DC’s movie run hasn’t just been hit and miss over the last 10+ years, it’s mostly been miss after miss with the odd decent project sprinkled in there. This is despite the fact that I know those DCU movies have a heavy fanbase, but I could never get onboard, and it always felt like Marvel was a million miles ahead.
James Gunn heroically took the realm despite the backlash his decisions caused. Superman already received its fair share of criticism before it was even released. I always backed Gunn because of his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and the Peacemaker HBO series.
I didn’t have a lot of doubts. I was excited for it from the moment all of the trailers were dropping. I thought the movie looked like the Superman project that we’ve deserved. Of course, don’t get me wrong, I thought Henry Cavill was also perfect for Clark, but the writing seriously let him down. Nonetheless, of the above, though, I was genuinely excited. I booked cinema tickets alongside 3 friends, and they were all looking forward to it too.
I remember we all walked out of the theatres impressed. The first thing I said was, “Is he the best Superman to date?” They all said he was. The film was incredible, but that aside, I want to talk about why, above all else, I’m glad it’s done well.
Marvel has stagnated in recent years. I’ve always been a bigger Marvel fan, but it has been hit and miss since Endgame. James Gunn restarting DC puts them in a prime position here. They can start from scratch with known heroes and push for a bigger universe. I don’t know if James Gunn has thought that far ahead yet, but I’d love to see DC be on the same front as Marvel someday, and I think this is a good start.
One of the major reasons why I’m glad it’s done well is that we needed this. We badly needed this. After the mess of the former DCEU, the films were poorly done, actors were getting into trouble and causing doubts, and a fresh, clean slate was definitely needed. Superman was a solid movie and one of the best DC movies to date, maybe the best DC movie to date, in my opinion. I’ve waited years to get an amazing Superman film, considering he’s one of, if not the most popular, superheroes in the world, it baffles me that it’s taken this long. Superman is one of the Mount Rushmore comic book characters.
The film is currently sitting on $406,833,462 at the box office at the time of writing, according to Box Office Mojo. It has already done better than Thunderbolts*, which is a massive feat in and of itself. I was so worried this film was going to be review bombed, but it appears the negative reception (prior to release) has had minimal impact, and the critics have shone through. I’m glad they did, it’s a film that deserves all of the praise in the world.
I’m looking forward to the Supergirl film as well, especially after the cameo at the end of Superman. Milly Alcock looks like she’s born for this role, and I never thought I’d be excited for a Supergirl film, but this is the James Gunn effect. Roll on June 2026 for Supergirl’s outing on the big screen.
