Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel
While not the first to don the cape, Christopher Reeve is the most recognizable and lauded Man of Steel. With his 1978 breakout performance, Reeve flew into the hearts of millions. A reminder of the blending of Superman and Reeve’s iconography was brought home with Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. This recent documentary celebrated the beloved actor, dealing with honesty and sensitivity in his riding accident and its aftermath. Superman and Reeve are forever indelibly linked.

Big and small screen Supermen include George Reeves, Dean Cain, and Henry Cavill, each bringing his own style and stamp. Director/writer James Gunn (Slither, The Suicide Squad, and The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy) tapped David Corenswet for his Kryptonian survivor. Corenswet’s credits range from the Netflix series The Politician and Hollywood to films such as Look Both Ways and Pearl.
The current Superman is neither a reboot nor a remake. Gunn wisely eschews an origin story for a more topical, immediate narrative. Gunn drew inspiration from a wide number of Superman materials, ranging from the Fleischer Studios animated shorts of the 1940s to story arcs from Superman: Birthright (2003-04), and many sources in between.
A brief explanation of metahumans’ history on Earth quickly brings the viewer to the present, where three weeks ago, Superman stopped a Boravian invasion of the neighboring Jarhanpur. (In other words, a very large, powerful eastern European country attacking a much smaller eastern European country.) Billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) tries to convince members of the American government that Superman is a threat, hoping to have them accept Luthor’s killing of Superman. His goal is to alienate (pun partially intended) and destroy Superman’s popularity by using a recovered recorded message from Superman’s Kryptonian parents.
The film reaches deeply into the comic book world. Gunn populates Superman with the usual suspects. In this case, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), the Daily Planet reporter who works with Superman’s “alter-ego” Clark Kent, knows of his dual identity. In fact, the pair’s secret relationship informs the superhero’s personal and professional struggles. Perry White (Wendell Pierce) is a less mercurial take on the Daily Planet’s editor. Cub reporter Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) is more self-aware than previous incarnations, leaving behind much of the aw-shucks for a smarter, contemporary Jimmy. Additional superheroes include Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Supergirl (Milly Alcock) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced).
Everything coalesces into a cohesive, engaging story with a good plot, plenty of action, and a strong science fiction/comic book vibe. The story fires on all fronts, often with multiple scenarios playing out simultaneously. The film smartly maintains its head and heart, never losing sight of the fact that Superman is the ultimate immigrant and yet also a true American. That, along with the European war, might garner accusations of “wokeness.” But the truth is, these are not new elements of the Superman legend. Superman came to this country/world from a place of danger, only to make his new home a better place. Nothing wrong with that, right?
The cast is excellent. Corenswet is charming, honest, and very real as Superman. He leans into the character’s humanity, and his crisis—“I’m not who I thought I was”—is compelling. His connection with the Kents who raised him is subtly but rightly given more weight. (It is also a nice commentary on adoption.) Brosnahan makes an ideal Lois Lane, tough, intelligent, and believable. She and Corenswet mine the romantic dynamic just enough to keep it interesting, but not so much to bog down the story.
Hoult’s oligarch Luthor is a megalomaniac of the first order, with a truly sadistic streak, making him less cartoon and more a genuine threat. The business empire elements, played in full light, only further the darkness of his actions. Gathegi imbues Mr. Terrific with a shrewd mix of gravity and deadpan humor. Fillion is particularly hilarious as Green Lantern, completely lacking in any filter.
Carrigan brings a depth to Metamorpho that goes beyond what must be on the page. Sara Sampaio’s Eve Teschmacher, Luthor’s over-the-top assistant/girlfriend who pines for Jimmy, finds nobility in what would normally be a throwaway. And Golden Retriever Riot’s Krypto is a delightfully unruly pup with an expressive demeanor. What could be an annoying Saturday morning children’s show trope is surprisingly real and all the more fun for it.
While some will carp that the new Superman dips its toes into political waters (it does, and that is fine), at its center, it is a good old-fashioned comic book come to life.
With exceptional visuals, wild characters, big schemes, alternate pocket dimensions, monsters on the rampage, gadgets galore, and even a looming black hole destroying Metropolis, Superman is a welcome blockbuster of appropriately epic proportions.
Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.