Warning! This article contains spoilers for Superman 2025 in theaters now.

The Superman (2025) movie is the first entry in James Gunn DC Universe which is already receiving massive critical acclaim and support from both fans and casual moviegoers. Many are praising it for its amazing retelling of Superman’s story while also modernizing it to the current eras setting instead of taking place in the 20th century. This film’s story centers on Clark Kent or Superman who is the current guardian and savior for the people in Metropolis whose been at it for a while when the movie starts. As the plot progresses Superman’s public perception has recently faced controversy over his handling of a foreign war. He uses his normal human persona as the employed journalist Kent to falsify interviews to build back public trust with the media and the people on Earth.

However, among the people who cane to hate him is Lex Luthor who has no intentions of expressing grace or respect to Superman. Lex Luthor throughout the movie takes advantage of every moment and time to fight or destroy Superman. Each plan by Luthor become more evil and epic than the last as they clash. In the end, Luthor’s plans backfires on him and he is arrested for treason against the United States.

Although the premise of this modern Superman is similar to the 1978 Superman; the difference between the two are still prevalent. In the 1978 Superman we only get an introduction to just Superman throughout the entire movie. We don’t really see him interacting with any other superheroes. The only other comic based character that Superman interacts with is Lex Luthor, Louis Lane and no one else. In this era of Superman, Clark goes through a similar arc that is one on one accurate to the original comics in tone and energy. His birth family sends him to Earth after their home planet Krypton is destroyed. He gets discovered by Marth and Jon Kent who adopts and raise him as their own son. He grows up to eventually work as a journalist for the Daily Planet, begins secretly masquerading as Superman to save lives and stop villains like Lex Luthor from destroying the world.

What is disappointing about the old Superman franchise is the lack of diversity in its supporting comic book based charecter cast. This is due to the fact that the studio didn’t obtain copyrights for the use of the other superheroes. Since Warner Brothers today owns the rights of every villain and heroes from DC Comics they have allowed other writers and directors to tell story based on them for other projects letting them collide just like their source material. The old Superman movie has its flaws but the film still holds up with its amazing performances and effects. The old and new Superman movie both clearly do a lot of things right that is both faithful and unique to the beloved character.

As such I want to compare these two outside of the story and go into the performances and details that make them great. Christopher Reeves from the 1978 Superman movie commits to an excellent take at bringing the character to life. His delivery in every scene shines with a sense of humility, grace and hope all together. It comes to show that the actor not only understood the task when playing the character but also fully inherited the characteristics and traits that make Superman who he is. Gene Hackman’s portrayal of Lex Luthor is also incredible and captivating. He steals the show whenever he is on screen and almost outshines Superman in scene whenever he is present. What’s also shocking is that Gene Hackman’s dry and sarcastic humor is perfectly executed without faults into Luthor’s character. Gene Hackman was not just a talented actor; he was a living, breathing character that could disappear in to any role and Lex Luthor was one of them. The actor wastes no time as the villain whenever he shares a scene with Superman. Every moment is a sly or mocking remark towards Superman’s character and ego. Gene Hackman manages to invoke great charisma through Lex Luthor that it’s almost impossible to hate him despite being the villain.

While the old Superman movie remains a classic we end up back in the present getting another classic rendition of the character years later. This time with David Corenswet as Superman and and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. These actors not only bring a modern twist to the characters but also manages to maintain the charm from the comic books. Hoult does a superb job at delivering every scene with dry humor and intimidation. He manages to convey Lex Luthor as a cunning mastermind and a hilarious cartoon villain at the same time. There are moments where Hoult can drop a hysterical diss at Superman and will immediately execute a prisoner with no remorse the next second. The juxtaposition of tone not only feels natural but feels fitting to Lex Luthor’s character. The movie also introduces other well known superheroes that Superman teams up with taking full advantage of the wider lore. Green Lantern played by Nathan Fillion, Hawkgirl by Isabela Merced and Mr. Terrific by Edi Gathegi. All of the actors brought life and colorful personality to the characters the chemistry between them was all down to earth and funny. What I also loved about the new Superman movie is that it perfectly balances itself between goofy and serious. There’s never a seen where the humor overshadows the drama and the serious nature in some scenes doesn’t turn the film into a melodrama. Seeing Superman going out of his way to save humans and animals was both inspiring and uplifting to see. It perfectly portrays Superman from the comics whose a hero that is kind, compassionate, courageous, and determined. He’s also someone that allows a helping hand from others whenever a battle is too much for him to handle all alone. Seeing the final battle where Superman and Mr. Terrific face of Lex Luthor was a spectacle to watch. It was also amazing to see Green Lantern and Hawkgirl go up against the Boravian military and stopping them from invading Jarhanpur.

Superman 2025 is an entertaining and heartwarming adventure that teaches a great lesson about love and coming into terms with one’s flaw. Seeing the movie succeed at the box office and gain critical notoriety from supporters was great to see. I hope James Gunn continues with his version of the DC Universe and manages to give more fantastic adaptations of DC heroes and villains down the line.