In a cinematic universe already bursting at the seams with capes, explosions, and existential angst, James Gunn’s reboot of Superman had the opportunity to redefine the genre’s most iconic hero. Instead, what lands is a glossy, overburdened, emotionally distant film that neither revives the myth nor reimagines it meaningfully. Rather than soaring, this Superman stumbles under the weight of its own convoluted narrative and a crushing sense of creative fatigue.
Following the high-energy irreverence of Guardians of the Galaxy, many hoped Gunn would inject similar vitality into the DC Universe. After all, Superman desperately needed a fresh trajectory after years of grimdark brooding under Snyder’s influence. But instead of offering clarity and emotional resurgence, Gunn’s Superman feels like an algorithm-generated tribute to past glories—reverent to a fault, yet somehow detached from any real heart.
A flight path through fictional chaos
From the opening scenes, the film is burdened with tedious exposition. We’re not simply witnessing Clark Kent’s evolution from alien orphan to beacon of hope; instead, we’re dragged through layers of fictional geopolitics that are neither compelling nor relevant. Superman now inserts himself into a fictional war between Boravia and Jarhanpur—two made-up countries seemingly designed to avoid offending anyone, yet so blandly constructed they fail to evoke any real stakes.
This attempt to globalize Superman’s heroism might have worked if it had been tethered to something emotionally resonant. Instead, it raises more questions than it answers: Why this war? Why now? Why should we care?
A hero without gravity
David Corenswet plays Superman with all the charisma of a particularly handsome statue. While he bears the jawline for the role, the performance feels strangely hollow. Gone is the charm and duality that made Christopher Reeve’s portrayal so enduring. Even Henry Cavill’s version, criticized for its somber tone, at least carried a sense of conflict. Corenswet’s Kal-El feels like he’s merely going through the motions, an avatar in search of a soul.
Lois Lane, played by Rachel Brosnahan, fares slightly better—though her depiction veers oddly close to sitcom territory, lacking the sharp-edged wit that has defined the character at her best. Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, meanwhile, is as cartoonish as ever, delivering evil monologues with the performative glee of a theme park villain.
CGI fatigue and emotional vacancy
By the third act, the film devolves into what has become a depressingly familiar visual cliché: skyscrapers tumbling in balletic slow motion, laser beams slicing through the sky, and a hero grunting his way through another “epic” confrontation. It’s loud, long, and lifeless—a synthetic spectacle devoid of actual tension or consequence.
Even the film’s emotional climax, a supposed revelation about Superman’s true purpose on Earth, feels like a studio-mandated twist rather than a meaningful character moment. It’s a revelation meant to shake Kal-El to his core—but because the film never established a core to begin with, it barely registers.
A franchise in crisis, not a savior in sight
What Superman lacks more than anything is wonder. There’s no awe, no sense of hope, no joy in flight. It’s a film that plays every note from the superhero sheet music—origin story flashbacks, parental wisdom, romantic tension, CGI-heavy third act—but forgets why those notes mattered in the first place.
Instead of reigniting a legend, James Gunn has delivered a film that exemplifies everything people are tired of in superhero cinema: safe storytelling, bloated action, and an emotional disconnect masked by special effects. The result isn’t catastrophic—but it is numbing.
If Superman is supposed to stand for truth, justice, and inspiration, this film merely gestures at those ideals from behind a green screen. The cape may be flying, but there’s no wind beneath it.
Verdict: A reboot with no lift. Superman deserved better. So did we.