The Man of Steel is back, and the latest trailer for James Gunn's upcoming film, Superman, set to launch in July, has fans buzzing with excitement. With David Corenswet delivering a compelling performance as Superman and the dynamic action scenes featuring his beloved dog Krypto, there's plenty to unpack. However, the trailer's reveal of numerous characters and plot elements has sparked curiosity and concern among fans about how the film will manage its narrative complexity.
"The trailer starts strong," commented a Redditor on the r/Superman subreddit shortly after its release. "But then every shot introduces a new character, and I started worrying about how the movie will maintain a coherent story." Another fan echoed these sentiments, expressing enthusiasm for Corenswet's portrayal but noting, "The movie looks like it might be a bit busy; there's a lot going on here."
A different user shared their excitement for the film's lighter tone, saying, "I love this trailer. As someone who never really enjoyed the dark DC vibe, I'm excited for a true comic superhero movie. But am I the only one worried about all the cameos in the trailer? I counted like eight friends and foes. I know they want to set up James Gunn's DCU with this, but I'd prefer less cameo fodder and more focus on developing the essential characters."
The trailer indeed showcases a wide array of characters, including Clark Kent's Earth parents, love interest Lois Lane (played by Rachel Brosnahan), and several villains, with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) as the central antagonist. Despite concerns about the film's potential bloat, many fans are thrilled at the prospect of these character introductions.
Here's a list of characters revealed so far in Superman:
- Superman
- Lois Lane
- Lex Luthor
- Mister Terrific
- Guy Gardner
- Hawkgirl
- Metamorpho
- The Engineer
- The Hammer of Boravia
- Ultraman
- Rick Flag Sr.
- Supergirl
- Maxwell Lord
- Kryptonian robots, including Kelex
- Krypto
- Jonathan Kent
- Martha Kent
- Perry White
- Jimmy Olsen
- Steve Lombard
- Cat Grant
- Ron Troupe
- Eve Teschmacher
- Otis
"I'm glad there's a lot going on. We've seen him fight Lex and Zod countless times; I want to see him completely overwhelmed and emerge as a symbol of hope," one fan remarked, countering the concerns. Another user pointed out, "It's side characters, not cameos. Like Iron Man had several side characters."
A third fan added a perspective that this is typical for superhero films: "I don't feel like it's such a big deal honestly. Movies usually need secondary/side characters. Gunn is just filling in those spots with big names, but I doubt he'll give them more than what they need."
Superman: Behind the Scenes Cast and Character Images
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While some fans are concerned about the film's potential overstuffed nature, others remain undeterred. "It looks good, but I'm wondering how they're going to shoehorn so many different characters into one movie," one user pondered, to which another replied, "It's not any more characters than the average comic book movie. It's fine." A third fan even humorously compared it to another Gunn project: "Kinda like Guardians of the Galaxy...?"
James Gunn has emphasized that the film is not an ensemble piece, stating during an Instagram Live session at the beginning of 2025, "At the middle of everything is Clark, Lois, and Lex. It's about these three characters." How he plans to weave these elements together remains to be seen.
Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.
