We are just days away from the release of James Gunn’s DCU-launching Superman. But a number of people have caught it already, with the first reactions dropping at midnight. So, is Superman super after all? Let’s check out some of the reactions below!
For starters, we were lucky enough to have screened Superman already, although we didn’t find it to hit every note as perfectly as we hoped. As our critic wrote, “Not a disaster at all (has some great moments) but not as good as hoped for. Oddly the movie short-changed a vital character – Lois Lane and, surprisingly, Clark Kent. Lots of Supes, not much Clark.” That said, it definitely does have the audience it will want to reach, with audiences and big fans of the comic sure to be pleased with a showing on the big screen.
We saw #Superman and it was a mixed bag for our critic. Not a disaster at all (has some great moments) but not as good as hoped for. Oddly the movie short-changed a vital character – Lois Lane and, surprisingly, Clark Kent. Lots of Supes, not much Clark.
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 8, 2025
We’ll have a couple of different perspectives on Superman up later on; in the meantime, check out some of the more positive reviews of Superman:
This is the BEST #Superman movie to date.
When James Gunn gets out of the way & lets his work speak for itself, it’s incredible. 💙💛❤️
It’s not perfect, but darn close
& made me a believer in Gunn’s #DCReview embargo lifts TODAY at 3pm EST
& plenty more #DC videos coming! pic.twitter.com/W5UZkAZNgX— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) July 8, 2025
#Superman is everything I wanted it to be, & a million things more. It is truly awe-inspiring, both as a DC fan who has longed to see this universe onscreen in such a loving & unique way, & just as a hopeful person.
The superhero myth is not the same after this, for the better. pic.twitter.com/7qAJRCbUIw
— Jenna Anderson (@heyitsjennalynn) July 8, 2025
#Superman was my most anticipated film of the year & I left the theater with a smile on my face
It’s possibly the most comic book-y live action comic book film ever. It fully leans into the wacky sci-fi. It really feels like a comic book or Justice League Unlimited on screen
— Sean Chandler (@kirkneverdied) July 8, 2025
I looked up, and #Superman completely reinvigorated my love of the superhero genre. Its irreverence, bright colors, kinetic camerawork, impeccable casting, bold choices and tons of heart thrilled & delighted me equally. I didn’t just believe he could fly; I felt like I was, too. pic.twitter.com/YNXwkBRebT
— Bill Bria (@billbria) July 8, 2025
OK, that’s some seriously high praise going around, with people saying it’s the best Superman movie to date. There’s not a lot of true competition out there when it comes down to it but with people saying that it surpasses Richard Donner’s version from 1978 – you know, the movie that launched superhero movies as we know them – is shifting the buzz in a massive way.
Much pressure has been put on David Corenswet, too, who is taking over the Clark Kent / Superman role for the future of James Gunn’s vision for the studio. While he – along with Rachel Brosnahan, however short-changed her screentime might be – seems to be on the favorable side of fans as one of the more positive attributes, there are still major elements of Superman that people are picking apart from first reactions, chiefly when it comes to the visuals (something James Gunn was keeping a close eye on as promotion was ramping up).
SUPERMAN: The closest thing we’ll get to a live-action Saturday morning cartoon. The cast (esp David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan) is literally perfect. It’s a shame it looks like that. Full review coming soon!
— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) July 8, 2025
#Superman is a winner. I have complaints with the Marvel levels of CGI. But James Gunn has crafted a splashy colorful superhero film with tremendous characters. Mr. Terrific stole the movie for me. Corenswet and Brosnahan shine: I can watch an entire film on their chemistry alone pic.twitter.com/yKpAqwuXCV
— 𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣 𝘿𝙤𝙩𝙨𝙤𝙣 (@JohnMovieWatch) July 8, 2025
James Gunn’s Superman feels like he tossed every Superman comic and his entire filmography into a blender and hit purée.
Corenswet’s solid, Brosnahan’s great, and Hoult is doing something, not exactly sure what.
It is a mess, narratively and tonally, but hey, at least it’s… pic.twitter.com/aBRytmdQvr
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) July 8, 2025
Superman officially opens on July 11th. With a budget pegged around $225 million, the movie is looking to recoup that as quickly as possible. But James Gunn remains completely unworried as the box office projections solidify ahead of Friday, telling GQ, “This is not the riskiest endeavor in the world. Is there something riding on it? Yeah, but it’s not as big as people make it out to be. They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes 700 million or something and it’s just complete and utter nonsense. It doesn’t need to be as big of a situation as people are saying.”
What is your takeaway from the first reactions to Superman? Will you be checking it out on opening weekend?









