'Superman' Has a Secret Plot, a Massive Cast, and a Fast-Approaching Release Date

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The Man of Steel is back! After nearly a decade of a darker, more brooding cinematic Superman in the form of Henry Cavill's Kal-El, a new, brighter Superman — as played by David Corenswet — is headed for the big screen faster than a speeding bullet. One of the most buzzed-about movies of 2025, the film marks a new beginning for DC Studios, as the old school comic book brand aims to remind the world of the entire reason why everyone became obsessed with superheroes to begin with: Superman. Directed by James Gunn, who gave us Guardians of the Galaxy, the new Supe seems to promise a return to fun, but also a new kind of high-flying adventure.
But, despite a mix of nostalgia and comic book flashiness, what is this movie actually about? Why does it look the way it does? Will it retell the origin of Superman for the billionth time? When does it hit theaters? Why is the cast so massive? How long is the movie? And, what do you need to know about the complex Superman mythos before you see the movie?
Here are all your questions about the 2025 Superman, answered. No spoilers ahead.Superman is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025. This is one week before Jurassic World Rebirth and a few weeks before The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25.
That said, if you are an Amazon Prime member, there is a way to access early Superman screenings in the U.S. In some cities, for some Amazon members, you'll be able to buy tickets for a screening as early as Monday, July 8, 2025. The best way to do this is to link your Fandango and Amazon accounts.
Reportedly, the runtime for Superman is 2 hours and 9 minutes. This makes it shorter than 2013's Man of Steel, and about the same length as 1983's Superman II.
Yes. There are, in fact, several trailers for the new Superman film. Starting last year, a teaser trailer showed off the broad strokes of the movie. More recently, a longer trailer featured Superman getting interviewed by Lois Lane and defending his actions.
All trailers feature Superman's super-powered dog, Krypto, who is being depicted in a live-action movie for the first time.
In terms of the continuity from the DCEU that began in 2013 with the film Man of Steel, yes, Superman (2025) is a reboot. This is not meant to be the same version of Superman that Henry Cavill played, nor is this movie intended to take place in that shared cinematic universe that also included Jason Momoa's Aquaman, Ezra Miller's Flash, or Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman.
In fact, Momoa is already playing a different character in the new DCU, the antihero Lobo, starting with the 2026 film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. David Corenswet's version of Superman is expected to have a role in that movie, too.
That said, despite being a reboot, Superman (2025) isn't expected to be a straightforward origin story. Instead, taking inspiration from the 2006-2007 comic book series All-Star Superman, the new film will take various aspects of Superman lore in a kind of potpourri situation. As the trailers have revealed, the music will recall the melody from John Williams' 1978 Superman movie, but that doesn't mean this movie will be connected to the canon of those films. Back in 2006, the Brandon Routh-led movie, Superman Returns, attempted to be seen as a sequel to the Christopher Reeve films. The new Superman isn't doing that. It's paying homage to all eras of Superman, but forging a new path, too.
The cast of the new Superman film is massive. Here's who's who and why it matters.
David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman
Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor
Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane
Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt/Mister Terrific
Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho
Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl
Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern
Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.
María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer,
Wendell Pierce as Perry White
Alan Tudyk as Superman Robot #4
Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord
Beck Bennett as reporter Steve Lombard
Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher
Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant
Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen
Pruitt Taylor Vince as Jonathan Kent
Neva Howell as Martha Kent
Of note, Superman will be joined by several other superheroes in this movie, including Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific. In this film, these other heroes will be part of a group called "The Justice Gang." It's possible this could lead to the formation of a new Justice League within the film.
The movie also establishes several members of The Daily Planet newspaper staff as important characters, including editor Perry White, Cat Grant, Jimmy Olsen, and Steve Lombard. This approach echoes the famous John Byrne-written comics, which began in 1986. That comic book series, which attempted to make Superman a more grounded hero, also paid special attention to the regular human characters of the series. So, the inclusion of these folks in the movie is likely significant, insofar as, despite the goofy action, this Superman will try to be relatable, too.Despite a ton of promotion and several glimpses, the plot of Superman is, at this time, largely unknown. We know that the film will feature Superman battling a giant Kaiju monster. We know that he will be confronted by the aforementioned members of the Justice Gang. We also know that, as usual, Lex Luthor will try to defeat him.
How all these plot threads fit together, however, isn't entirely clear. Some rumors suggest that the film might have an anthology feeling to it, as though we're watching a few different phases of Superman's life and adventures. However, with a brisk runtime of 2 hours and 9 minutes, it feels likely that this movie will tell a unified story, packed with a bunch of incredible and colorful, super-stuff.'Superman' Has a Secret Plot, a Massive Cast, and a Fast-Approaching Release Date first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 9, 2025