quarta-feira, julho 09, 2025

James Gunn's Superman: A Hero for Our Times

 


James Gunn's Superman: A Hero for Our Times


At 87 years old, Superman remains as alive, current, relevant, and necessary as ever. The new cinematic version of the media icon created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster during the Great Depression hits the screens under the direction of screenwriter and filmmaker James Gunn, kicking off a new phase for the DC Comics characters on film.

Far from radically overhauling the DC universe, and essentially following the same thematic approach he brought to the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn pours in a heavy dose of irony, humor, lightness, and fun—hallmarks of his style—creating a feature film that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. There’s none of the romantic reverence of Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, the rebellious deconstruction of Zack Snyder, or the deep, mythological themes of Richard Donner. For better or worse, James Gunn’s Superman is simply an unpretentious, fun superhero adventure, with no major consequences or dilemmas.

Thus, Gunn populates the new DC universe with a dozen new faces who, while beloved and familiar to veteran comic readers, had barely appeared in live-action, let alone on the big screen. We’re introduced to Guy Gardner, Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, the Engineer, Ultraman, and of course, Krypto the Superdog.

Repeating exactly what he’s always done in his previous works—Slither, Super, the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, and The Suicide Squad—we once again have a group of misfits who must learn to coexist and work together to achieve a common goal by the end of the story. Gunn also used this same model in the DC TV series he wrote and produced: Peacemaker and Creature Commandos.

Yet despite the large number of secondary characters, Gunn manages to keep the main focus on the Man of Steel. At the narrative heart of the film remains the original debate between nature and nurture, present since the hero’s genesis in Action Comics #1: is Superman the son of Kryptonian scientists Jor-El and Lara, or the son of farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent? Where does his goodness and will to do good come from? Unlike the deterministic certainty of Donner’s version or the Freudian balance of Snyder’s, Gunn resolves the conflict in a simple and direct way, adopting a strictly Lockean solution, following what John Byrne wrote in the Man of Steel miniseries.

In 1986, the British-Canadian comic book writer “Marvelized” the character, sparking a small revolution in the post-Crisis era. In the same way, the new film version also "Marvelizes" the Man of Tomorrow—not just in its theme park tone or colorful visuals. The original superhero ceases to be a flawless, untouchable god and becomes more human, fallible, and relatable to the general audience, avoiding the mythological detachment that, in many versions, makes the character difficult for today’s audiences to embrace.

One of the film’s most striking elements is its visual aesthetic, which steers away from the dark filters typical of Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan’s DC adaptations. Gunn opts for vivid colors, art-deco and retro-futuristic design, and cinematography that evokes pre-Crisis comic books. There’s clear care in composing each shot with visual clarity and pop energy. The art direction embraces the whimsical without veering into childish, and the new Superman costume proves both functional and iconic. Gunn also brings back John Williams’s 1978 Superman theme, just as Singer did in 2006—but this time, John Murphy and David Fleming adapt it into a more pop/rock version with electric guitar instead of a grand orchestra. As is typical in Gunn’s films, the soundtrack serves as a narrative and emotional tool. Packed with obscure punk rock hits, it helps punctuate key scenes—especially during emotional moments between Lois Lane and Clark Kent.

While modern and up-to-date, Gunn’s vision also brings back ideas and themes from pre-Crisis comics, especially the Silver Age stories by Mort Weisinger, and to a lesser extent, the Bronze Age of Julie Schwartz. While Byrne made Clark Kent the true identity and Superman the disguise, David Corenswet and James Gunn make the duality between reporter and superhero less black-and-white—more gray, complex, and profound: both the Daily Planet journalist and the superhero are personas Kal-El creates to deal with his origin and upbringing. Only Lois Lane, Jonathan, and Martha Kent interact with his true self.

The film’s main flaw is its lack of tension and surprises. Lex Luthor, masterfully portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, is obviously the big villain behind all of Superman’s and the heroes’ problems in the plot. But everything is resolved too easily—even an international conflict triggered by a historic political crisis is quickly handled. Hoult avoids the caricatured Luthor seen in Gene Hackman and Jesse Eisenberg, creating a manipulative and realistic evil genius with contemporary undertones reminiscent of corporate or political figures. His performance adds a layer of cynicism that contrasts well with Clark’s idealism.

Even when the film suggests some welcome tension between Lois and Clark, the resolution comes too easily. In fact, their romantic relationship is one of the few original surprises of this new universe. Rather than portraying them as strangers falling in love, like in the films with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, or as a couple with a past relationship, like in the movie with Brandon Routh and Kate Bosworth, Gunn is partially inspired by the approach of David S. Goyer, Nolan, and Snyder—showing the two reporters in a budding relationship still under development. Dramatically, this is the film’s strongest element. The newcomer Corenswet and the experienced Rachel Brosnahan are wonderful in every scene they share. Beyond the palpable chemistry between them, the script allows them to develop the only truly compelling relationship in the film. The rest of the time, Gunn’s rollercoaster-paced plot and action never stop for even a second.

Even lighthearted and unpretentious, this new Superman feels aware of the weight of the legacy it carries. Gunn doesn’t try to reinvent the character completely, but to update him for a generation in need of symbols of kindness, optimism, and ethical action. In this post-truth world saturated with antiheroes, sarcasm, and cynical narratives, the return of a kind, hopeful, and idealistic hero is, paradoxically, an act of boldness. By rescuing the Silver Age vision of the character without being childish—and without abandoning the emotional maturity gained in the post-Crisis comics—the film proposes that it is still possible to believe in heroes with pure hearts, and that may be its greatest achievement.

Although it’s not a cinematic masterpiece like the 1978 classic, the new film will be, for an entire new generation of fans, the definitive superhero to populate their dreams and hopes for a lifetime. Somewhere, a four-year-old boy will see in Corenswet an ideal of truth, justice, kindness, and empathy—just as Reeve was in the 1970s and ’80s.

— Fabio Marques, July 9, 2025