In 2013, Warner Brothers reset their DC Comics film universe with a Superman movie from director Zack Snyder called Man of Steel. Chasing the high highs of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Batman trilogy, Man of Steel opted for a dark and gritty tone, and… it never really worked. The Superman of Man of Steel was almost unrecognizable from the ultra-heroic Superman of the comics. In Man of Steel, Henry Cavil’s Supes and his nemesis Zod fight their way through a bustling city, causing unspeakable damage and killing bystanders in the process, before Superman kills Zod with his bare hands. This characterization largely didn’t work for general audiences, and Snyder’s DCEU sputtered along until it was finally canceled for good 10 years later.
***Now, DC has rebooted the universe again, this time with James Gunn at the helm and I’m thrilled to report that this Superman, played by David Corenswet, is the real deal. He’s compassionate and caring, doing everything he can to save as many lives as possible, including a moment where he goes out of his way to even save a squirrel. The new Lois Lane, played by Rachel Brosnahan, is also perfectly characterized as a determined reporter and, even more importantly, a fully realized human being with her own thoughts, emotions, and character arc.
The new Superman movie brings audiences into a DC universe that’s already underway, with other superheroes already existent, and what that means is that we get wonderful scene stealing performances from Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, and Milly Alcock as Mr. Terrific, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Supergirl, respectively.
With a tight, almost exactly 2 hour script, Gunn manages to make a fulfilling superhero movie that crucially doesn’t drag on and on like so many recent superhero flicks have seemed to. Sure, it gets a little zany here and there, and I’m not saying the movie is perfect. But when the credits started to roll, I actually felt like I wanted more. More of Corenswet’s Clark Kent. More of Brosnahan’s Lois Lane. And more of the movie’s overall hope, joy, and optimism.
Superman is in theaters now.
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