The Man of Steel is back in theaters this weekend. How high “Superman” will fly at the box office still remains to be seen, but in the meantime, there are plenty of other questions to be answered about the newest entry in the franchise. How are critics ranking the new film? How does it fit into the DC Universe? And what’s coming next?
Here’s what you need to know about “Superman.”
What’s the new ‘Superman’ movie about?
The new film, directed by DC Studios head James Gunn, reboots the story of the iconic superhero, starting things over after the Man of Steel was last portrayed by Henry Cavill.
This time around, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan take on the roles of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, while Nicholas Hoult stars as the villainous Lex Luthor.
Here’s what to expect, plot-wise, according to the movie’s official summary:
“When Superman gets drawn into conflicts at home and abroad, his actions are questioned, giving tech billionaire Lex Luthor the opportunity to get the Man of Steel out of the way for good. Will intrepid reporter Lois Lane and Superman’s four-legged companion, Krypto, be able to help him before it’s too late?”
What are critics saying about ‘Superman’?
The film currently has an 85% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a 96% audience score, though that could change after the film is widely released on Friday.
Here’s some of what critics have to say about “Superman.”
The good
USA Today critic Brian Truitt: “The movie features pervasive positivity, one really cool canine and a bright comic book aesthetic. And while this fresh superhero landscape is extremely busy and a little bit familiar, it also feels lived-in and electric.”
Variety critic Owen Gleiberman: “‘Superman,’ however, is also dedicated to treating the Man of Steel as what he was in the comics and the first two Christopher Reeve films: a majestic force of good, yet one who’s stalwart but vulnerable, superhuman but touchingly humane, alive with internal struggle.”
New York Times critic Alissa Wilkinson: “Gunn’s charming take on the Superman myth succeeds — it even won over a particular superhero-weary critic. It’s a sincere but also goofy movie, with a few well-timed twists on the mythology and a couple of added characters (I won’t spoil it, I promise) who keep things light at just the right moments.”
The bad
San Francisco Chronicle critic G. Allen Johnson: “‘Superman’ operates as an almost parody of the superhero genre, which may be appealing to some. It has the same silliness of Gunn’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies, which are some of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that irreverence doesn’t fit the Superman character.”
Newsweek critic Billie Melissa: “Much of Gunn’s film feels like a sequel, like we needed something before this one to complete the whole picture.”
The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw: “Here is a film occupying the heartsinking Venn diagram overlap between franchise exhaustion and AI soullessness: a film fatally unconvinced of the reason for its own existence.”
What’s next for the DC Universe?
“Superman” is a relaunch of sorts for the DC Universe, and “will serve as a litmus test for the franchise’s future,” per Variety.
That said, there’s plenty more to come from DC in the next couple of years. Next up are “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,” which will be released June 26, 2026, and “The Batman II,” a sequel to the 2022 film starring Robert Pattinson, which is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2027.
A streaming series based on the Green Lantern character, “Lanterns,” is also expected to premiere on Max in 2026, per USA Today.
What should parents know about ‘Superman’?
“Superman” is rated PG-13 for “violence, action and language,” with IMDb noting that the film features “moderate” amounts of violence and gore, profanity, and intense and frightening scenes, and “mild” references to alcohol.