Fun, Fantastic ‘Superman’ Flies Again!

All too rarely will Hollywood risk an oligarch’s fortune to reinvent a successful franchise. What worked well once gets serialized or “sequeled,” sometimes “prequeled,” in a sure continuum of less-costly celebrities leading younger fans to the box office until nerdy accountants warn that the ROI has lost its superpower. In the battle of DC Comics versus Marvel’s dominant Universe, Iron Man, Spiderman, Wolverine, and Captain America concocted their own kind of kryptonite to keep the likes of Superman in his secluded, icy fortress. That is, until, James Gunn, given the recent nod to head up DC Studios, made his death-defying decision to resuscitate the life of a mild-mannered reporter who has come from a different planet. 

Superman flies again! Indeed, for those who’ve feared that DC was done, Gunn has given our galaxy of good and evil great hope. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster can rest in eternal peace knowing their original work (Action Comics, 1938) will inspire yet another generation to believe that truth does not include alternate facts, that justice must be blind to all politics and racism, and that the American way will only survive when citizens stand up to tyranny.

Fittingly, this new Superman begins in war. The fictional country of Boravia, a U.S. ally and armed to the teeth, has invaded their neighboring country of Jarhanpur. Superman then single-handedly stopped the war but has now been defeated by a Boravian metahuman (a classification of super being, to which Superman also belongs). Alas, near death, Superman has met his match. He retreats to his Fortress of Solitude. It’s not as quiet as we once thought because he is attended by doting robots who, in his absence, have had to put up with Superdog, a true rascal of a pet. (Why? Well, not to be cynical, a freshened franchise must have a few legs on which to create spin-offs, right?) 

No sooner does Superman heal his wounds by the light of Earth’s yellow sun, he must return to his day job at the Daily Planet. There, the news has just broken that Superman has been accused of anti-American espionage, of stoking political insurrection, and defending Jarhanpur for his own personal gain. He is ridiculed ruthlessly on social media. And despite Clark Kent’s intrepid reporting, the rest of his newsroom, including Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and, of course, Lois Lane, aren’t believing Kent’s investigation into the matter. They’ve been assured by no less than the highest U.S. authorities that Kent’s got his story all wrong. And so, back in her apartment, Lois invites Clark to spill the beans. And, boy, do we learn a lot (and all of which shall hereby be disclaimed as spoilers)! Allow me only to suggest that Lois Lane, the alliteratively-named love interest of one Clark Kent knows well how to parse the truth. 

From this scene alone, writer and director James Gunn proves he has made the right decision to bring back this once traditional conflict between brain and brawn, a world once neatly contained in the city of Metropolis wherein greedy Lex Luthor will stop at nothing to rid himself of Superman and who himself, despite all harm hurtled his way, is devoted eternally to Lois (no shallow thinker herself). That was the storyline made “CGI real” by director Richard Donner when Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder first flew together in 1978. Oh, but it’s now 2025; David Corenswet (a decent Man of Steel) and Rachel Brosnahan (a delightful Lois Lane) now soar the skies. And it’s something wonderful!

It’s also evident, at appropriate moments, that James Gunn was relaxed and confident in writing his full and fulfilling script. There are some really funny moments, some truly odd (but purposeful) actions––okay, Superman, while fighting a deluge of oversized monsters, takes time to save a squirrel!––and there are some great moments of sheer humanity. (Who knew that superheroes could cry with pitiable integrity?)

For those hungry for well-choreographed (and edited) physical combat, for apocalyptic urban devastation, for strange super powers that complement each other when it counts most, for unexpected and surprising character development, for clever gadgetry and awesome flying machines, Superman does not disappoint. For those eager to discover great acting and yet-to-be celebrity actors, look for Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Pa Kent, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, and Skylar Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen. That’s not to take anything away from the more established (and respected) talents of Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), Nathan Fillion (Green Lantern), or Wendell Pierce (Perry White). It’s truly a cast of hundreds. And, yes, there are several surprising cameos that can’t be revealed here.

And to recognize all the artists who contributed to this fresh, inspiring work, you will want to read the credit roll (lasting maybe a long, but well deserved five minutes) if just to understand (and appreciate) how much conviction Gunn had in order to give new life to the DC Universe. May it stand!

James Gunn’s Superman is a triumphant and joyous return of classic American ideology. Surprisingly, some political pundits have declared the movie as “woke.” My sense is that those are the same people who fear the very premise of the film. It’s stated early and boldly: “Ridicule is the greatest punishment of all.” Grab your cape and use any power you might possess to see Superman soon.

C. Prentiss Orr is a Pittsburgh-based writer who covers film, live theater, and other topics for Entertainment Central. He is the author of the books The Surveyor and the Silversmith and Pittsburgh Born, Pittsburgh Bred.

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