This story is syndicated from The Standard, the newspaper of The American School in London in London, England. The original version of the story ran here.
Superman is now available to stream on HBO Max and other services.
When “Superman” hit theaters this summer, I went in expecting a classic superhero spectacle — intense fights, buildings falling and a soundtrack that pulls you straight into the action. The movie did deliver all of the above — but it also gave the audience a superhero story that felt like a reflection of our fraught modern times. Now, with the movie newly available to stream, even more viewers will have access to the inventive unexplored narrative.
Director James Gunn drops us five years into Clark Kent’s professional life as Superman, a life-saving superhero and controversial public figure played by David Corenswet, setting the tone that this movie is not about how Superman becomes Superman, but how the world responds once he’s here.
The movie opens in the aftermath of a war between two fictional countries, Boravia and Jarhanpur, that Superman stopped. Boravia, the stronger nation, had attacked the defenseless Jarhanpur; and when no outside military or government stepped in to help end the conflict, Superman did. As the dust settles, Superman faces scrutiny for his rogue actions, which included making threats against the Boravian president’s life and violating the United States’ alliance with Boravia.
Antagonist Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult, convinces American politicians to continue supporting Boravia and lobbies them to sanction Superman, while Superman continues to act in the best interest of the citizens of Jarhanpur. Humanity turns against Superman and the war resumes, but he continues to help the people of Jarhanpur nonetheless.
The war mirrors multiple crises unfolding today that involve a more powerful nation bombarding a weaker one, with countless civilians becoming collateral damage while other countries look on.
One haunting scene in the movie depicts Boravian soldiers pointing guns at a child from Jarhanpur who has raised a Superman flag in hopes the hero would come save him. The sequence underscores one of the film’s themes: heroism is not about standing up for the vulnerable, even when prevailing powers don’t approve.
Corenswet delivers an impeccable performance. Unlike Henry Cavill’s previous Superman, often criticized for his overly dark and more stoic interpretation of the character, which felt more super than human, Corenswet’s Superman feels authentic and relatable — a down-to-earth character who wants to help and inspire hope in others. His conflicts, too, feel real. When in disguise as Clark Kent, he navigates all the normal career and relationship tumult of young adulthood. Even as Superman, he struggles with the weight of his responsibility and the ire of public scrutiny. He grieves his deceased parents publicly, returning home to visit his adoptive family when stakes get high and he needs emotional support.
It’s impossible not to draw a parallel from Superman’s experience as an outsider to the suspicion sometimes cast on immigrants during modern immigration debates. — Superman comes from another planet; and while his outsider status has always been part of his story, in Gunn’s version, it is a defining feature.. Throughout the movie, protesters and politicians wonder how someone from another planet could truly have humanity’s best interests at heart. Fear and unfamiliarity quickly turn into suspicion, and difference quickly becomes dangerous in the public eye.
Meanwhile, Hoult’s Luthor is a new kind of villain for the Superman series, reflecting the power corporations hold and illustrating the role economically influential individuals can occupy in modern politics. To the outside world, the tech magnate in well-cut suits is a genius who dispenses innovation after innovation. In reality, he is a power-hungry villain who tries to dismantle Superman’s public image and uses cherry-picked videos and his media empire to manipulate the narrative and turn the people of Metropolis, Superman’s hometown, against him.
Gunn reinforces all these themes through visual effects, especially lighting. For instance, he depicts government hearings and media spin rooms in cool, desaturated tones, giving the scenes a suffocating and calculated feel and leaving no doubt that these powerful institutions are not acting in the interest of the vulnerable. By contrast, in scenes where Superman saves lives, the frame bursts with color and warmth. While cynicism drains color from the world Gunn renders, hope restores it.
Superman’s relentless determination despite adversity to spare human life whenever possible — which is what ultimately wins over skeptical reporter and love interest Lois Lane — leaves viewers with an undeniable feeling of hope and possibility. Gunn does not just want us to watch “Superman” — he wants us to feel what it is like to stand for something bigger than ourselves.
This is the start of the James Gunn DC Universe; the director, who previously directed Marvel’s box-office hit “Guardians of the Galaxy” series, will bring a range of characters to life in upcoming films. James Gunn signed onto a four-year contract with DC, running from 2023-2026, cementing his role in the franchise, according to GQ. And it’s a promising beginning. For one, the movie has grossed more than $500 million worldwide since premiering in July, according to The Hollywood Reporter. And it is also more interesting than a simple battle between good and evil. It’s about navigating the gray area and the messiness in between: politics, media, fear and the fragile but important grip we have on hope.