Hey everyone! Let’s talk about the big blue boy scout. Or rather, the elephant in the room that’s wearing a red cape. For months, the internet has been buzzing with electrifying excitement for James Gunn’s new Superman movie. The trailers drop, the fans go wild, and the box office predictions start flying. It’s supposed to be the movie that saves the superhero genre, the triumphant return of the Man of Steel, and the slam dunk of the summer.
And yet… I have a confession to make. A deep, dark secret that might just get me booted from the cool kids’ table of comic book movie fans.
I’m just not feeling it.
I held off on putting this out there because, let’s be honest, sharing a less-than-glowing opinion about this particular movie feels like walking into a lion’s den wearing a meat suit. But hey, what’s the point of having a voice if you can’t use it? So, let’s push through the potential outrage and have a real chat.
Whether you’re already pre-ordering your tickets in every available format or you’re feeling a similar flicker of doubt, I’m going to lay out why this new Superman isn’t winning me over. In fact, my initial fears about the project seem to be getting validated with every new clip. I believe we might be staring down the barrel of a major turning point for superhero movies, and it might not be the one everyone is expecting.
So, buckle up. We’re about to dive into fan culture, a potentially “man-child” Superman, a questionable Lex Luthor, and the one CGI shot that made me laugh out loud for all the wrong reasons.
A Quick Word on Fandom: The Passion and the Peril
Before we dissect the trailers, we need to address the atmosphere surrounding this film. For years, the “Snyder Cult”—the incredibly vocal and aggressive fanbase dedicated to Zack Snyder’s vision of the DC universe—was considered one of the most intense fandoms online. And while I was never a fan of the Snyderverse, I can’t help but notice a similar, almost fanatical energy swirling around James Gunn’s Superman.
Now, let me be crystal clear: I am NOT saying all Superman fans are like this. Many are lovely, reasonable people who are just excited to see their favorite hero on the big screen again. I have plenty of them who follow me and engage in great discussions!
However, there is a loud, vocal segment of the fanbase that seems to treat any form of criticism—or even mild skepticism—as a personal attack. I’ve seen it happen across the internet. Someone says they aren’t hyped. Someone questions a line of dialogue. Someone points out a weird camera angle. The response? They’re lambasted, called a hater, a grifter, or told they just want the movie to fail.
I’ve had people in my own comments call me a liar, claiming I’m manufacturing this opinion for clicks. The irony is staggering. If I wanted easy clicks, I’d jump on the hype train and agree with the loudest voices in the room! Sticking to an unpopular opinion is the opposite of grifting; it’s just… well, having an opinion.
This “gatekeeping” of excitement doesn’t help the movie. It doesn’t convince skeptics to change their minds. If someone says, “I’m not sure this movie is for me,” and your response is to scream at them, do you really think they’re going to rush out and buy a ticket? Of course not. This kind of toxic positivity creates an echo chamber and can actually alienate the general audience—the very people this movie needs to win over to be a massive success.
The passion is understandable. Superman is an icon. But that passion is creating a level of hype that the movie might not be able to live up to, which brings us to my first major issue…
The Man of Steel or The Man-Child of Tomorrow?
My biggest worry from the get-go was the potential “Gunn-ification” of Clark Kent. James Gunn has a very distinct style. He excels at writing lovable-yet-immature rogues. Think Star-Lord, Peacemaker, and the whole Guardians crew. It works brilliantly for those characters. But for Superman? I had my doubts.
I worried he might turn Clark into a well-meaning man-child, and then the latest trailer dropped this little gem:
“Hey, quit messing around!”
“I’m not messing around! I’m doing important stuff!”
This exchange solidified my fears. It’s delivered with a certain childish petulance that just feels… off for Superman. Now, before the strawman arguments come flooding in, let me be clear: I am not saying Superman can’t have a personality or a sense of humor. Of course, he can! He should be warm, charming, and capable of a witty remark.
But there’s a difference between Christopher Reeve’s charming self-deprecation and a character who sounds like he’s arguing with his mom about cleaning his room. It feels less like Superman and more like James Gunn molding the character to fit his own comedic sensibilities. Remember, Gunn himself originally said he turned down a Superman project because he wasn’t interested in the character. This feels like him finding a way to be interested—by making Superman more like the other characters he’s famous for writing.
It might not be objectively “bad,” but it’s not the Superman I’m excited to see. It doesn’t feel definitive; it just feels like another version, and one that doesn’t quite capture the quiet strength and maturity that defines the character for me.
Let’s Talk About Lex (And Other Trailer Tidbits)
Okay, let’s move on from the hero to the villain. I’m a big fan of Nicholas Hoult. He’s a fantastic actor, and I was genuinely curious about his take on Lex Luthor. Visually, he looked the part. But then… we heard him speak.
“The most powerful being on planet Earth… we finally meet. Now, as planned, I’ll destroy you.”
The delivery was… underwhelming. The voice was surprisingly high-pitched and lacked any real menace. It felt more boyish than intimidating. Think about the great Lex Luthors of the past. Gene Hackman was pompous and delightfully evil. Michael Rosenbaum from Smallville oozed charisma and a terrifying, simmering rage. Even the most divisive Lex, Jesse Eisenberg, had a manic, unhinged energy.
This Lex just sounded… like a guy. He didn’t command the screen with his voice. It was another knock against the movie for me, pulling me further away from the hype.
It’s not all bad, though! I’ll give credit where it’s due: Jimmy Olsen looks perfect. From the casting to the personality we’ve seen so far, he seems ripped straight from the comic pages. A definite win!
But then the trailer veers back into questionable territory. We see cool shots, like Superman using his heat vision with precision. But then we get a close-up of Superman knocking someone’s teeth out. My issue isn’t a “Superman would never do that!” debate. My problem is with the visual focus. The gratuitous, slow-motion shot of teeth flying feels like pure James Gunn shock-value gore. It’s his signature, but it clashes jarringly with the wholesome, classic vibe the rest of the marketing is trying to sell.
It’s this constant mashing of two different worlds—the earnest, hopeful world of Superman and the gory, snarky world of James Gunn—that just isn’t gelling for me. It feels like the wrong director was hired for the wrong project.
The Director in the Frame (Literally)
This might be a nitpick, but it’s a hilarious one that perfectly encapsulates the “vibe” I’m getting. There was a promotional photoshoot with David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan as Clark and Lois. They were in a phone booth, looking cute, the chemistry palpable. For a moment, I thought, “Okay, this I like! Where has this been in the marketing?” It was romantic and classic.
And then, the camera slowly pans away… to reveal James Gunn reading a newspaper, inserting himself directly into the romantic shot.
Guys. Guys.
Imagine if, during the smoldering, chemistry-filled photoshoots for The Batman, Matt Reeves just popped his head in between Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz. Imagine if Denis Villeneuve photobombed Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya’s romantic Dune shots. It would be bizarre and awkward! Directors direct; they don’t typically plaster their faces into the marketing materials meant to sell the central romance of their film. It felt self-indulgent and, frankly, hilarious in how it broke the magic of the moment.
The Elephant in the Room: Are We Just Tired?
Ultimately, even if they had a different director and a perfect script, this movie is facing a colossal challenge: superhero fatigue is real.
I’m a huge Marvel fan. I could talk about that universe all day. But the broader superhero genre? I’m exhausted. The feeling that you have to see every new comic book movie to stay in the conversation is gone. It no longer feels like a special event. There have been too many, too quickly, and the quality has been all over the place.
This is where we circle back to the passionate fanbase and the box office tracking. Whispers from reliable sources suggest that while Superman’s pre-sales are good, they aren’t the spectacular, record-shattering numbers that the online hype would have you believe. I checked my local early-access screenings, and hours after they went on sale, the theaters were still half-empty.
This isn’t to say the movie will bomb. But the idea that it’s a guaranteed billion-dollar phenomenon feels more like fan-casting than reality. There’s a disconnect between the super-fan bubble and the general moviegoing public. People are just burnt out.
I love the X-Men. My dream is to see a perfectly comic-accurate X-Men film. But even I can admit that right now is probably not the right time for it. Audiences need a break. We might discover this July that even the Man of Steel isn’t immune to superhero burnout.
And Finally… That Bendy CGI Shot
I saved the best (or worst) for last. The final shot of the trailer, the big money shot meant to send you running to buy tickets, is… this.
![A descriptive placeholder for the CGI shot of Superman flying towards the screen]
What… what is that?
Superman is flying towards the screen, fists first, but his body looks like it’s made of rubber. He looks like a bendy toy you’d get in a Happy Meal. The CGI is shockingly bad. It looks weightless, awkward, and completely cartoonish in the worst way.
If Marvel had put out a shot that looked like this in a final trailer, they would be relentlessly (and rightfully) roasted for the next six months. It might be worse than the CGI from the Black Widow third act, and that is saying something.
And this is the image they want to leave us with? The big, epic moment to sell the movie? It’s baffling. It looks bad, and it’s okay to say that. We can criticize Marvel for bad CGI; we should be able to do the same for DC. This single shot, combined with the weird wide-angle cinematography seen elsewhere, makes me question the entire visual language of the film. I was no fan of Zack Snyder, but I’ll readily admit his movies had stunning cinematography. This just looks… awkward.
The Final Verdict (For Now)
Look, if you are bursting with excitement for James Gunn’s Superman, I genuinely hope it’s everything you want it to be. More power to you!
But for me, the pieces just aren’t fitting together. The fanatical pressure to love it, the childish portrayal of its lead, the underwhelming villain, the stylistic clashes, and some genuinely awful-looking CGI have left me feeling completely cold. It’s not just “meh”—I actively think it doesn’t look good.
And that’s okay. We’re allowed to have different opinions. The toxicity surrounding the discourse isn’t going to make anyone change their mind. It just makes the whole experience worse.
So, no, I’m not lying about my opinion for clicks. I’m not a hater. I’m just a movie fan who looks at what’s been presented for Superman and thinks, “This isn’t for me.” And I have a sneaking suspicion I’m not the only one.
But what do you think? Am I totally off my rocker? Do you see a masterpiece in the making? Or are you feeling that same superhero-sized skepticism? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below