Noted Mythology scholar Joseph Campbell once said “We’re not on our journey to save the world but to save ourselves. But in doing that, you save the world. The influence of a vital person vitalizes.” And if a vital person vitalizes, than a superhuman person vitalizes in a superhuman fashion.
James Gunn’s Superman film brings the Man of Steel back to his roots and somehow, at the same time, makes him relevant for a 21st century audience.
They say the hardest thing about writing a Superman story (unlike any other hero) is making the character relatable and vulnerable. There is no problem relating to Spider-Man; he has more problems than the majority of the audience, and the villains he faces are clearly more powerful and dangerous than the wall crawler. But Superman? With his power set and confident attitude, who stands a chance?
Gunn answers that question almost immediately in the film by showing and telling audiences that his Superman is ready to take his lumps, physically and emotionally. While David Corenswet as Superman has the classic “aw shucks” attitude and charm, he is also not opposed to losing his temper (especially when Lois Lane, played as a whip-smart reporter by Rachel Brosnahan, conducts an “in-character” interview with her man) or doubting himself.
Throughout the film, it is clear who Gunn’s hero is: a good person who always attempts to do the right thing, but sometimes struggles with the aftermath or judgment that it brings. He has a ton of heart (which isn’t as easy to spot in modern heroes) and his massive array of powers don’t protect him for it breaking sometimes.
Superman is a big sweet heart in this film with a lot on his plate, particularly when it comes to contending with Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luther, who certainly embodies the traits of a modern villain, and the opposite of all of the good, wholesome qualities that we find in Kal-El. The chief difference is that Superman cares so much about others (including all species), where Luthor cares for no one but himself, and Hoult’s furious performance highlights this quality at every turn.
Another way that Gunn humanizes Superman is when the character understands that he needs help, calling on Lois, Jimmy, or his meta-human friends in “The Justice Gang”. The “not-officially named” super team consists of Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and later, Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). All four give Superman some assistance, and all are new characters to the wider movie-going audience, another wise choice by Gunn here. By introducing new characters, he builds his new DC world, and also gives Superman a wide variety of personalities to bounce off of.
Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific is a real stand out, playing a genius inventor and scientist with a gruff, confident attitude. At times, it appears that Gathegi is channeling action stars from the 1970s such as Fred “The Hammer” Williamson or Richard Roundtree with his no-nonsense and badass delivery of his lines. Terrific can get the job done with his tech or martial arts skills, and fans will be asking to see more of him in the future by the end of the film.
Fillion’s Green Lantern character is the exact opposite, with a tough guy, over-confident attitude that is pulled straight from the comics. He’s a wiseass with one of the most powerful weapons in the universe on his finger, but he spends most of his time overcompensating for his own short-comings. Nevertheless, he is another perfect foil for Supes to interact with.
Merced’s Hawgirl gets a little less time than the others, but it is clear that she is the true warrior of the bunch, who differentiates her world view about handling bad guys very clearly by the end of the movie.
A lot has been said about Krypto in plenty of other reviews, and he also adds stress and guilt to the Man of Steel’s plate. For as much as Krypto helps, he also causes plenty of issues for Superman, and by the end of the film, it’s clear he needs some traditional Kryptonian obedience training.
Gunn’s Superman vitalizes his world and the film by being the “gold standard” of kindness and selflessness, while still flexing his muscles to triumph over evil. The Superman in the new film is one that we can aspire to be, even by taking much smaller steps than the cape-wearing hero, but his example, and the film is a true joy to watch.
