James Gunn’s 2025 production of Superman revived the true image of Superman, a hero who saves everyone and everything he can, doing good for the greater good. Previously, Superman’s image had been twisted as a conflicted, dark, godly figure. This Superman focused on his struggle with connection to humanity, which undoubtedly was intriguing, but became diluted and turned him into a killing, hateful god. Many people have a preference for the new Superman over Zach Snyder’s because of just how gloomy and violent the Snyderverse was, and how it didn’t fit Superman’s original themes of hope and kindness, and just how Snyder’s Superman impacted Superman’s reputation as a whole.
Superman (2025) introduces a new/rekindled, existing light onto the Superman character. In previous movies, the portrayed Superman was a rough, godlike character, but in this new view, he has struggles with his sense of self, flaws, and insecurities. These ideas arise from alienation from the human race after Lex Luthor releases tampered footage framing Superman as a tyrant. Humanity turns on him after learning this fake information, causing Superman to begin questioning his human identity and belonging. As the movie progresses, he returns home to his parents in Kansas and reflects on his humanity, realizing that he doesn’t have to be isolated for who he is, and decides he needs to do what is best for others, and that he finds joy in helping others.
2025’s Superman garnered a whopping 600 million dollars worldwide, but this doesn’t mean that everyone loved it. Within the first week of release, mixed reviews were flooding in, some positive and supportive of the movie, while others were extremely negative. The supporters were praising the fresh breath into the Superman franchise, while others were calling it childish, “woke”, and politically motivated. These ideas mainly stem from the portrayal of Superman being an immigrant, the war occurring during the movie, shadowing the Palestine-Israel war, and the central idea being based on human kindness. Many online critics stated that the movie was progressive propaganda, meant to brainwash the viewers. Many accused the movie of forcing its ideology onto the viewers.
In 2024, a new era of DC officially commenced, ushering out Zach Snyder’s Man of Steel period. James Gunn began the ongoing TV show Creature Commandos, followed by smash hit Superman and Peacemaker season two. These are the current official installments into the DCU, but not the only canon. Gunn has stated that things referenced from past movies in the present universe are, in fact, canon, so The Suicide Squad and the first season of Peacemaker are canon in the lore.
Ultimately, Gunn’s Superman 2025 doesn’t just reinvent a superhero; it revives a feeling of hope to a generation that grew up doubting it. By grounding Superman’s divinity in humanity, Gunn reminds us why this character exists in the first place.