DC launched its first official Superman 2025 teaser trailer Thursday morning. Do we need another Superman movie? That’s like asking if we need another Batman or Spider-Man movie. The answer to all three is: ‘Of course. Every so often, one really stands out as pretty darn decent, and this might be one of the good ones.’
While history suggests the film is more likely to flop than to fly, there are some things in the teaser that proffer hope, curiously enough encapsulated in the fact that The Man of Steel is initially presented in Yamcha’s iconic death pose from Dragon Ball Z.
We’re not saying Director James Gunn is purposefully making reference to the iconic anime property (despite the never-ending Goku vs. Superman internet debate) but rather only pointing out that the fetal-like pose might indicate a much-needed fresh approach to a tired superhero formula.
We’re all well aware of this general formula that has widely caused the superhero fatigue we’re all regularly reminded of as studios continue to pump out this exhausted genre, but already James Gunn has promised Comicbook that the 2025 film will not be an origin story. That doesn’t get it out of the woods by any means, but it is a promising start given how film creators have relied on using the origin story template ad nauseam.
John Williams’ iconic theme from the Christopher Reeve films clearly echoes in the slowed-down, more rock-and-roll theme that plays throughout the teaser. Even this choice has us wondering if we’re looking at an intelligent evolution or a mere modern rehash that’s wholly dependent on success from the past.
Just as is the case with the opening of the teaser, Gunn also promised that the film will feature an “in media res” middle of the action approach where characters are already familiar with one another. Lois and Clark have a thing going on, Lex and Superman have bad blood, and we don’t have to wade through the common lessons and themes we’ve already seen.
The character’s traditionally overpowered status has often been an obstacle to writers as his godlike powers can easily erase stakes and therefore interest. As the trailer proceeds, we see blood spurt from the wheezing Superman’s mouth, suggesting the film may focus on humanizing the Man of Steel more effectively than previous iterations.
Director James Gunn has a mixed but relatively strong history in this avenue of superhero movies, inspiring some faith that he’ll find the balance between action, comedy, and drama we saw in his higher tier endeavors.
David Corenswet has big boots to fill as the successor to Henry Cavill’s Superman (a comparison impossible not to make). With this being his biggest role to date, we’re optimistically open about how Corenswet will do in the role, but are also not exactly leaning forward in our seats as the actor still has some proving to do.
Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor may be the film’s most intriguing casting choice as the accomplished actor has shown quite the range in his previous roles. A character like Luthor offers tons of freedom of expression, and though we don’t expect it, we wouldn’t be all too surprised to see Hoult come through with a surprise take on the villain akin to the Heath Ledger/Joker masterpiece from back in 2008.
Supporting supers include Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho, María Gabriela de Faría’s Engineer, and a CGI take on Krypto, Superman’s super-powered dog.
The teaser does the job of getting our attention as we celebrate and then speculate, but as we’ve seen many times now, familiar faces mean little without strong execution and a well-told story.
The Man of Steel’s prominence in fighting games is undeniable as we quickly recall his appearances in Midway’s Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, NetherRealm Studios’ Injustice and Injustice 2, and most recently, Player First Games’ MultiVersus.
Should this new film stick the landing, it would bode well for any future fighter featuring Superman. With rumors that NetherRealm Studios is closing up production early on Mortal Kombat 1, perhaps an Injustice 3 could benefit from a success here.
Despite the fact that Mortal Kombat 1 still feels relatively young, it did release in 2023, and NRS’ previous Injustice/Mortal Kombat pattern did see them release major titles every two years starting with 2011’s Mortal Kombat 9 and ending with 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11. With that in mind, a late 2025 or early 2026 Injustice 3 comes across as more than feasible.
With just two minutes of teaser footage and a few words from the Director, time will tell if this movie fulfills its promises to stand out as an inspired take on the old character that offers us something new and worthwhile.
It could also wind up being an obligated, assembly line movie with a recognizable logo slapped on, but at this point, we’re cautiously hopeful—with a capital ‘S.’
Check out the teaser trailer here and let us know your thoughts in the comments:
Superman is slated to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.