’s first defeat. Only to get beaten down again. 

I admit, this was a gutsy way to open a movie. It does away with the “origin” trope and goes further in the story as the introduction. What I saw that was brilliant about this is the aftermath of Superman’s defeat. He was surrounded by the locals of Metropolis. They were genuinely concerned for his safety, including a food cart owner who gave Superman free food one time. The crowd’s reaction was far different from the Men of Steel, who were in a state of religious awe of Cavill.  

The Boyscout

In the fight against the creature, Superman struggled during the battle. That struggle was the attempt to subdue the beast, then take it to an intergalactic zoo. Another scene to note is when he spoke to Lois after confronting Luthor. He said he is going to give himself up just to save someone. Lois has a very sharp “bullcrap” radar in this universe and she did not smell anything from what Clark had said. Guy was sacrificing himself to save “someone.”

Corsenswet’s Superman is that of the Boy Scout image. The kind who takes the time to talk with Metropolis locals and memorizing their names. Gunn’s Superman sees everyone as equals and sees the good in everyone, including Luthor. It was why everyone’s reaction to the second part of Kal-El’s parents made sense. Their anger was like finding out their friend was a criminal or a villainous metahuman. 

Of course, there is a point in the movie that contradicts Superman’s pledge of being the good guy. Though the revelation of the person in question and how blackhole work in the universe can still be an excuse for that one action. .

Faithful Character Representation

Superman 2025’s cast deserves as much credit as Corenswet for how they played the familiar faces from the DC comics. This is one of the best Lois Lane in a Superman movie. She was a reporter first and Superman’s girlfriend second. Her inquisitive nature of “question everything” became a helpful trait to Clark at the end of the movie, which was backed by the Daily Planet’s crew (and Jimmy’s source). 

The Justice Gang works. Nathan Fillion nails the obnoxious and prideful Guy Gardner, who can push Clark’s button. Isabela Merced had less screen time than the other three, but she owned the scenes with Hawkgirl, as for Mister Terrific. Edi Gathegi played him terrifically. 

While the Justice Gang is established in this movie, they do not steal Corenswet’s lightning. Superman still has to win against his conflicts on his own, but is still helped by the gang and one other. 

Luthor, portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, is much closer to what DC comic readers expect for the Superman antagonist than Snyder’s Luthor. He has no grand plans of ruling the world or achieving a cosmic epiphany. The guy simply hates Superman. He hates him so much that he studied the alien for years, creating moves and contingencies to defeat him. This is the best kind of Luthor to go against any Superman, even the Man of Steel. 

The only one who seemed unnecessary in the movie was the fourth member of the Justice Gang. I never expected to see this metahuman in the film or that he has a son. His presence was not much felt, even when he joined the Justice Gang in the last part of the movie. This fourth member is the low point of the movie.

As for Krypto, he really is a super dog. The only thing I would say is that he made an impact to the audience. That impact led to 500% dog adoption. 

James Gunn’s DCU

The film stated that 300 years ago, people were made aware of metahumans during the opening scenes. In this universe, the heroes and villains, or of all non-earth beings, are not as rare or hidden as those in the DCEU or in Superman: The Animated Series. Gunn’s world is breathing and living. 

A good example is with Superman talking to Lois about surrendering. During this time, the Justice Gang is fighting a giant jellyfish-like alien in the background. It was hilarious to see a giant Green Lantern bat wacking away at the alien. However, the significance of this scene is that the world does not revolve around Superman. 

There could be other scenarios happening around the world. Somewhere across the US, Barry Allen might be taking down Captain Boomerang in Central City. The Creature Commandos could be penetrating an allied nation for intelligence or protecting a VIP again. 

The world of Creature Commando and Superman is vast and I want to see more of it. I am not a fan of Supergirl, and this universe makes her similar to the Superman TAS’ Supergirl. But I want to watch it just to see more of the universe. 

Gunn’s DCU Momentum

I reported earlier that Superman only made $217 million worldwide, which is breaking even with the total budget of $225 million. However, Superman jump-started a momentum that will carry Gunn’s DCU towards The Avengers’ peak. Possibly even surpassing it. Given the rating of 83% among critics and 92% among verified viewers in Rotten Tomatoes, Superman is making fans hungry for more.