Superman is writer-director James Gunn's bold reboot of the Man of Steel, arriving as the flagship launch of the newly reorganized DC Universe under DC Studios, which Gunn runs alongside producer Peter Safran. David Corenswet steps into the cape as Clark Kent, a Superman who is already established in the world rather than an untested newcomer, giving the film license to skip the familiar origin beats and dive straight into the character at work. It is the first chapter of a wholly new interconnected franchise, and it carries the weighty task of resetting one of the most iconic superheroes in popular culture.

Rather than another origin story, the film drops in on a Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage and his small-town human upbringing while Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) wages a calculated campaign to turn public opinion against him. Rachel Brosnahan plays a sharp, self-possessed Lois Lane, and the sprawling cast fills out Gunn's optimistic vision of the DC world with Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and a scene-stealing canine sidekick in Krypto the Superdog. Gunn's screenplay leans into kindness and hope as radical choices, framing Superman's decency as his real superpower.

Released in July 2025, Superman grossed more than $600 million worldwide and drew broadly positive reviews, with critics praising its warmth, humor, and unabashedly hopeful tone after years of grittier takes on the character. The film successfully relaunched DC's cinematic ambitions and re-established Superman as a box-office force, setting the table for an entire slate of interconnected films and series. It streams on HBO Max.