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The Summer of Superman has officially begun - or should I say, beGunn? You know what, I'm going to stop myself there. 

In case you've been living under a rock, there's a new Superman movie out this week starring David Corenswet, and written and directed by James Gunn. Corenswet, who you might know from The Politician on Netflix and last year's Twisters (where his delivery of the distinctly un-Superman line, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE!" is one of the funniest moments in the movie), is cut from the same cloth as the OG cinematic Superman, Christopher Reeve. Like Reeve, Corenswet is a Juilliard-trained actor who was largely unknown to the average person before getting cast as the Man of Steel.

With Gunn's Superman film, DC Studios's has the chance to properly re-introduce the public to the character again, after a rocky past decade of films directed by Zack Snyder. While Snyder's "dark" take on the character cultivated a vocal fanbase online, it didn't connect with more traditional Superman fans - and anyone who just doesn't want to see Jimmy Olsen get unceremoniously shot in the head. With Gunn at the helm, Corenswet's Superman can bring the character back to his roots as the symbol of hope and champion of the oppressed in the public eye. 

Speaking to GQ, Corenswet said, “There are things you have to hit about Superman that are indelible to the character. The things we’re aiming for are the things that are truest and therefore most interesting about Superman, the things that set him apart from other heroes. The fact that he is essentially free from angst and turmoil internally. He’s a good guy who had a great upbringing, loving parents, has wonderful relationships with his friends, and a romantic relationship, and loves what he does. He doesn’t have the Batman thing of having lost his parents early and doesn’t feel the burden of this terrible city that he has to come and save. Metropolis is a wonderful, cosmopolitan almost utopia—it just happens to get invaded by Kaijus and other monsters and whatnot every now and then.”

Superman has always got to have a joie de vivre. I mean, the dude has the ability to hear every birdcall around him with startling acuity, how could you not be happy-go-lucky? 

Superman hits theaters July 11, 2025. 

James Gunn's Superman movie is out now - and we have a lot to say about it. You can also read about Superman's S-Shield through the ages, how Superman and Clark Kent keep their secret identity secret, our recs for best Superman comics, and how to watch all his TV series and movies in order.