The New Superman Trailer Is The Complete Opposite Of Man Of Steel (And That's Fine)

When was the last time you were motivated to look up into the sky and feel inspired, full of wonder and hope for the future? If you've been an adult or close to it since the turn of the century, it's probably been a good long while. In retrospect, it's highly unfortunate that the tragic attacks of September 11th, 2001, occurred right as superhero cinema began to really take root, for it meant that the bevy of beloved characters who were being brought to movie screens had to be viewed through a lens of gritty skepticism and suspicion. While this worked wonders for some characters, who either came directly at issues of politics and morality (like the X-Men) or often wrestled with their darker natures (as seen in "Spider-Man 3" and Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy), this approach was not one size fits all.

Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" is the apotheosis of just how misguided the "dark and gritty" approach to superheroes could become. On its own, it's a fascinating if cold deconstruction of the character of Superman, his mythos, and his meaning to us human beings if such a Kryptonian could ever exist in reality. As a Superman movie, and especially as a retroactive beginning to a cinematic universe, the film is a resounding slog, the emotional equivalent of Ayn Rand doing an audiobook of Friedrich Nietzsche's writings. It's a film so steeped in its own ponderous "what if" thesis that its pointed visual allusions to 9/11 are less thought-provoking and more unwelcome.

Today, the latest trailer for James Gunn's "Superman" dropped, and as with every other sneak peek we've gotten at the film, it appears to be the total antithesis to "Man of Steel." That doesn't mean that the pendulum has completely swung in the other direction, and we're getting force fed some corny nonsense that would've been better suited for a mid-20th century version of the character. Instead, Gunn's take on Supes feels remarkably balanced, refreshing, and excitingly ridiculous, proving that there's much more to the character than some might've thought after his deconstruction at Snyder's hands.

Undoubtedly, fans of "Man of Steel," Henry Cavill's Superman, and Snyder will be flooding social media with invectives directed at Gunn and "Superman," as they have been for several months now since the initial first look at the new film dropped. This latest trailer won't do much to quell that horde, and to be frank, who cares; those folks made up their minds long ago anyhow. What this trailer might do for others who are on the fence about Gunn's approach to Kal-El is show them that there is quite a bit more in store than just a Superman who has a friendly disposition, a spiffy Zoomer haircut, and an adorable dog.

Indeed, there's quite a bit going on here, even more than in the prior "Superman" trailers and TV spots we've seen: Yes, there's more footage of Supes fighting that kaiju in the middle of Metropolis and saving some children in a war-torn country, but there's also the other DC Universe characters that appear to be playing a key role here, as well as more of Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor and his seething ruthlessness. Meanwhile, David Corenswet's Superman seems to be quippy in a genuinely naturalistic way, while Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane isn't just relegated to the sidelines; she's piloting some space pod thingy! Sign me up!

Beyond all of the promise for the outlandish adventure that this movie may hold, this trailer solidifies the tonal approach to the titular character, and it's one that most closely recalls "All-Star Superman," one of the greatest comics ever made. Written by Grant Morrison and pencilled by Frank Quitely, the 12-issue series is a remarkable encapsulation of the character's breadth, from goody two-shoes symbol of Americana to world-weary outsider unsure of his place in the universe. Quitely and Morrison's take on Superman is both bright and multilayered, and while Gunn, Corenswet, and the rest of the "Superman" crew saw the book as one of their major inspirations for the film (as they confessed during an event that I attended back in December), it's also true that this tonal balance is something Gunn has proven himself adept at, especially through his "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy for Marvel Studios. Those films do a remarkable job of being upbeat without being cloying or too sentimental, and it seems that Gunn has brought that approach to "Superman," too.

More than anything else, this new "Superman" appears to be more than a mere rejoinder to "Man of Steel" and the last several years of films that the superhero appeared in. It feels like an honest take on the character, his supporting cast, and his universe, warts and all. To those who might argue that now is not the time for a more hopeful Superman, I invoke Jor-El's observation from 1978's "Superman: The Movie": We can be a great people; we wish to be. We only lack the light to show the way. We haven't had a ton of hope in our adult lives for the last 25 years, it's true. But I have hope for "Superman," and for now, that's enough.

"Superman" hits theaters on July 11, 2025.