James Gunn delivers a kind of superhero film many thought Hollywood had forgotten how to make. It’s bold, bright, and self-aware—but not without its kryptonite

The superhero genre has been limping along ever since Avengers: Endgame gave audiences a dopamine overdose and then quietly ghosted them. Meanwhile, the DCEU has largely spent the past few years tripping over its own cape—with Wonder Woman being the rare exception to an otherwise awkward cinematic stumble. So, when Superman, the inaugural film under James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC regime, finally arrived, the big question loomed: Would it soar or crash faster than a Zack Snyder edit? Fortunately, James delivers. Superman isn’t just good—it’s the kind of good that reminds you why superhero movies used to matter before they became bloated, brooding PowerPoint presentations in spandex.

In a plot that sounds like it was created by spinning a globe and then making up countries, Superman (David Corenswet) intervenes in a fictional war between Boravia (your standard authoritarian regime) and Jarhanpur (your standard peaceful victims). This puts him squarely in the crosshairs of Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), a tech billionaire with fascist tendencies and a haircut that screams “trust me, I’m definitely not evil.” As if that weren’t enough, Superman also has to deal with a public relations nightmare, a potential identity crisis, and his own feelings for Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), who treats their relationship like an unpaid internship at the Daily Planet.

Helping (and occasionally heckling) him along the way is a ragtag trio of misfit heroes known as the Justice Gang—Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion, very much aware he’s in a comic book), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced, very much not amused), and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi, deadpan excellence). Also, there’s a genetically confused monster, a conspiracy-laden social media backlash, and a dog named Krypto who’s doing his best.