The first official look at James Gunn’s new Superman movie has arrived and while it promises to be an emotional journey, not everyone is down for the ride.
David Corenswet, 31, makes his debut as Clark Kent in the first-look teaser trailer, donning the superhero’s iconic cape and bodysuit after replacing Henry Cavill in the coveted role, a casting decision many fans are disgruntled with.
Superman will follow the Man of Steel as he tries to balance his human life and relationship with Lois Lane with his responsibilities of being the world’s greatest protector, all while his arch-nemesis Lex Luthor plans his downfall.
The trailer opens with a punky electric guitar riff on the famous theme song as Superman lies on the snow, bloodied and bruised. It’s not long before his furry pal Krypto the Superdog is by his side to help as Superman manages to muster up a few words: ‘Krypto, take me home.’
Corenswet is seen working alongside Rachel Brosnahan as the new Lois, Superman’s loyal love interest, at their newspaper, The Daily Planet.
The full force of Superman’s strength is on display as he’s seen saving a little girl from an explosion, while Nicholas Hoult makes a brief appearance as Luthor.
Crowds are later seen surrounding the caped hero, jeering and throwing rocks at his head, but, of course, he’s unfazed and continues on his mission.
As always, there’s time for a little love, and Clark is seen sharing a passionate kiss with Lois before shooting off into the blue skies.
For some, Gunn’s vision for the new chapter of Superman has paid off, as reactions were largely glowing over the first look. X user @EverythingDCU_ said: ‘HOLY S*****T! Best superman movie of all time incoming!!! Crying this was intense.’
@SoldierBoyLeon also cheered: ‘The theme…I had so many chills. It just feels right.’
@SepzenoOfficial said: ‘We can all agree this trailer is perfect.’
Giving their verdict, @adamreds33 weighed in: ‘Thank you Mr. Gunn for sending me back to my childhood for a little over 2 minutes. This was absolute perfection.’
Alas, not everyone is so impressed with the new casting, with many fans declaring themselves ‘angry’ that Cavill is not returning.
Devout superhero fanatics also believe his story is ‘unfinished’ and have criticised Gunn for essentially starting from scratch.
@SulemUrbina blasted: ‘Ridiculous, the way they are starting the whole story over makes me angry. Henry Cavill and Zack Snyder should’ve kept the story going. And I hate the Superman suit, it’s ugly!’
Stating that they will ‘not be watching’ the new movie, @DClinton85 added: ‘Henry Cavill was a perfect SuperMan so just dumb to redo it.’
@HLD____ also didn’t hold back, writing: ‘So instead of sticking with Henry Cavill’s powerful, iconic portrayal of Superman, we’re getting this bubblegum, watered-down version of the Superman universe—complete with a fairy-tale vibe and superdog?’
‘This isn’t staying true to the core of Superman’s story; it’s pandering, plain and simple it didn’t last then in the comics, it won’t last now,’ they added.
‘Superman is supposed to represent strength, resilience, and timeless values, not whatever this is trying to be. Stop rebranding legends into something unrecognizable just to chase trends.’
Gunn previously explained to disgruntled fans that his new vision for DC output would mean a return to the drawing board for Superman, and thus a new actor to take on the iconic role.
Corenswet was confirmed for the part in June 2023, and will be joined by Nathan Fillion, House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock, Sean Gunn, and Twilight’s Edi Gathegi, who also feature in the cast.
It comes after the actor revealed a downside to bulking up so much to play the Man of Steel.
‘I wasn’t 238 (pounds) when we started shooting. I was 238 at my max,’ he told the Manly Things (Soft Of) podcast.
He added: ‘I didn’t fit into any of my pants.’
Corenswet noted he ‘didn’t feel great’ with his body not adjusting to the extra weight, while he was wearing 2XL sweatshirts at the ‘peak of [his] bulk’.
He dropped around 10 pounds before filming started, taking the role as an ‘excuse’ to experience the weight gain.
The Politican star said: ‘I slowly lost weight before we started shooting. I started shooting at about 228, 230… I know I wanted this to be my excuse to see what it felt like to gain essentially as much weight as I could.’
Not long before the trailer dropped, director Gunn, 58, revealed he felt overwhelmed by making the movie.
In an interview with io9, he said: ‘I’m miserable. Really I’m miserable. But hopefully it’s for the greater good.’
Gunn explained that he had ‘a lot riding on’ Superman’s success, which is expected to kickstart the DC Universe (DCU) on the big screen, although it should be viewed as a standalone film.
‘Everything needs to stand by itself. I don’t want somebody to have to go see this movie and be relying on anything else. Now listen, once we get down the line, that may change a little bit,’ the filmmaker explained.
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‘Yes, there’s seeds being planted, but that is never going to be the predominant thing in any scene for me.
‘It’s always about getting to the next scene. What’s in the moment? How are we making this movie the best we can be? And it’s going to stay like that as much as I can possibly make it like that,’ he added.
Superman will be released in the UK on July 11, 2025.
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