James Gunn’s Superman is looking hopeful and adequately comic booky in its first classy trailer, riff on John Williams’ score included
The wait is finally over: Our first look at James Gunn’s Superman, the first live-action entry of the rebooted DCU, has arrived.
While the animated series Creature Commandos (currently airing on Max) technically marked the beginning of this new relaunch of DC movies and TV shows, everyone was eager to see what Gunn and his collaborators had cooked up for the triumphant return of Superman to the big screen, which is accompanied by promises of a universe that’s more colorful and relaxed. It’s also been said it won’t treat its projects like required homework. Will they pull it off? We’ll find out soon enough.
In any case, the first-ever trailer arrived today, December 19, to much anticipation which may or may not translate into strong box office earnings come next summer. If anything, Gunn has been personally promoting to hell out of every project DC Studios has put out so far, and that includes The Penguin, HBO’s hit show that bridges the gap between 2022’s The Batman and The Batman Part II, which is still having its script figured out by Matt Reeves. Whether they’re part of the main DCU continuity or Elseworld stories, all DC film and TV productions will now go through Warner Bros. Discovery’s answer to Disney and Marvel’s far more organized (up to this point) efforts.
Before we gush about the trailer’s greatest moments, watch it for yourself below:
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Krypto! Lex Luthor! Tons of side heroes like Hawkgirl and Guy Gardner! It’s a really packed ‘teaser’ trailer, and at the center of it all, you can infer a big beating heart, which seems to be Gunn’s main strength when it comes to comic book adaptations. With roughly seven months of post-production still ahead, this is already looking great and sorta refreshing even it’s yet another Superman reboot.
No plot details revealed though, and that’s for the best. Remember when trailers didn’t reveal almost the entire movie and ran on vibes and killer shots for the most part? Well, at least this first look at the movie is doing exactly that, and its riff on John Williams’ original score feels like cheating, but hey, I’m feeling feels because of a new superhero movie. It’s been a while. Check back in a few months to see if the second trailer maintains the hopeful energy up.
On top the trailer, the movie’s first poster is pretty damn cool too. I’m personally loving the vibrant colors and hope the rest of the marketing materials keep them.
The movie stars David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, with an all-star supporting cast that includes Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Frank Grillo, Skyler Gisondo, Wendell Pierce, Edi Gathegi, Sean Gunn, Anthony Carrigan, Alan Tudyk, and more.
Superman releases in theaters on July 11, 2025.