Superman 2025 FAQ
What’s it called?
“Superman.”
Who’s responsible?
James Gunn, writer and director of the wonderful “The Suicide Squad” (the one with Idris Elba and John Cena, not the one with Will Smith) and all three excellent “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies.
Is it any good?
Like much of Gunn’s prior work, it’s funny and moving and exciting, and never boring. There’s plenty to nitpick, but you’d be a fool to miss this very entertaining entertainment.
What says Warner Bros.?
“Superman embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.”
How does it start?
As John Williams’ Superman theme plays, a lot of text catches us up on what happened.
300 years ago (superhumans became public knowledge on Earth),
30 years ago (an alien spacecraft crashed into Kansas),
3 years ago (a new superhuman arrived in Metropolis),
3 weeks ago (a superhuman interfered in a middle-eastern conflict),
3 hours ago (another new superhuman, one billing himself as The Hammer of Borovia, arrived in Metropolis), and
3 minutes ago (Superman loses a brawl for the first time ever).*
(*It is NOT mentionedd in this world-building exposition dump that Lois and Clark became romantically involved 3 months ago.)
Then we see what a lot of fans have already seen in that famous clip: a bloodied and beaten Superman crash-lands in a field of snow, then summons Krypto to take him home.)
The big news?
It turns out this Lois and Clark are both into punk rock. There’s some Iggy Pop on the soundtrack!
That’s the big news?
Bradley Cooper and Angela Sarafyan (the dreamy Clementine in Westworld) play Kal-El’s parents, and their living will has an outsized unintended impact on this movie’s storyline.
How closely does Superman 2025 resemble Grant Morrison’s amazing All-Star Superman graphic novel?
Not closely. Though Superman’s life is imperiled at junctures, our yellow sun is not slowly killing him. Also, even though Lois Lane gets to play superhero (thanks to some Terrific tech), she never actually becomes Superwoman.*
(*Readers are invited to stream the fabulous animated version of All-Star Superman on HBOmax, which is easily the best animated DC animated movie I’ve yet seen.)
Who was the first discovered metahuman, introduced 270 years before the arrival of Superman? Was it Hawkman? Dr. Fate? Black Adam? Hercules? Vandal Savage? Death of the Endless?
There are no specifics in this regard!
Is it true the main supervillain, like Barry Allen and the Golden Age Atom, doesn’t believe Jesus is Lord?
Luthor’s faith is not revealed. I suppose he COULD be Lutheran.*
(*I read somewhere that Michael “Mr. Terrific” Holt — identified in the comics as “the third smartest man alive” — is an atheist in this movie, but if there was a reference to his disturbing lack of faith, I failed to notice it.)
Is Krypto a bad dog?
Make no mistake, Krypto is best thing about Superman 2025 — but Krypto IS kind of a bad dog. He is literally not the pooch the print Clark Kent grew up with in Smallville, and Clark’s relationship with Krypto is surprisingly nuanced, and a real window into Superman’s troubled heart.
(*The first of the two post-credits epilogues is Krypto-related, and literally brings me, The Mighty Hercules, to tears every time I think about it.)
How much time do we get with Michael Holt, Keira Saunders and Guy Gardner?
A lot! The dynamic trio arrives 35 minutes into the movie to help deal with what looks like a Godzilla-size Stitch. Kenyan-American actor Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class), who plays Holt, gets 4th billing, and earns that placement with some fantastic Nick Fury-ous energy. Mr. Terrific is likely, in fact, my favorite character in this movie after Krypto, which is saying a lot. I very much love what is done with Keira and Guy, but they get far less screen time.
Is Guy Gardner the only one who calls Morgan Edge’s superteam The Justice Gang?
The press seems to be calling them that. Mr. Terrific and Hawkgirl seem to think they’re just kind of workshopping the name, but all three sport big stylized “JG” logos on their chests.
Edge’s team is headquartered at the Hall of Justice, right? Does it start calling itself The Justice League by the end of the movie?
The phrase “Justice League” is not used in this movie. Nor is the phrase “Super Friends.”*
(*Sean Gunn’s Morgan Edge gets more screen time in the clip for Peacemaker’s second season than he gets in the entire Superman movie.)
Does the kaiju get more screen time than Edge?
The Kaiju gets six minutes. It is unboxed 32 minutes into the movie.
How much screen time does Milly Alcock’s Supergirl get?
Way too little!! She basically does what the Justice League did at the end of Peacemaker’s first season, popping in after all the world-imperiling mayhem is past. And boy, I can’t wait to see what they do with this hot-mess smokeshow in next year’s Supergirl movie.
What’s great?
Supergirl! Hot and evil Authority spawn Angela Spica, whose bald boss runs something called EarthWatch. Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, a much more funny and likable asshole than I found him in the comics. The Hawk-scream. Jimmy Olson’s game. The Daredevil-ish cameo. All the murder. The Hutt-esque garage door. Metamorpho’s Keanu-esque demeanor. The Fortress Robots, and all the crazy references to Superman’s print career generally. “He’s not even a very good one.” “Secret harum.” “Maybe that’s the real punk rock.” “So you know he’s Clark Kent.” “I’m goddamn Mr. Terrific!” The final Krypto reveal. So much more. This movie is fucking packed.
What’s not so great?
Almost no Otis screentime.
How does it end, Spoiler Boy?
“I can be such a jerk sometimes.”
Thursday. Cinemas.
I warn you not to defy me!
I am – Hercules!!
