People have finally set their eyes on James Gunn’s much-anticipated Superman movie, and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. After the Los Angeles premiere on Monday night, movie critics, influencers, and other members of the media made their feelings on the movie known on social media.
Superman is out on July 11 worldwide, this Thursday. It features David Corenswet as the man in blue and red. Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult is Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo is Jimmy Olsen, Isabela Merced is Hawkgirl, Beck Bennett is Steve Lombard, Anthony Carrigan is Metamorpho, Edi Gathegi is Mr. Terrific, and Nathan Fillion is Guy Gardner.
The early reactions praise the story, the cast, and the direction, but most importantly, the way the movie wears its heart on its sleeve.
Fandango’s Erik Davis called Superman a “perfect superhero movie” and a “terrific start for the new DC Studios.” He added that Gunn has gone out of his way to shake up the fans’ expectations while remaining true to a classic Superman story. Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific earned mentions in several reviews, including Davis’:
James Gunn’s #Superman is the perfect superhero movie and a terrific start for the new DC Studios. It’s big, bright, exciting, full of hope & it never loses its sense of wonder. Watching it felt like ripping open a comic book & feasting on its wild, chaotic imagination. Loved it!… pic.twitter.com/SfvZOAT1Mg
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) July 8, 2025
Brosnahan's Lois Lane also seems to be an immediate fan favorite:
Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane is generational casting btw. She ate up this whole movie. If you love Lois? Like if you’re a Lois Lane fan? MANNNNN… you’re in for a treat. It’s her movie just as much as Superman’s. She’s so good. Her chemistry with David is off the charts. pic.twitter.com/YecBk5MJOb
— RJ (@ResonantJustice) July 8, 2025
Collider’s Perri Nemiroff said, “David Corenswet brings such an infectious determination and warmth to the role that it makes that pursuit all-consuming and impossibly heartening.”
#Superman made me so damn happy. The movie is loaded with exhilarating action set pieces and well-placed humor and levity, but the beating heart of the film is Superman’s humanity, and his insistence on doing good and making the world a better place. David Corenswet brings such… pic.twitter.com/cPAcPdxmQl
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) July 8, 2025
Grace Randolph, who has been critical of Gunn in the past, labeled the movie “not perfect, but darn close,” and the best Superman movie to date:
This is the BEST #Superman movie to date.
— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) July 8, 2025
When James Gunn gets out of the way & lets his work speak for itself, it's incredible. 💙💛❤️
It's not perfect, but darn close
& made me a believer in Gunn's #DC
Review embargo lifts TODAY at 3pm EST
& plenty more #DC videos coming! pic.twitter.com/W5UZkAZNgX
Erik Voss of “New Rockstars” called Superman the most “boldly served” superhero flick since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. “The DC Universe is in good hands,” Voss assures fans:
James Gunn’s SUPERMAN is the comic book movie I’ve been waiting to see for decades.
— Erik Voss (@eavoss) July 8, 2025
The film shines with a sense of play that, paired with kickass filmmaking, superhero cinema hasn’t seen this boldly served since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2.
The DC Universe is in good hands. pic.twitter.com/CgSxZuck51
He added that the movie defies the aversion to earnestness that infected comic book movies after 2008, the year Iron Man and The Dark Knight came out:
Superman might be the best movie James Gunn has directed. A classic Lex vs Kal-El contest over basic decency. Not everyone will be open to the trunks, the “good gosh,” or Krypto. But David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, and Rachel Brosnahan ground it with incredibly raw performances.
— Erik Voss (@eavoss) July 8, 2025
Matt “Supes” Ramos said, “It’s the movie the world needs right now.”
#Superman isn’t only amazing but it’s the movie the world needs right now. David Corenswet delivers a generational performance as Superman & is accompanied by an incredible Lex Luthor & Lois Lane. Also SHOUTOUT MR. TERRIFIC.
— Matt Ramos (@therealsupes) July 8, 2025
James Gunn fires on all cylinders here with a… pic.twitter.com/Lyv5B8O7CS
Here are some more early reviews of the movie.
#Superman was my most anticipated film of the year & I left the theater with a smile on my face
— Sean Chandler (@kirkneverdied) July 8, 2025
It's possibly the most comic book-y live action comic book film ever. It fully leans into the wacky sci-fi. It really feels like a comic book or Justice League Unlimited on screen
👍 pic.twitter.com/zNyTQmu4Tv
#Superman soars with heart, heroism, and spectacle. David Corenswet brings warmth and sincerity to the Man of Tomorrow. While the plot feels a bit bloated, it’s a clear sign that James Gunn understands these characters at their core. Excited for the future of the DC Universe. pic.twitter.com/iPsEJXdX9v
— Adam Hlaváč (@adamhlavac) July 8, 2025
#SUPERMAN is a GENERATION DEFINING superhero movie and a SOARING START to the DCU. James Gunn brings heart, humility, and HOPE to the @Superman movie I have been waiting my entire life for. David Corenswet is instantly iconic as the Man of Steel. The future of DC is very bright. pic.twitter.com/6BhXBNHDBZ
— Daniel Baptista • The Movie Podcast (@dbapz) July 8, 2025
#Superman made me believe that a man can fly again.
— MaceAhWindu 🇵🇸 (@MaceAhWindu) July 8, 2025
It can't be overstated. Corenswet and Brosnahan are perfectly cast. Hoult as Luthor is an all timer that stands out above all previous iterations.
All due respect to '78, this is the greatest Superman movie of all time. 5/5 pic.twitter.com/CTl0AQQFTK
I really liked #Superman. It’s beautiful, hopeful, and reminds you why these stories matter. Just the absolute solid comic book movie I needed. pic.twitter.com/EegA50ABr9
— Ash Crossan (@AshCrossan) July 8, 2025
#Superman is a VISUALLY STUNNING SPECTACLE ripped straight out of the comics. James Gunn reclaims the symbol of HOPE with a BOLD, TRIUMPHANT REBIRTH of a timeless hero. Corenswet STANDS TALL as the Man of Tomorrow in a film that wears its heart on its cape and DARES to DREAM BIG. pic.twitter.com/3t84NBXaJB
— Anthony Gagliardi (@AJGaliardi) July 8, 2025
Don’t let those trailers fool you Superman looks gorgeous. The style is so unique and colorful. The CGI is top notch — every action scene is some of the coolest superhero shit you’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/jfBn5zJUXk
— Alex Coleman (@DarkOfTheMovie) July 8, 2025
I looked up, and #Superman completely reinvigorated my love of the superhero genre. Its irreverence, bright colors, kinetic camerawork, impeccable casting, bold choices and tons of heart thrilled & delighted me equally. I didn’t just believe he could fly; I felt like I was, too. pic.twitter.com/YNXwkBRebT
— Bill Bria (@billbria) July 8, 2025
#Superman is everything I wanted it to be, & a million things more. It is truly awe-inspiring, both as a DC fan who has longed to see this universe onscreen in such a loving & unique way, & just as a hopeful person.
— Jenna Anderson (@heyitsjennalynn) July 8, 2025
The superhero myth is not the same after this, for the better. pic.twitter.com/7qAJRCbUIw
Superman scores big on Rotten Tomatoes
Reviews are also being aggregated by sites like Rotten Tomatoes, where Superman currently has a score of 85% fresh, with 181 reviews counted. That's very solid. Here's a sampling of some of the good to mixed reviews:
- Inverse: "Visually bombastic and narratively indulgent to the point of near-overstimulation. From the first frame of the wildly colorful and tooth-achingly earnest comic book epic, it’s clear Gunn’s love for Superman is so abundant that it threatens to overflow."
- The Jam Report: "Hopeful without being corny, modern without feeling desperate, and expansive without being incoherent, it's a genuinely rousing return to form and one that starts this new era of DC Studios in style."
- The A.V. Club: "Superman delivers a simple, potent message: You don’t need X-ray vision to see people as people."
- Associated Press: "Something quite rare in the assembly line-style of superhero moviemaking today: human."
- The New York Post: "What’s best about Gunn’s movie is its laser-focused on relatable characters. This is no puzzle piece in a universe or a loud series of action set pieces."
So the press is very good, but there are some negative reviews out there. In the interest of providing a rounded perspective, here are a few to check out:
- San Francisco Chronicle: "Superman” is a mess, but it’s a colorful one. It’s either a terrible superhero movie or an OK parody, take your pick."
- The Times: "Gunn approaches the nerdosphere’s most celebrated property like a giddy amnesiac who has missed the precipitous rise and fall of multi-character Marvel superhero movies and is instead stuck somewhere in the early 2010s."
- The Daily Beast: "A would-be franchise re-starter that resembles a Saturday morning cartoon come to overstuffed, helter-skelter life."
Superman inspires backlash amidst glowing reviews
Superman marks Gunn’s first DC film since he took over creative control of the studio alongside Peter Safran in October 2022. He directed 2021's Suicide Squad and its John Cena-led spinoff, Peacemaker. That show’s second season is due out in August. He will also direct a Supergirl movie starring Milly Alcock, set to release in 2026.
The positive reviews flood in amid backlash regarding some of Gunn’s latest comments. In an interview with The Sunday Times of London, Gunn called Superman “an immigrant that came from other places,” sparking outrage among some fans. This came in the wake of the hateful comments that Gunn and Co. have faced for allegedly replacing Zack Snyder, the previous steward of the DC Cinematic Universe and Henry Cavill, the last guy to play Superman.
Canonically, Clark Kent is an alien, his real name is Kal-El, and he hails from Krypton. When his planet was obliterated, he was sent away by his biological parents and landed on Earth as a baby. A loving couple in Smallville, Kansas, adopts him.
More on DC Comics/Movies:
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.