The battle between the Snyder bros and James Gunn’s followers is proving to be as entertaining as many of the nice Superman films we’ve seen to this point. The latter group believes the DC panorama has been saved from mediocrity, whereas the previous group will let you know one factor in regards to the new film: “There’s nothing to see right here. Let’s go house.” Who’s proper and who’s fallacious? It’s a protracted debate, as every film excels in sure areas that the opposite doesn’t.
Superman
- Launch Date
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July 11, 2025
- Runtime
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130 minutes
- Director
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James Gunn
- Producers
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Peter Safran
One factor’s clear at this level. Most movie critics want Gunn’s film over Snyder’s. On Rotten Tomatoes, the 2025 film has an 83% rating whereas the 2013 film solely managed 57%. Superman can also be heading in the right direction to surpass Man of Metal’s $670 million field workplace gross. Properly, the numbers may all level to at least one course, however Snyder’s sturdy fanbase proves he made a number of proper strikes and captured the hearts of many Clark Kent followers.
Listed here are the issues Superman does higher than Man of Metal, in addition to these during which it falls brief.
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Higher: Superman Feels Extra Human
“I’m not making an attempt to rule anybody,” Clark Kent says. He could be Kryptonian, however he feels he belongs right here. Sadly, his highway to tranquility is pockmarked with jealousy (largely from Luthor) and various problems. Regardless of the challenges, Corenswet’s Superman stays a logo of empathy and hope — nothing like Cavill’s no-nonsense Superman.
Pleasant Neighborhood Superman
Superman could be a minutely detailed movie of Mount Manaslu-esque proportions, however it retains issues easy with its hero. Corenswet’s character behaves like the conventional resourceful particular person we’d all want to have round our lives. He took care of his cousin’s canine whereas she was away partying on planets which have a purple solar (to get wasted rapidly). He saved a squirrel. And he handles challenges fairly nicely. Luthor’s smear marketing campaign — the coup de resistance of his scheme to rid the world of the Kryptonian — is the type that might drive anybody to insanity, however Clark offers with all of it with grace.
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Worse: The “Strongest Hero of All Time” Is Fairly Weak
A title card within the opening minutes of Superman reads: “3 hours in the past Superman misplaced his first battle ever.” The superhero is then seen mendacity on the snow, all bruised. Properly, it’s exhausting to imagine Superman has simply misplaced his first battle, contemplating what number of fights he loses in the remainder of the movie. This model of the character will get overwhelmed loads, regardless of being the strongest particular person on this planet. Cavill’s Superman by no means seemed this weak.
Born To Lose
It’s simple to see what James Gunn was making an attempt to do right here. He was tapping into the dated motion film trope the place the protagonist takes loads of punishment first earlier than popping out on high ultimately. Nevertheless, such a trope solely works for characters which have bodily limitations. Superman is stronger than everybody else, so he shouldn’t get overwhelmed on a regular basis. It ought to have occurred solely a few times, as is the case within the Zack Snyder movie.
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Higher: ‘Superman’ Units Up Its Universe Rapidly and Exactly
Superman doesn’t bathroom audiences with particulars in an try at correct world constructing. It merely will get going, one thing even Marvel Studios honcho Kevin Feige was impressed by. I like the way you simply soar proper into it. You don’t know who Mr. Terrific is? Powerful. You’ll determine it out. You don’t know what that is? Simply go, go,” he famous throughout a press roundtable with a number of media shops.
Anticipate Extra
Man of Metal was the primary movie within the DCEU, but it hardly teased us on what to anticipate going ahead. Superman, alternatively, reveals many issues rapidly. We all know Batman exists due to the Gotham Easter egg. We all know what Kara might be like from only a two-minute scene. We all know Peacemaker might be again and that he doesn’t like Superman. There’s merely a lot world-building that by no means will get in the way in which of the principle story.
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Worse: Cavill’s Superman Has a Higher Costume
Trunks inside or outdoors? The controversy continues, however a extensively held consensus is that Henry Cavill’s Superman costume was approach higher than something the Man of Metal has ever worn earlier than. It has a darker shade of blue and is tighter, outlining the superhero’s physique. Conrenswet’s Superman is nothing however a nod to the Golden Age.
Trend “Killer”
Honoring the comics is at all times a good suggestion, and James Gunn needs to be lauded for that. Nevertheless, there’s at all times room for creativity. There’s no logical cause for Superman to be carrying trunks on high of his pants, so Gunn would have accomplished everybody a favor by leaving them inside. In any case, the costumes of many different superheroes have developed, too, in cinema. For instance, Batman by no means wears the comedian gray and black costume in films.
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Higher: Superman’s Help System
James Gunn’s colourful and impressive saga manages to seize all of the densities of recent geopolitics and nonetheless ship wildly intriguing household dynamics. Lois Lane is one of the best lover anybody may hope for. She works exhausting, changing into the “most trusted journalist in America,” and is keen to step out and save her man, not simply look ahead to it to occur the opposite approach round. And Jonathan Kent? He offers Clark strong life recommendation versus Kevin Costner’s model of the character, who discourages Clark from utilizing his powers just because he could expose himself.
Shoulders To Lean On
Superman is predicted to be a self-sufficient hero, however such characterization is performed out at this level. Audiences adore heroes who’ve assist programs, and Corenswet’s Superman has loads of that. When he isn’t working alongside the Justice Gang, he has pillars in life within the type of Lois and Jonathan. Krypto could possibly be added to the checklist, however the canine doesn’t belong to him. Nonetheless, it’s good to see a model of the Man of Metal who doesn’t thoughts being helped, since such a pattern additionally tends to be admirable in the actual world.
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Higher: ‘Superman’ Has a Higher Villain
James Gunn’s first DCU film is a thematic and stylistic bridge between his Marvel work and his darker superhero films outlined by alienation and ennui. That’s how we get a considerably deranged model of Lex Luthor, who nonetheless by no means does one thing that isn’t thought-about PG. Luthor is good, all because of his arc and Houtle’s efficiency. Normal Zod hardly leaves a mark, not due to a doubtful casting choice. Michael Shannon is nice. His character simply isn’t fascinating.
Hoult’s Luthos is Phenomenal
Zod is sort of outshone by his henchwoman in his personal film. Luthor bosses the proceedings, making Clark look weak and defeated for many of the film’s working time. It could be unfair to match Hoult’s Luthor to Heath Ledger’s Joker, however that might be the one honest comparability, given how a lot each villains torment the hero. Snyder’s movie is marred by a fairly apparent try and compete with Marvel, so Zod feels extra like a generic MCU villain than the DC heavyweight that he’s.
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Worse: Weaker Dialogue
For a very long time, nice dialogue wasn’t thought-about important in a superhero film, however The Darkish Knight proved that it’s. Fortunately, Man of Metal continued the pattern. Sadly, Superman has taken followers again to the pre-millennium cheese the place every part was cool as long as it was stated with a straight face.
A Few Extra Philosophical Utterings May Have Helped
“Hey buddy… eyes up right here!” isn’t a quote we needs to be getting from the Kryptonian in 2025. It’s too fundamental. The argument between Lex and Clark additionally feels extra emotional than considerate. On a optimistic observe, Gunn offers followers an epic 12-minute change between Lois Lane and Clark Kent. However that’s all that may be taken away from the dialogue. The 2013 film has memorable traces like “I’ll rebuild Krypton atop his bones,” and “You’ll give the folks of Earth a perfect to try in direction of.”
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Higher: Higher Motion and Flight Sequences
From the battle towards the Hammer of Boravia to Luthor’s invasion of the Fortress of Solitude, there are too many good battle and flight sequences in Superman. Man of Metal has a number of good ones, too, however the film takes an excessive amount of time earlier than providing audiences these sequences, leading to lengthy stretches of boredom.
Followers Worth Abundance
It’s nice that Corenswet’s Superman doesn’t fly along with his fists forward, like he’s punching the air. Such a posture isn’t significantly best, in line with Physics. Concerning Man of Metal’s motion sequences, the issue is rarely the choreography. The Smallville battle between Clark and Faona is known, and so is the ultimate battle between Clark and Zod. Sadly, we solely get like 5 of the scenes.
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Worse: Tougher for New Followers To Take pleasure in
Superman builds its universe brilliantly, however it’s a complicated movie for brand spanking new audiences. Determining who Mister Good-looking is and what the Inexperienced Lantern Corps does isn’t the one problem. Nobody tells you why a canine has a cape or how the nations in battle acquired their names. You want correct background information to know that, in contrast to in Man of Metal the place every part is about up from scratch.
Unsatisfactory Crash Course
It’s been argued that Superman’s origin story has already been informed too many instances and doesn’t have to be repeated, however there’s at all times a brand new era of followers (or new converts) that have to know what occurred. This class may have a tough time immersing itself within the new DCU. Contrarily, Zack Snyder’s movie avoids deep minimize references and facet characters by solely specializing in a coming-of-age story that leaves followers with a full understanding of whom the hero is.