Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world with superheroes? What would it be like to be a hero? What would it be like to face ‘the big bad’ and come out on top in the name of humanity? While these questions are fun to think about, I also find myself often asking a different type of question about superhero worlds: Would I survive as a civilian going about my everyday life?

Let’s face it, not everyone can be a superhero. Chances are that if I somehow find myself in a superpower filled world, I would end up in a 9 to 5 far away from the craze of superhero life. And if I’m going to be a civilian, I at least want to cheer on the heroes and have an average life. More often than not, when superheroes clash with supervillains, it’s the civilians that get hurt. The crazy building collapses, bridge explosions, and sinkholes that are caused by the crossfire always seem to put the civilians of the world at risk. Millions of casualties are part of most superhero movies, but we as watchers tend to only focus on the main characters, the superheroes. In the world of Superman (2025) starring James Gunn, the newest interpretation of the Man of Tomorrow, I believe I would survive as a civilian. In its heart, Superman (2025) presents a world where everyone and everything, from the falafel vendor to robot helpers to squirrels and alien dogs, are valuable. More than anything, I found the movie to be a powerful commentary on the perspective of superheroes and current popular politics. 

Superman (2025) follows Kal-el (AKA Clark Kent (AKA Superman)) as he struggles with a plot against him designed by the infamous Lex Luthor. We see our protagonist get involved in foreign politics in Boravia in his mission to help others and face backlash designed by Luthor in order to get Superman out of the picture for good. With Lois and Krypto by his side, Clark struggles with duty to himself, the people of the world, and what it means to be a good human and citizen.

Superman first graced the minds and hearts of the world in 1938 when Action Comics #1 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first hits American shelves. Since then Superman has been a constantly evolving and relevant hero in the heart of the DC extended universe. Movies, shows, comics, and more have created and recreated his character, fights, and backstory. The Adventures of Superman, Superman: The Movie, The Man of Steel, Superman & Lois, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice are a few of the growing number of examples. While there are things most authors and directors agree upon – Clark’s upbringing, Lois Lane, Metropolis, The Daily Planet – one of the many joys of Superman is his continued growth and characterization. In every new adaptation, the audience gets to enjoy the classic hero, with just enough twist to keep the character relevant.

Superman (2025) takes this to a whole new level. We get Ma and Pa Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Supergirl, and Krypto. We get office drone Clark Kent and a world that is still struggling to adjust to life with Aliens. The movie is full of heart wrenchingly human actions, powerful sentiments, and awe inspiring action. It’s the Classic Superman many fans have come to love in a world that is not too dissimilar from our own. War is still brewing, politics and social media still affect people’s perceptions, there are still everyday people. And I believe this is what makes Superman (2025) so compelling. Superman hasn’t just been put in a void and given a villain to fight, he faces the hopes and wrath of everyday people. We get to see people love him and people hate him. We get to see him angry and making mistakes, and we get to see him love humanity despite everything. It’s a movie that gives the audience hope. It tells us to be our own person, it tells us that everyone, good and evil, matters, and it tells us not to judge people too quickly. It was a feel good movie with just enough action and politics mixed in to keep its audience captivated, and those that weren’t captivated often had the chief complaint of the movie being ‘too radical.’ To interlink to current American politics, to close to the current state of world affairs. And to that I say, look back at Superman’s history. Superman was created by two jewish men at the start of WWll and has explicitly fought Nazis several times. There has never been a time when Superman was without political connection. Superman has always been the hero of the people. And in that respect, Superman (2025) does exactly what it needs to do.