Superman Takes The DCU To New Heights
It all begins with the Man of Steel.
The new DC Universe has been an object of curiosity since James Gunn first took charge of the franchise in 2023. Though we’ve only gotten one glimpse of the reboot so far with Creature Commandos — which, to be honest, felt a lot like the old DCU — Gunn’s next project will mark a true new beginning.
Said project is the most highly anticipated of the new DCU slate, and one of the hardest to get right. Unlike his contemporaries, Superman hasn’t often headlined a big-screen adventure, much less one that audiences unanimously enjoy. The shadow of Christopher Reeve, arguably the best on-screen Superman, looms large over the character. The image of Henry Cavill, whose Superman trilogy suffered under the scope of the “SnyderVerse,” is also difficult to shake. Can James Gunn’s take on the Man of Steel avoid the latter’s mistakes, and match the majesty of the Reeve film that started it all?
DC fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out. Superman will fly into theaters in 2025, and its first official trailer may just be enough to tide us over until then.
Gunn’s vision for Superman has been a major subject of curiosity since 2023, and though DC’s first-look images offered some insight, the trailer for Superman makes it that much clearer. Over the notes of a slowed electric guitar version of John Williams’ theme, the trailer shows a bloodied Superman as we see dialogue-less flashes of Clark Kent arriving in Metropolis, meeting Lois Lane, and taking on his mantle as the Man of Steel. The music reaches a crescendo as various people say with awe, “Superman,” and Supes fights off various baddies — with cameos from familiar DC heroes like Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, and the Guy Gardner Green Lantern. It’s an incredible teaser trailer, and one that firmly establishes a hopeful new era for the DCU.
Superman will officially kick off the opened “chapter” of the new DCU, “Gods and Monsters.” Gunn and his creative co-chair, Peter Safran, revealed their eight-to-10-year plan for the franchise last year, and it’s clear many of their ideas will spin off from Superman in some way. The upcoming film could inform projects like Lanterns (which will pair the iconic Green Lantern Hal Jordan with fellow Lantern John Stewart), Supergirl, and The Authority. The success of the DCU seems to rest on Superman’s shoulders, but there are few heroes more qualified to take on the task.
