by Andrew Fenner ’27

The highly anticipated Superman reboot released on July 11 greatly exceeds the already lofty expectations viewers had for the movie. The movie’s writer and director, James Gunn, who also is the CEO of DC Studios, has taken the bold and necessary step to essentially re-brand the iconic superhero and go a different direction from the portrayal of the character  played by Henry Cavill in the 2013 film. The less darker version of Superman in the new film is clearly resonating with audiences.

Superman, an alien from the planet Krypton, was sent by his biological parents to protect the people of Earth thirty years before the movie picks up. Clark Kent, or Superman, is raised on a small farm in Kansas before he moves to the city of Metropolis and lands a job at the Daily Planet as a journalist, where he meets his love interest, Lois Lane. It is in Metropolis that Superman first meets the main antagonist of the movie, Lex Luthor, a genius billionaire who would do anything to take Superman down. Also introduced in the movie are the three members of the “Justice Gang,” a privately owned team of superheroes consisting of Hawk Girl, Green Lantern, and Mr. Terrific that fight crime in Metropolis alongside Superman. Hawk Girl has the ability to fly and wields an enchanted mace; Green Lantern is able to conjure any object or weapon from the ring he wields; and Mr. Terrific is an Olympic-level athlete with a genius-level intellect who uses technology to fight crime.

The movie begin after Superman, played by David Corenswet, stops the U.S.-backed Boravia from invading the neighboring nation of Jahranpur. After saving the Jahranpurians from an invasion, Superman comes under fire for intervening in the Eastern European conflict. Lex Luthor bashes Superman in the media for acting as a representative of the U.S. government and hurting relations with Boravia, a trade partner and close ally of the United States. If this fictional situation sounds at all familiar, you would not be alone in seeing parallels to the Israel-Hamas War in the Gaza Strip. People on social media, including political commentators and influencers, contend the film is an allegory to conflict in Gaza. Alongside tackling the issues occurring in Gaza, Gunn’s film comments on the alienation of immigrants from society. Superman, being an immigrant himself, has to face similar challenges and isn’t afforded the same leeway as other humans. The movie’s message on immigration is powerful, and is only magnified by the brilliant performance of Corenswet as Superman.

  Superman is undoubtedly one of the best superhero movies in recent years, and it’s clear that the new DC Universe is in good hands. From the choreography in the fight scenes to the special effects, Superman doesn’t miss the mark. Not to mention the great score composed by John Murphy and David Fleming, coupled with the great song selection, which brings the whole movie to life.

Gunn hits the nail on the head with his version of Superman. The hopeful, kind, and benevolent hero will leave many in the theater with a desire to be the best versions of themselves.

Grade: A