The DC Universe’s first official release has only increased the pressure on James Gunn’s Superman, but the film still has a lot going for it. James Gunn’s Superman movie is set for release in July 2025 and marks the true beginning of the DCU’s overarching story. Superman is the first movie in the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters and, as such, is looking to kickstart the franchise into an age of cinematic storytelling that has been absent from DC for a long while.

Superman‘s cast of characters is expected to establish the foundations of the franchise, but it is the film’s writer and director that faces the most pressure. Gunn’s Superman must achieve all of these elements to be deemed a success, all while performing well enough commercially to warrant the complete restart of the DC Universe. Now, the pressure on the upcoming DC movie has been increased thanks to the highly successful release of the DC Universe’s first project.

The DC Universe’s First Release Is James Gunn’s Highest-Rated Superhero Project Ever

The DCU Is Off To A Flying Start

The project in question is Creature Commandos, the first official DCU story despite Superman being dubbed as the true beginning of the franchise. Creature Commandos was written and created by Gunn just as Superman is, with the former becoming the filmmaker’s highest-rated superhero project in history. This is no small feat, given that the other projects it has outdone regarding critical reception include the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker.

With Creature Commandos‘ immense success in mind, it is worth noting that the series only has 39 reviews in comparison to The Suicide Squad‘s 383, for example. However, the series has a lot of elements that are causing it to be revered. For one, it capitalizes on the formula Gunn has become excellent at by bringing a group of morally questionable characters together to form a found family, like the Guardians trilogy and The Suicide Squad before it. Beyond that, it is simply well-written, has strong animation, funny humor, excellent action scenes, and all the DCU Easter eggs one needs.

James Gunn’s Superman Movie Is The First Real Test For The DC Universe

Superman Needs To Be A Success More Than Any Other Project

As alluded to, Creature Commandos‘ success only makes it more vital for Superman to pᴀss the first true test the DCU has faced. After all, Creature Commandos was a smaller, less popular way of introducing the DCU to audiences. Superman, however, is expected to be a global sensation. This was proven by the record-breaking views of Superman‘s first trailer. For this reason, as well as many other elements of the film that have been confirmed before its release, Superman is a bigger test for the franchise than Creature Commandos proved to be.

As the first movie release of the DCU, Superman already faces a lot of pressure. Not only that, but Gunn has regularly reiterated that the movie will be the first official step in the DCU’s overarching story, which places more stakes on its success than the smaller, more self-contained story of Creature Commandos. Similarly, Superman was the first story announced by Gunn after he became the co-CEO of DC Studios, meaning it was always viewed as the starting point of the franchise. Creature Commandos’ success proves it pᴀssed its own tests, but Superman’s hurdles are on another level completely.

Superman Is Different From Gunn’s Past Superhero Projects In More Ways Than One

The Differences Of Superman Add Another Potential Obstacle

As well as the other aforementioned reasons, the fact that Superman is different in several ways from Gunn’s past superhero projects adds more pressure. Of Gunn’s eight Marvel or DC projects since 2014 – counting Superman – only two of them have focused on individual characters, with Superman being the second. The first was Peacemaker, and even that contained a hefty subplot about the тιтular hero learning to work with other characters, like Emelia Harcourt, John Economos, Vigilante, and Leota Adebayo. Even more so than Peacemaker did, Superman will likely focus on the тιтular hero more closely.

This contrasts with projects like the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, The Suicide Squad, and Creature Commandos, all of which focused on a team of vigilantes and antiheroes coming together as a found family. Where Creature Commandos succeeded in leaning into this trend from Gunn’s superhero filmmaking past, Superman will have to succeed in doing something different entirely. For this reason, the pressure on the DCU’s first film only increases.

Another way Superman is different is by focusing on a morally incorruptible character. Superman is a paragon of justice and hope in DC, which is much different from the murderers, thieves, monsters, and outlaws focused on in the Guardians trilogy, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and Creature Commandos. Although Gunn is excellent at writing these morally questionable characters to be sympathetic to the audience, Superman is different entirely in that the character is inherently good from the off, adding another dose of pressure to the movie.

James Gunn’s Superman Can Still Be A Major Success

Superman Still Looks Promising As The DCU’s True Beginning

The enormous sense of pressure that has built for Superman aside, the film still looks set to be a major success. The immense focus that has been placed on it by DC Studios from a marketing perspective all but guarantees the film will be a financial success for the DCU. Critically, there is also a lot going for it. Regardless of Superman‘s differences from the filmmaker’s past projects, James Gunn has yet to put out a superhero project that is not great, at the very least. This track record bodes well for Superman, differences or no.

The trailer for Superman also looked excellent, portraying a tone that is endlessly hopeful and will introduce a lot of fantastical DC Comics elements to the live-action franchise. The cast ᴀssembled for Superman is also excellent and incredibly promising, as are the connections to future DCU projects like Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Lanterns, to name but a few. Superman‘s exposure may mean it does not quite match Creature Commandos in the way of majoritively positive reviews, but there is a lot that can be factored in when exploring why the film may overcome the pressure it is facing,

Superman

Release Date

July 11, 2025

Director

James Gunn

Writers

James Gunn
, Jerry Siegel
, Joe Shuster

Producers

Lars P. Winther
, Peter Safran

Franchise(s)

DCU

Cast

• 
  
  David Corenswet

  Clark Kent / Superman / Kal-El

• 
  
  Rachel Brosnahan

  Lois Lane

• 
  
  Nicholas Hoult

  Lex Luthor

• 
  
  See All Cast & Crew

Superman: This film follows Clark Kent, a cub reporter in Metropolis, as he navigates the complexities of his dual idenтιтy, struggling to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing while embracing his role as Superman. Released in 2025, the movie further explores the enduring legacy of this iconic superhero.

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