Superman first reactions are overwhelmingly positive, call David Corenswet film '180 degrees away' from Man of Steel

Superman first reactions call the film very DC Silver Age with praise for David Corenswet and an assertion that it is different from Zack Snyder's Man of Steel.

Updated on: Jun 28, 2025, 12:49:09 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

James Gunn's Superman reboot is all set to fly into the theatres next month worldwide. The heavily anticipated film marks the third reboot of the Superman franchise on the big screen in the last 20 years after the Brandon Routh film and Henry Cavill in the DC Extended Universe. A special preview screening of the film was held for select fans and reviewers last week, and the first reactions have now emerged online, with them being overwhelmingly positive.

Superman first reactions

The first 30 minutes of the film were recently shown to fans and journalists, first in Brazil and then in Manila, as part of the film's promotional tour. Both these screenings of Superman took place last week, with director James Gunn and lead David Corenswet also watching with the audience. Many of the viewers then took to social media, and it is clear they were impressed by what they saw.

Viewers praised the visual aesthetics of James Gunn's Superman.

One viewer wrote that the film is 'damn beautiful' and time 'flew by' as he watched it, implying that the film kept the viewers engaged. Sharing some pictures and videos from the Brazil screening, they wrote, “No way I saw the first 30 minutes of Superman after feeling so hopeless the entire day. Needless to say it was DAMN BEAUTIFUL. Time absolutely flew by…”

First reactions said Superman's tone is very DC Silver Age.

Many assessments of the film's first 30 minutes emphasised its light tone, vastly different from the dark take from Zack Snyder in Man of Steel. "It’s very Silver-Age. It’s got a lot of those sci-fi tropes. It’s big in spectacle, drama, and laughs. Big in its heart. A very earnest film," read one review.

There were comparisons with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel.

Another X user wrote, "A friend saw @JamesGunn's SUPERMAN today. He said it's 180 degrees away from @ZackSnyder's vision. He told me A LOT of things...probably too much. He said the trailers have been a bit of a misdirect. But the most important thing was...he really, really liked it."

Praise for David Corenswet

There is also praise for David Corenswet's performance as Superman, particularly how the actor switches from the superhero to his alter ego, Clark Kent. "The first 30 mins of #Superman is so fcking good! A fresh new perspective to take the character! David is SO GOOD switching from Clark to Superman and the chemistry with Rachel," wrote another viewer.

Directed by James Gunn, Superman is meant to launch the new DC Universe. The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, along with Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. The film releases in theatres on July 11.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

Stay connected with all the glitz and glam from the world of entertainment, right from Hollywood gossip to Bollywood chit chat. Also don't miss out on music buzz, anime scoops and OTT action.