5 takeaways from the 'Superman' teaser
James Gunn has officially plugged back into the cinematic universe.
47 years after Christopher Reeve first donned the red cape and 12 years following Henry Cavill’s debut as the superpowered, optimistic alien, David Corenswet will make his debut as Superman in James Gunn’s self-titled film. Up until Thursday, the look and tone of the July 2025 release had been relegated to set photos and a few seconds of footage.
This is Gunn’s big leap into the DC realm of comic book moviemaking, and he’s not pulling a punch with his favorite hero and one of Warner Brothers’ most storied characters. Creature Commandos, an animated series currently playing its first season Max, is a Gunn project and his official debut with the studio. DC Studios, the new comic book behemoth being constructed by Gunn and Peter Safran, is placing a lot of bets on this first rocket out of the gate.
After watching the trailer, I can tell you right off the bat that Gunn and company strike the right note of a fresh Superman saga. Corenswet is unknown enough to sink his teeth into the role like Reeve and Cavill did before him, and the action looks like a righteous blend of old school and modern day wizardry. Take it in below, and then we’ll discuss five things that I liked or took away from it.
5) Rachel Brosnahan is a perfect-looking Lois Lane
There’s something instantaneous about her arrival on screen, grabbing a cup of coffee and her copy of the Daily Planet as a bumbling Clark Kent looks on. She was the best casting choice of the movie out of people who were somewhat known going into Superman. Audiences of all ages love her from the celebrated Prime series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but I knew she was a stunner back during a smaller role in Peter Berg’s Patriots Day. She will give Lois some backbone, attitude, and hopefully gets to rattle off at least one good monologue about dating an alien.
4) The guitar-infused John Williams score is pure mint
Add another feather to Gunn’s hat when it comes to pumping fresh air into legendary film notes. Williams’ score played as big of a part as anything in the 1978 film. It became something more for the film’s fans, and Gunn respects that history and adds a Slash-type guitar riff to the notes before an epic finish that returns to the composer’s original track. Great music separates good movies from great and that doesn’t stop with the superhero genre.
3) Corenswet looks the part and that’s all we need for now
A battered and beaten Superman plunges into the ice during the opening moments of the preview, with our hero bloodied and searching for his dog, Krypto. At first glance, the man who had a pitch fork ran through his chest by Mia Goth is our guy. The hair, build, and overall essence of Corenswet gives us the idea that he was the right guy for the part. For now, that’ll do.
Will he be more Brandon Routh or Reeve-like? He’ll need to eat more protein to contend for Cavillness rankings. Sorry, David. Better yet, Corenswet and Brosnahan look like a great Clark and Lois, which is the real engine of the story.
2) Gunn is introducing a different kind of Superman universe next summer
Instead of a world where he’s the only special one around, this Superman origin tale is told in a world where superbeings are a natural part of society. Some like each other, some don’t like each other, and the battles ensue. Nathan Fillion wears a mean rug as a possibly evil Lantern. Nicholas Hoult looks great bald as he dives into the mind of Lex Luthor. There are other blink and miss it sightings of other superheroes, but they are a part of the story and it’s not a Justice League gathering. They’re everywhere, and that’ll be different for DC and Warners.
1) The dog is a nice touch
Nothing helps a superhero movie like a good dog. Just ask Wade Wilson and his latest Deadpool box office smash. Ask John Wick, who spawned four movies of ultra-killing vengeance off the death of one puppy. Mess with a puppy or their owner, and it’s fucking on! Here, little Krypto comes blasting through the snow to his fallen owner, with Corenswet’s Sup asking the dog to take him home. The dog then tugs on his cape and off they go into the trailer’s crescendo finish.
Will Gunn’s film be magnificent? Time will tell, but this is a good teaser trailer. It provides all the beats and emotional notes that the first taste test should give to a movie fan. Entertain us, win our hearts, and give us something to quote or smile about after the movie. Don’t judge the new Superman by past iterations. That’s bush league. If you go off Gunn’s work with Marvel, the worries should be tiny or nonexistent.
One more time. I want a Maisel-like rant from Ms. Brosnahan.