A new Superman movie was released in July of 2025, sparking mixed reactions from audiences. While some people believe the movie was refreshing and the return of “real superhero movies,” others believed it was totally uninteresting.
Directed by James Gunn, Superman (2025) is the 12th film made about the DC character, with the first coming out back in 1978. Prior to Superman, Gunn directed other superhero films such as Guardians of the Galaxy volumes I, II, and III (2014, 2017, 2023, respectively), The Suicide Squad (2021), and Super (2010).
Gunn was put in charge of the film after becoming co-head of DC Studios alongside Peter Safron. Though Gunn originally declined to work on it, he became invested in the script and decided his perception of Superman was exactly what the DC Universe needed.
With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 83% and an IMDb rating of 7.2/10, it’s safe to say a majority of viewers did enjoy the movie. Critics mainly found it as fun, colorful, and positive, especially compared to some other Superman variants, which were way darker and more serious.
However, some criticized the film, claiming its humor popped in and ruined many serious moments, and its tone was not set in stone at all throughout the film. Some critics pointed out some of the topics it discussed, such as immigration and social justice, claiming that this movie was more focused on being woke than accurately representing Superman as he is in the comics.
As a movie enthusiast, though not a big superhero fan, I personally really enjoyed this movie, since I am not a big fan of movies with lots of action or that are very dark and aggressive. I felt that the use of colors and the overall lightness of the film really captured who Superman is—hope—and that some of the themes discussed in the film are big parts of what Superman should represent.
Other viewers also shared their opinions of the movie, like Sophomore Ali Jaber, who shared, “I thought it was a pretty good movie–it was very cool. The ending was rad, the dog was cool, and honestly, it touched my heart at certain moments.”
Another sophomore, Nick Lebron, said, “I give it a 10 out of 10, it was a cool movie. I especially liked the dog, I thought he was funny.”
Alongside the opinion-based reviews of the movie, Gunn’s Superman is currently the highest-grossing solo Superman movie in the United States, with a box office number of over $200 million and a worldwide opening weekend of about $215 million. It is safe to say Superman has been a success this time around.
