Superman is the story of an immigrant, just as it always has been. It's corny and it's a pure delight.

4 out of 5

Superman is an immigrant. That’s the discourse that has taken flight as James Gunn’s new DC film lands in cinemas. The writer-director told the Sunday Times: “Superman is the story of America. An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is something that we have lost.“ It’s gone down well in America at a time when ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents) are detaining people on the country’s streets as Donald Trump’s pledge to crackdown on “illegal aliens” continues apace. Right-wing commentators have predictably branded the film “woke” in a now-predictable backlash. Most probably have not seen it.

Do you remember back in 2008 when Ironman appeared in our cinemas? We were told it was the first film in a thing we had never heard of - the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We weren't sure what to make of this film other than we knew we had seen something special. I was curious to see where this MCU was going and bar a few hiccups, it has been an enjoyable experience. The other big comic house, DC wanted to get in on the act and turned to Zak Snyder. As for the all-consuming Henry Cavill debates and comparisons, I’m not anti-Cavill or Snyder in general. I think there is a time and place for a darker look at Superman, and I don’t begrudge the attempt. I like Man of Steel quite a bit, and Cavill is about as picture-perfect as you get in terms of the look of the hero. But both that film, and to a greater extent, Batman V Superman, failed the character and the actor, despite some cool moments and visuals. 2025’s Superman, new tone or not, is just a better film. It is very tough to battle nostalgia if we’re talking about the Christopher Reeve films, particularly the first two. But they feel like a lifetime ago and the world has changed.

I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Welling's ten seasons in Smallville and Clark's numerous appearances in animated series, which is what I believe Corenswet embodies here. It’s not solely about the broad idea of “hope.” It’s about the essence of the character developed over the years, starting with Reeves. This was something attempted with Brandon Routh in Bryan Singer's film. As mentioned, I loved the Smallville era (both Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult, who portrays Lex Luthor, also acknowledged that the show influenced their portrayal of their characters). More recently, the regrettably overlooked Tyler Hoechlin delivered an outstanding performance as Clark in Superman and Lois.

This film is a comic book; it’s the animated series brought to life. The “aw shucks” version of Superman here, but extremely emotionally charged at times, is a stellar rendition of the character. His dynamic with Lois has more chemistry than we’ve ever seen (much of that due to the also-excellent and perfectly cast Rachel Brosnahan), and his instantly harrowing rival with Lex is among the character’s best (much of that due to the also-excellent Nicholas Hoult). In terms of visual iconography, Gunn not only returns the classic red trunks to the Superman costume, he doubles down on them. He makes sure they evoke an old-school circus strongman, as the character's original illustrator Joe Shuster intended.

This Superman is about saving, not destroying. One of my favourite moments of the film involves Clark desperately zooming around, attempting to prevent a monster from smashing into nearby buildings as the "Justice Gang" show little regard for such things. He’s saving little girls, dogs, squirrels, he even wants to save the monster. It’s a moment that “gets” Superman, and feels in sharp contrast to the blunt instrument of Cavill most recently.

If the film has issues, I don’t think it’s with Clark. I don’t think the Daily Planet stuff was explored well enough. I thought Eve was so over the top it was a bit distracting, even if this is a comic brought to life. The Ultraman reveal felt like it both was and was not meant to be a secret, which created an awkward dynamic of whether we’re supposed to actually be surprised or not.

But the flaws are not enough for me to demote the movie below any of the other Superman films. Again, all Supermen owe a debt to Reeve. I do not hate Cavill’s version. But this? This was something special, and if it’s at all indicative of where James Gunn’s DCU goes from here, we should all be very excited.