Without real threat, there are no emotional stakes. And James Gunn establishes that threat early on, when Superman (David Corenswet) appears beaten and broken, blood spilling from his mouth — a striking contrast against the whiteness of snow.

This sets the tone: Superman is fallible and will face daunting challenges. The Man of Tomorrow will win, of course, but how he arrives at victory is an arduous, painful journey — but steers clear of the full-on grimness of the Zack Snyder era.

In this cinematic reset, the first offering from DC Studios, where Gunn serves as co-CEO, the Alien Messiah is literally restored to life. Gunn skips the ubiquitous origin visuals that even normies like me already know, and jumps right into a slice of Superman’s life, dropping us in the thick of things: a refugee alien in America, secretly dating Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and carrying out his daily heroics.

Gunn’s bold color palette brings comic-book visuals to life. Metropolis is rendered in a warm, textured blend of orange, brown, yellow, and gold, making Superman’s primary colors pop. The Daily Planet feels like a dream office — a ’70s retro newsroom fused with sleek, modern tech.

Superman in today’s social media age is still steeped in sci-fi. It's a visual treat: from Lois Lane’s lived-in, semi-shabby apartment to a sleek pocket universe, to the Eastern European-vibe Boravia, the arid stretches of Jarhanpur, deep space, and sunlit Kansas.

Gunn’s needle drops aren’t overbearing. He blends John Murphy’s original orchestral score with John Williams’s iconic theme, though the music mostly lingers in the background.

Supporting characters like the corporate-backed trio of cocky Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), cranky Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and serious Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) border on overshadowing Superman, but the Man of Steel remains central.

Corenswet, despite lacking a sharply chiseled jawline, plays a boyish-looking Superman with a softer, more human quality. He’s the metahuman-next-door: an approachable, low-key hero. 

The people of Metropolis don’t swoon over him; they watch from a distance. This is a city desensitized to disaster, where evacuations, cracked streets, and collapsing buildings feel routine — and where heart-to-heart conversations still happen while the Justice Gang battles a neon, floating, other-dimensional jellyfish outside your window.

You immediately sympathize with Corenswet’s portrayal of an alien refugee trying to save lives, only to be smeared by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) in a campaign that threatens not just his reputation but his very identity. Gunn makes us feel the emotional and existential weight of that alien-refugee crisis without tipping into overt politics.