Review
Superman (2025)
Superman (2025)
Release Date: August 15, 2025 - Digital; September 23, 2025 - 4K, Blu-ray, DVD
I really loved and enjoyed this movie. I admit I'm not the biggest Superman fan, just never really was my lane, and I did not have any particular attachment to past Superman movies. I went in without any sense of expectation and came out thinking this is the best interpretation of Superman in live action so far. I was not too bothered with the revelation of Jor-El and Lara's message as My Adventures With Superman is still fresh in my memory and that Superman also struggled with a similar arc. Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor was perfect. The epitome of "all brain, no heart" driven by envy. A 2020s version would totally use social media against Superman. Made a sick amount of sense he would have a cult following of techies and have and army of bros in power suits. I loved Rachel Brosnahan's Lois. It was a relief they chose to skip ahead to a point after Lois already knows Clark and Superman are one in the same. The arc of commitment issues was a choice but better than the typical woman-falling-in-love-with-male-lead path. They crafted a well rounded Lois. From taking Superman to task in their "interview" but in the end she sees and knows the good in Superman and is not shaken by Lex's smear campaign. Jimmy being a babe magnet was amusing.
The Justice Gang was a neat addition and looking forward to seeing how that team evolves. The first superhero team we see in the DCU being corporate was a choice. The only things that gave me pause was how Mr. Terrific and Hawkgirl were okay with killing. Granted Terrific euthanized a giant rampaging kaiju and Hawkgirl let go of a dictator mid-flight but still killing is killing. Ultraman and the Engineer were there as extensions of Lex, sure, since he lacks the physicality to fight Superman and stand for certain things he believes in a way like Ultraman is Lex's view of Superman-all brawn and no brains-and Engineer is the pinnacle of technology but full of anger towards the advent of Superman. However, character-wise, they come off as bland and two dimensional. It was a shame since I'm game for the other elements of the DC Universe become better known such as Wildstorm's Authority team. The Engineer at times seems to have taken more influence from Lex's corporate hero Hope in Brian Azzarello's Lex Luthor series or Pam from the Elite.
I was particularly struck by the amount of pathos in the movie. In retrospect, rightfully so to employ it in a Superman movie. Two scenes specifically were well crafted and shows how much James Gunn has grown as a filmmaker (or at the very least tried to make a non-James Gunn James Gunn movie). The cruelty of Lex was perfectly encapsulated when he is interrogating Superman in his interdimensional Guantanamo Bay by using Russian Roulette on Mali, an innocent person from Metropolis who is a fan of Superman. Sadly, it abruptly ends with Lex killing him on the second shot: just the callousness of him being so nonchalant about how quickly that went. The score in this scene. The build up. The shock. The blackmailed Metamorpho weeping and deciding to help Superman despite his son being held hostage. Holy moley, what a scene. Secondly, the heart-to-heart between Clark and Pa Kent about identity, destiny, purpose, and choices was a quintessential Superman scene and why he is what he is. It's what you do.
While this was a Superman movie, the rest of the cast got their moments to shine like Lois, Krypto, and Mr. Terrific. A super genius like Terrific not getting around to a faster moving garage door is a nice humanizing element for a superhero but really a love it or hate it dumb joke. Terrific's show stopper was the moment the Raptor tells the others he's just the smart guy and Terrific whooped everyone at Fort Kramer. While that has the DNA of James Gunn like with Yondu's arrow in Guardians of the Galaxy, it is nonetheless entertaining. I also loved Krypto enters the movie as comedic relief but ends up being the wild card needed to defeat Ultraman and of course, how he handles Lex Luthor was cathartic when it happens. It was akin to why Hulk doing the same to Loki was so good. Honorable mention to the gesture constructs Guy whips up against the Boravian forces and of course, the "careful choice" Guy Gardner makes in adding a new member to the Justice Gang. And last but not least, the Daily Planet isn't just wallpaper, they actually help save Superman by exposing Luthor thanks to Jimmy Olsen and Eve. Trying hard not to think about how Eve Teschmacher helped save the world with secret selfies.
As for the greater DC Universe, Superman does layer in some history, easter eggs, references in a subtle manner for the Superman and comic book fans essentially from the get-go revealing metahumans, powered beings, first showed up in the 1700s. It was surprising Flo, the woman who knocked out Amanda Waller in The Suicide Squad, is now a ranking member in the Department of Defense. Rick Flag Sr. looks like he is already healed up from his ordeal in Creature Commandos unless he got access to some cutting edge medical technology to speed up his recovery. When it comes to scenes of Metropolis, you could probably spend a lot of time hitting pause and seeing easter eggs like streets named after creatives who worked on Superman comic books throughout the decades, famous DC brands like Big Belly Burger, Jitters, Zesti Cola, Soder, Chocos, a highway sign for Gotham City, cameos of DC characters, including Peacemaker and presumably Sapphire Stagg when Rex is watching the news, Lex ends up getting taken to Belle Reve Penitentiary, and a nice callback to Creature Commandos was the discussion of the band The Mighty Crabjoys. That is just the tip of the iceberg and repeated viewings required if you want to see it all or wait for those YouTubers to sum it up for you.
In terms of special editions, there is a 4K edition with a lenticular cover featuring Superman "transforming" into Clark Kent and vice-versa. There is also a 4K/Blu-ray Steelbook edition with slipcase featuring the front door of the Fortress of Solitude that glows green in the dark. The Steelbook is on the usual retail websites like Amazon and Walmart but for some it was a very frustrating process of trying to pre-order it as a small amount were available that went quickly then it stayed sold out for a couple weeks, came back with a small amount, sold out quick, and repeat for the past two months. The movie also began streaming on HBO Max on September 19.
All Digital, 4K UHD, and Blu-ray releases contain the following special features: Krypto Saves the Day!: School Bus Scuffle (5:32), Adventures in Making Superman Featurette (60:00), Icons Forever: Superman’s Enduring Legacy Featurette (6:05), Lex Luthor: The Mind of a Master Villain Featurette (5:18), Kryptunes: The Music of Superman Featurette (6:31), Paws to Pixels: Krypto is Born Featurette (5:54), Breaking News: The Daily Planet Returns Featurette (5:23), The Ultimate Villain Featurette (5:30), The Justice Gang Featurette (10:37), and A New Era: DC Takes Off Featurette (4:53). The digital version exclusively has the Director's Commentary with James Gunn, Gag Reel, and Deleted Scenes. An instant critique of home release is making three of the most part-and-parcel elements of special features exclusive to digital. Sure, you don't pay anything more, you just have to take the steps and enter the code the website of your choice, usually Movies Anywhere, why not make these three standard to the disc release, too?
In any case, the sum total of special features is a hefty amount and a welcome amount. And there's variety to them which is another plus. One is about the music, another the Justice Gang, one about the Daily Planet, one about Luthor and a robust making-of featurette that is a whole hour! Each is plentiful with behind-the-scenes material, filming, storyboards and designs, and cast and crew. The Daily Planet feature in particular gives you a tour of the Macon train station used as the set location for the Planet and some easter eggs are pointed out, and insight on how they made the one floor station look like a multi-floor building in the middle of a bustling city. The jewel of the special features is the hour long Adventures in Making Superman featurette that tracks the beginnings of work on the movie month by month through the eyes of James Gunn, the cast, and the crew from Beth Mickle showing how the giant crystals for the Fortress of Solitude were built, to Pruitt Taylor Vance reflecting on his experience with the crew and being okay with only filming with them for the rest of his career, the lives of certain people in the cast and crew as drawn in storyboards by Gunn, discussions of character motivations and themes, and David Corenswet figuring out a pivotal scene as he films it.
Krypto Saves the Day! Are a series of four shorts that recently launched and stars Krypto, Supergirl's pet dog who splits his time with her cousin Superman on Earth. Confirmed by Gunn to be non-canon to the DC Universe, Krypto is still visually inspired by the Kryptonian canine who appears in the movie and gets into light-hearted all ages antics in Metropolis (proving Superman made the right choice in keeping him confined to the Fortress of Solitude). As of the time of this review, only the first short, School Bus Scuffle, is also available on the HBO Max streaming service and will begin airing on Cartoon Network starting on September 27 at 9:12 am right after a new episode of Teen Titans Go! airs.
Superman is an original, unique reinterpretation of the Man of Steel and his antagonists and supporting cast in the backdrop of the 2020s and makes a strong case for being the best on-screen take on the Super-Family. While some of the secondary villains were bland, the overall cast was top notch. The reach of Lex Luthor made for a challenge of wits that forced Superman to come to terms with who he is and why he fights but also highlights the importance of the people he surrounds himself with who love and believe in him. It also helps to have a super-powered bad dog, too. The home entertainment release comes with a plethora of special features with the lone negative being several are digital-exclusive. Lastly, while not exclusive to this release, the amount of time between the release dates on digital, physical disc, and streaming to the theatrical run could have far longer but that is more of a wider industry discussion that this little 'ol review won't solve. Superman is a highly recommended purchase.
Rating
Main Feature: 4 out of 5
Special Features: 4 out of 5
Average Rating: 4 out of 5