James Gunn's "Superman" - A Major Flop. How DC Destroyed an Iconic Hero

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First reviews are in for the new film about the greatest superhero of all time. And they're not encouraging...

When James Gunn stepped into the director's chair for "Superman," I literally froze with hope: could the creator of the already-iconic "Guardians of the Galaxy" pull off the perfect film about the greatest comic book character of all time?

But judging by early reviews, it's turned out to be the exact opposite. The new "Superman" has proven so ridiculous, shallow, and tired of itself that even the most devoted comic book fans are pulling their hair out. And this was supposed to be the movie that relaunched the entire DC cinematic universe.

Instead of a Symbol — A Clown in a Cape

Forget about Henry Cavill's Superman, dark, powerful, with inner demons and a tragic arc. Gunn decided to go the opposite direction and turned the Man of Steel into a saccharine "nice guy" who manages to be charming even during final battles.
Actor David Corenswet in a gray suit jacket and in a superhero blue-red costume
Posters from James Gunn's "Superman" film
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And if you thought at least the action would save it — nope. According to journalists from "Daily Beast" (they actually deleted their scathing review, but the site Dnyuz published it on their platform), everything gets bogged down in overloaded CGI and forced scenes where every fight drags on forever but leaves behind neither emotion nor meaning.

Characters bounce between universes, dimensions, and portals like we're watching not a movie but an incoherent cartoon series.

Where's the Heart? Where's the Soul?

The main problem — this film has no center. Neither emotional nor narrative. Sure, there's Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), but he's so cartoonish that next to him, villains from the old "Batman" movies look like characters from Shakespearean tragedies. Sure, there's Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), but her relationship with Superman is shown with about as much depth as a Barbie and Ken spat.
Director James Gunn holding papers talks with actor David Corenswet in Superman costume and with Nicholas Hoult who is bald
Behind-the-scenes shot from James Gunn's "Superman" film
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Even the scenes with the hero's parents don't evoke anything but boredom. In the end, we have a film that tries to be bright and multilayered but is essentially just loud and empty.

What Did We Get?

A movie where even Krypto the super-dog stands out against the main character and ends up outacting him.

Gunn apparently wanted to inject irony and lightness — but he overdid it. The result isn't a "fresh take" but a parody of a parody. And if this is the future of the DC cinematic universe, maybe it's better to just hit "restart" altogether.

While Marvel at least moves slowly forward, DC is turning into chaos again. And James Gunn's "Superman" isn't a step forward — it's a leap into the abyss. Earlier, we at zoomboola.com reported that James Gunn responded to fans calling for a boycott of his "Superman."