Look! On the internet! It’s a bird, it’s a plane… it’s the first trailer for James Gunn’s Superman! And it made us excited for next summer’s biggest comic book movie!
Superman as a character has gone through many iterations on the big screen but Superman marks a beginning for the new era of DC Studios. Gunn wrote and directed the film, with newcomer David Corenswet taking the title role. After splitting his time between both DC and Marvel with projects like Guardians of the Galaxy and Peacemaker, Gunn is tackling the original superhero. The new teaser trailer shows us hints of what’s in store. We’re ready for this film for a lot of reasons.
Clois!
There is no comic book couple more iconic than Superman and Lois Lane, and this trailer remembers that. We first see Lois (Rachel Brosnahan) in the Daily Planet offices. She glances at Clark and the rest of the trailer follows a similar focus. We see Lois kiss both Clark AND Superman. Yes, she really is that girl. The kiss with Superman is the classic mid-air smooch, which many Superman versions have done. It never gets old. This one is photographed wonderfully. The chemistry between Corenswet and Brosnahan seems strong, and I have high hopes for Brosnahan as my favorite comic book love interest. I also have so many questions. Does Lois know Clark and Superman are the same person when she kisses Clark? Or Superman? Or both? If and when Lois finds out that important information is always a big plot point for me so I can’t wait to find out!
Krypto!
The first image in this trailer is a bloodied and bruised Superman landing in a snowy landscape. Then he whistles, and an approaching trail of snow dust reveals something never seen in live-action Superman movies until now: Krypto, the Super Dog! His white fur matches the snow and his mismatched ears are just too cute! “Take me home,” Supes tells the dog, handing him his cape. And the pup takes the cape in his mouth and dutifully pulls the hero away. This adorable canine has already stolen my heart with mere seconds of screen time in the trailer, so I don’t know how we will all handle the entire film. One of the first promotional images released for this film showed Superman and Krypto sitting together, watching over the universe, so he is clearly going to be a significant part of the film. And we don’t mind a bit! Which leads me to…
The Wholesomeness!
Krypto is just one part of the trailer that demonstrated a welcome and uncommon tone this film will probably have: it looks wholesome. Aside from the sweet dog, more shots in this trailer suggest that Superman will be guided by the positive and nourishing things in life. One moment shows Clark hugs his human dad, Jonathan Kent, played by excellent character actor Pruitt Taylor Vince, while sitting outside their farmhouse. Elsewhere, he protects a young girl from an explosion with his body. (He’s the Man of Steel, remember?) Yes, Superman has always represented “truth, justice, and the American way. He has saved countless people over the years. That’s what a superhero does. But this film seems to be approaching that without cynicism, and I love that.
The Cast!
Corenswet and Brosnahan look great separately and together, but there have to be supporting characters too. Where there is a Superman, there must be a Lex Luthor. Nicholas Hoult takes on the villain in this film. He is a good choice, with acting experience since he was a child, and the filmmaking team is taking care about how they style him. One shot shows the black-and-white handle of his gun expertly matching his tux. Also, this trailer indicates he has the commanding physicality to carry off the bald look. One hairdo that is not so successful is the bowl cut on Guy Gardner, played by Nathan Fillion. Gardner is one of the characters in the comics who is also the Green Lantern. The haircut is comics-accurate, though, and Fillion is such an appealing actor that we’re just going to go with it! We also get glimpses of Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho. Milly Alcock as Supergirl does’t appear here but we want to see her. We want more of all of these characters already.
The music!
Legendary film composer John Williams was nominated for an Oscar for his score for 1978’s Superman. This trailer features a rendition of that music in electric guitar and it is the perfect accompaniment to the superhero spectacle. It somehow emphasizes both the action and romantic beats we’re watching. Gunn and his team are showing respect for Superman’s past on screen while also staking out their own territory for him, and John Murphy’s score fits firmly into that tone. It manages to be both timeless and fresh. We hope the same can be said for the entire soundtrack of the film. In fact, we hope that will be a good way to describe the film itself when we finally get to see it next summer.
What did you think of the teaser trailer? Are you excited for Superman?
Superman premieres in theaters July 11, 2025.
