iReview | DC Studios’ SUPERMAN

Now in Theaters

Faster than a speeding bullet, DC Studios’ SUPERMAN starring David Corenswet as the latest Man of Steel is stirring debate from one end of the pop-culture spectrum to the other, separating the good guys from the bad guys!

It’s been in production now for over two years, and ever since filmmaker James Gunn left the Marvel galaxy behind and formally moved over to the competition, accepting a seat at the table as the co-head of DC Studios, the writer/director went full-tilt into relaunching the pantheon of characters. Perhaps having a significant bit of insight as the main man behind Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Gunn is somewhat familiar with feeling like the underdog and outsider, traits that are at the core of one of the imprint's greatest heroes.

To perhaps prove his mettle, Gunn went for the “big gun” and defiantly tested expectations by taking on Superman, casting a “new generation” of actors in the title and supporting players around the Man of Tomorrow, the creation of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel inspired the superhero revolution. In 1979, Richard Donner made us all believe that a man could fly, casting Christopher Reeve in the now classic Superman: The Movie. The character hasn’t always been so easy to translate to the big screen. That honor has been left to the Dark Knight, Batman, who is still the studio’s biggest box office draw.

Gunn was envisioning a cinematic universe where the Last Son of Krypton would walk the path his creators envisioned for him. His Superman would inspire those who followed to be their best selves and be at the forefront of a heroic renaissance for DC Studios. It was an ambitious prospect that had eluded Warner Bros. The studio had tried to emulate the success of Marvel Studios' interconnected film properties, which were based on decades of published works. The success of 2008’s Iron Man launched the MCU and the way audiences would engage with the superhero genre as a blockbuster.

Zack Snyder’s 2013 feature Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill as a more bulked-up bruiser, was intended as the catalyst to set up a cohesive cinematic narrative. Unfortunately, the darkly cynical and brooding alternative the director introduced and continued through the series of follow-ups, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the team-building Justice League didn’t endear itself to movie-goers. Even the more colorful spin-offs centering on Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and The Flash didn’t get the love of a fanbase that seemed resigned to accept that Warner Bros. didn’t get them.

Enter James Gunn, who proved his sensibilities were out there, and the instincts that served him well to make a blockbuster success out of the unlikely and obscure Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a formula Warner Bros. was willing to bank on, testing the waters with Gunn’s reboot of The Suicide Squad and the spin-off for HBO Max, Peacemaker. Although The Suicide Squad wasn’t a domestic box office hit [with nearly 56 million], the studio embraced James Gunn as the talent that would help course correct the valuable DC properties' extended cinematic aspirations.

[Spoiler Alert!] Maybe you aren’t one of the millions of fans who had to go out and see Superman this opening weekend, and I don’t want to spoil any of it for you, so here is your warning: there are some significant plot points and revelations in my editorial, and I hope that they won’t ruin the film for you.

DC Studios’ SUPERMAN | starring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, directed by James Gunn

Look Up!

Stepping into the signature red boots and cape of an American icon is challenging enough, especially when relative newcomer David Corenswet is also exhibiting the classic red trunks in the titular role in Superman, in theaters now. His predecessors, Henry Cavill and Tyler Hoechlin, who portrayed the hero in four seasons of The CW series Superman and Lois, were spared the dubiously inconspicuous accessory that has been a design mainstay for most, if not all, of the Man of Steel’s more than eight decades of pop-culture fandom. As one of the first films from DC Studios, the trunks are fittingly welcomed.

Having deeply dived into the mythology that has given rise to the Earth’s champion, Gunn engineered several bits from throughout the DC Comics decades of publications to appropriately fit into his iteration of Superman. This version of Superman keeps his secret identity of mild-mannered Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent using hypnotic spectacles that slightly warp his appearance. All are susceptible except, of course, Lois Lane, played by Rachel Brosnahan. Superman’s infamous Fortress of Solitude is tended to by a menagerie of robots and guarded by Krypto, the Super Dog. Lex Luthor, villainously portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, is determined to bring down Superman at all costs.

DC Studios’ SUPERMAN | starring Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, directed by James Gunn

Billionaire industrialist Luthor means to discredit Superman, whom he perceives as a threat to the planet. An alien invader, who has dark intentions for mankind, to conquer and rule us all tyrannically under his boot, all the while, it's the megalomaniac Lex Luthor who is engineering a genocide in an Eastern European nation, and has tapped into the unpredictable energies of a black hole to create a pocket dimension prison world to deport his enemies. Many have taken note of the real-life parallels the film’s theme has tackled: the ultimate immigrant is being vilified by a corrupt, xenophobic billionaire who wants complete power in the palm of his hand.

Some [even some that should know better] have criticized what they consider the film’s “woke” messaging, choosing to politicize an environment based on a comic book. In contrast, many others are more taken by the hopeful narrative and more appropriately inspired by a return to Superman’s core values of protecting the weak and disenfranchised, fighting for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow. The core values on which Shuster and Siegel built their character, an alien rocketed as an infant from his dying planet, and raised in the heart of Kansas. Where Luthor is determined to profit and exploit people’s fears and prejudices, Superman is conditioned to be good, to use his gifts to protect.

When our hero is at his lowest, he turns to his adopted parents. Ma and Pa Kent, portrayed by Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince, are salt-of-the-earth good people who have raised their son to be the best that he can be. They’ve raised Clark to respect others and use his powers for good. Pa Kent, character actor Pruitt Taylor Vince, has one of the best and most poignant lines in the film. Realizing that Clark is at his lowest, full of doubts regarding his true purpose when Luthor succeeds in turning the public against him, his adopted father reminds him: What makes you who you are are your actions, your choices. It’s all Clark needs to hear, to strap his boots and get back into the fight!

Meet the Justice Gang, although that's still a working title.

The Man of Tomorrow, Today

Whether battling super villains, giant monsters, or challenging oppressive dictators, Superman is a comic book come to life. If Donner’s film made us believe that a man could fly, Gunn’s movie proves that our hero has always been there, and when in doubt, “Look Up!” The media tag line for Superman isn’t just referring to the hero’s ability to soar above the clouds; it’s also the promise of hope — no matter how low things get, always look up. Corenswet is stepping into a legacy of actors who’ve embodied that hope, except perhaps for one who appears determined to align himself with the chaos that currently infects our real-world political climate.

Still, Superman stands for us all. Gunn has crafted a film that is shrined in optimism and is inhabited by heroes determined to seek truth and justice. Brosnahan’s Lois Lane embodies this truth, rallying allies around her Man of Steel to help defend the day, as Superman can’t do it alone. The chemistry exhibited between the two actors is beautifully entangled, and the pair is genuinely electric. The already infamous interview scene is a moment between the two, illustrating the complicated layers of navigating this world of super-powered beings, the political power dynamic, and how one chooses to use those gifts.

Superman and his loyal four-legged friend, Krypto.

Taking much of its influence from the decades of published works, Gunn has still managed to deliver a feature that doesn’t feel reductive, albeit far more nostalgic and built on that reverence. Where Snyder might have chosen to deviate from the path, holding a mirror up to a society that might have lost its way, Gunn sets the way to get back on track. Superman is a comic book come to life, paying homage to every talented creator that has touched the Man of Steel throughout his enduring popularity, and reminds us all that at one time or another, we wrapped a towel around our necks. We leaped onto the couch, hands to the ceiling, and believed that we could fly. That we were super.

James Gunn’s Superman is not a perfect picture; it doesn’t have to be. Its script lacks density, but its themes hit home, and its arc caters to our hearts and imagination. This is not Shakespeare, the words are not at play, the action sequences are — it’s a film based on a comic book, with one of its biggest stars being a four-legged friend, a super dog! Nonetheless, it hits a nerve and appeals to our very nature to be heroic, to be better not just for ourselves, but for one another. There’s a significant amount of nostalgia, references derived from composer John Williams' epic score to the 1978 original, for example, that work as a reminder — we weren’t always like we are now, America was different. It was a country of hope and inspiration, and it can be again.

Just look up!

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DC Studios’ SUPERMAN | starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult, directed by James Gunn | is in theaters now.. Rated PG-13.

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