REEL | James Gunn Resurrects 'Superman' – A Man of Action

"Tall, dark, and martian isn't my type."

DC Studios / Troll Court Entertainment

DC Studios co-head James Gunn brings his idealistic Silver Age vision of the iconic Superman to the fresh new DCU incarnation of the legendary extraterrestrial (undocumented) immigrant superhero character. Packed with colourful blockbuster action and countless super-powered sidekicks, it's a non-stop joyride that firmly resurrects and reintroduces the ideals of DC's big blue boy scout full of heartfelt emotions with some strong Action Comics sensibilities to it.

Starring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan as the aspirational Man of Steel (aka Clark Kent) himself and his romantic sidekick, the intrepid Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane, Gunn's sprawling cast starts the film in medias res, already established in a comic book world where heroes, villains, and various powerful "metahumans" already exist and characters know each other. Both leads are well cast as they ably fit and embody the hopefulness of Superman's storied legacy. Corenswet wears his vulnerable idealism on his sleeve as a big softy doing his best.

A bald-headed Nicholas Hoult's version of the ultra-wealthy but highly sinister industrialist Lex Luthor resembles the megalomaniacal businessman archetype closely as a worthy foil of an arch-nemesis in the Machiavellian villain mould. There's also Anthony Carrigan's transmutating Metamorpho, who adds an intriguing element to the film's interdimensional tension and escalating political conflict.



Supporting turns from Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced steal their scenes as various hired, corporate "Justice Gang" superhuman members, Mister Terrific, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl. Gunn leans heavily into a vibrantly pulpy cosmic aesthetic in a world of gods and monsters already built. Still, it feels overstuffed with extra characters and elements for just one film (with a modest two-hour runtime), albeit one unenviably tasked with launching a whole new interconnected series of films and television shows.

There's a surprising amount of politically-charged immediacy (featuring warring fictionalized Middle Eastern nations) to the DC Comics adaptation that otherwise more than strongly resembles a live-action Saturday morning cartoon (along the lines of Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man from 2002) about an alien outsider inserting himself into the world's global threats. Gunn shows off his love for the existing comic book source material, stuffed with an overstimulated narrative highlighted by colourfully bombastic visuals.

This disarming, brand new Superman manages to juggle so many mythical cinematic universe-building elements while establishing our eponymous self-doubting hero firmly in his own world. It's an explosively breakneck yet charmingly goofy entry that packs the necessary unbridled optimism into its intense but hopeful superhero fantasy. Gunn adds some much-needed colour and crowd-pleasing personality to his fun piece of summer entertainment.


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