Superman teaser trailer reaction and James Gunn interview

David Corenswet as Superman in James Gunn’s Superman. Image from Warner Bro.

In James Gunn we trust

Our first look at DC Studios Superman teases the perfect balance of action, emotion, character and that classic score. Nostalgic and fresh, Superman evokes a feeling we cannot wait to see take flight in July. 

Popcorn Podcast took part in a virtual press conference with James Gunn (writer, director, producer) to discuss Superman, offering snackable insights into the teaser trailer and what to expect from the film, in Australian cinemas from July 10, 2025. Starring David Corenswet as Superman, the cast also includes Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl), Nathan Fillion (Green Lantern), Milly Alcock (Supergirl), and Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific).

At 2:19 in length, it is quite the tease indeed. The first film from the newly formed DC Studios, this franchise starter clearly has a lot of setting up to do. But we know Gunn can balance character and tone and story well, which is exactly what the teaser delivers.

There is so much to unpack in this first teaser for Superman. It has our hero saving people, blasting off into the sky, looking in equal measure cute and flustered as alter ego Clark Kent and promises to be a strong introduction into a brand new interpretation of these classic comic book characters.

From a bruised, battered and bloodied Superman etched into the snow in his iconic red and blue (and yes, the red trunks are back), we know Superman is up against some big foes.

Gunn said of his Superman that, ”…this movie is about Clark Kent's humanities. Yes, he's an alien from another planet who's super powerful, but he is also deeply, deeply human. He has emotions and feelings, and he, you know, every day he wakes up and tries to make the best choices he can, and sometimes he fails, and that's what this movie is about…”.

One of the biggest feelings you take from the teaser is John Murphy’s fresh take on John William’s iconic score from the 1978 original. The electric guitar riff builds into a full bodied orchestral score, reminiscent of Top Gun. If that doesn’t get you pumped up, I’m not sure what will.

The mention of big foes earlier brings us to a first look at Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Gunn says of Superman’s most famous adversary that, ”…I thought one of the things that was really important to me was to make a Lex Luthor, who was absolutely Superman's equal, maybe more that…this Lex is scary. Yeah, he is. And it's not just because he is a bad, bad guy, because he's pretty bad, but he has his reasons for thinking what he thinks which you get into, and it's a lot of ideological things about what Superman represents versus what he represents as the world's most intelligent man. And so, I think that it really is this battle of ideologies between the two of them and how they look at the world…”

Where there are foes, there are also friends, or better still, a best friend. Superman’s Kryptonian dog Krypto barrels through the snow in the opening shots of the teaser, saving Superman from a precarious situation. Gunn revealed the inspiration behind the loveable canine, “…Krypto is based on my dog, Ozu, who is, he was the world's worst dog…and he was actually one of the inspirations, because I think I was like, well, thank God I don't have a super dog like Krypto. And what if Krypto was as bad as Ozu was, you'd have a pretty difficult situation…”.

We also get a few glimpses of Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane in the trailer, and Gunn offered some insight into her character too, “…I think Lois is a journalist of the highest order. She believes in the truth pretty much at almost any price, and that makes her a real force to be reckoned with… I wanted to really see, well, why does Superman love Lois so much? And so from the beginning, we did chemistry reads with Superman and Lois. And you know, David and Rachel got these roles, not because they were just individually great as those characters, but together as a couple, they bounced off of each other in an incredibly dynamic way…”.

I think it is safe to say we are in for an incredible ride with James Gunn’s Superman. We cannot wait to see what the whole cast bring to the party and the adventures and challenges they all endure.

Superman will release in Australian cinemas from July 10, 2025.