Though I loved Man of Steel, I have to be honest, Superman (2025) was a better movie. With James Gunn’s Superman (2025) as the DCU’s first movie, comparison to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel was inevitable. Both movies aimed to reimagine Superman for a modern era, but Superman (2025) managed to be more effective.

Superman (2025) was the first cinematic outing for the DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Likewise, Man of Steel kick-started the DCEU timeline, establishing much of the franchise’s gritty, realistic tone. Though the DCEU certainly had its ups and downs, Man of Steel was widely praised.

Indeed, Man of Steel was a superb Superman movie. It remains a bold and influential entry that reshaped how comic book characters could be portrayed on the big screen. It was perhaps the greatest Superman movie ever – at least until 2025.

Man Of Steel Is A Good Superhero Movie

It’s easy to forget now, but when Man of Steel was released in 2013, it was one of the most ambitious superhero movies ever made. Coming off the monumental success of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, Warner Bros. wanted to reintroduce Superman in a way that matched the grounded, realistic tone audiences had come to expect. Zack Snyder delivered exactly that.

The DCEU’s Superman felt mythic, conflicted, and placed under the immense weight of expectation. Henry Cavill’s performance was one of the film’s greatest strengths. He perfectly captured Superman’s physical presence while also selling the vulnerability of a man struggling with his place in the world.

Snyder’s Krypton opening was visually stunning. Hans Zimmer’s score gave Superman a brand-new iconic theme, and the film leaned into large-scale action in ways that rivaled Marvel’s biggest blockbusters. Of course, it wasn’t perfect. The controversial destruction of Metropolis in the climax was a mighty DC battle, but left some questioning Superman’s morality.

The decision to have him kill General Zod was H๏τly debated. Still, there’s no denying that Man of Steel elevated Superman’s cinematic presence, proving that despite his vintage, the overpowered superhero could be reimagined for a modern audience. Without Snyder’s movie, the door wouldn’t have opened for Gunn’s brighter, more hopeful reinvention in 2025.

Superman Is Better At Depicting The DC Hero & His World

James Gunn’s Superman took a dramatically different approach, and that’s exactly why it works so well. Instead of treating Superman as a god among men, Gunn positions Clark Kent as a man first and a superhero second. David Corenswet’s portrayal emphasizes kindness, humor, and humanity, making him instantly relatable.

Gunn’s Superman inspires not because he’s invincible, but because he chooses compᴀssion even among people that often don’t deserve it. The film also embraces the wilder side of DC lore. From colorful villains to larger-than-life supporting characters, Superman felt unafraid of its comic book roots.

Where Snyder’s movie shied away from anything that might seem too “silly” or unrealistic, Gunn’s thrives on it. It shows that audiences in 2025 are more than ready for a DC Universe filled with eccentricity and wonder. This tonal shift isn’t just cosmetic – it reshapes Superman into a character who feels timeless.

Even the world around him benefits from this approach. The Justice Gang are dynamic and diverse, Lois Lane is sharp and witty, and the story frames Superman as a source of light in dark times rather than a detached alien learning how to fit in. That shift makes all the difference.

Snyder’s alienated, godlike figure reflected the early 2010s obsession with realism. Gunn’s Superman set up several projects but also reflects today’s hunger for sincerity, hope, and unapologetic superhero spectacle. Yet the important thing to note is how important these disparate interpretations were to each other.

I’m Glad We Got Superman & Man Of Steel, Even If I Think Superman Is Better

It’s tempting to pit Man of Steel and Superman against each other as if one has to invalidate the other. However, the truth is that Snyder’s film paved the way for Gunn’s. Without Cavill’s darker and more conflicted Superman, audiences might not have been open to Gunn’s bright, optimistic one.

It’s important to note how much the superhero movie landscape has shifted in the 12 years between Man of Steel and Superman (2025). In 2013, realism was seen as the key to legitimacy. Superhero movies had to appear like the real world – and, by extension, less like a comic book.

Within this framework, Man of Steel functioned perfectly, and helped demonstrate that the genre could be taken seriously and subsequently flourish. By 2025, audiences celebrate films that embrace comic book eccentricity without apology. That evolution is exactly what made Gunn’s Superman possible and required the foundations laid by Man of Steel first. Indeed, Gunn’s interpretation stands proudly in today’s more colorful, emotionally open era.

Now audiences finally have a Superman movie that feels like the perfect balance of myth and humanity, seriousness and joy, gravitas and hope. Snyder’s Superman was tested by tragedy, a godlike figure wrestling with impossible choices. Gunn’s Superman embodied hope and humanity, a man who inspires by lifting others up rather than being dragged down himself. Both are valuable, but Gunn’s Superman feels more enduring.