New Superman Trailer Balances Humor, Heart, and Heroism

DC Studios is set to usher in a new era for one of its most important heroes this July with Superman, the studio’s rebooted take on the Man of Steel from writer-director James Gunn. It’s been the subject of months of anticipation since its announcement, but with the debut of its first full trailer, fans have all the fuel they need to go full Optimus Prime on their enthusiasm engines. Featuring a fresh take on Clark Kent, a snarkier Lois Lane, a cavalcade of DC heroes and villains, and one meme-ready superdog, the trailer suggests that Gunn’s Superman will be as big as it is emotionally grounded.

Superman Is Not an Origin Story

Fans already knew that the new Superman would be a departure from many of its predecessors thanks to Gunn’s recent comments on the subject. This is not an origin story, Gunn told The Hollywood Reporter. While there will be familiar elements to Clark Kent’s backstory—namely that he is the last survivor of the destroyed planet Krypton—the movie largely depicts Clark’s emotional journey as he attempts to reconcile his heritage as the long-lost scion of a Kryptonian royal family with the childhood he had in Smallville, Kansas. It’s a solid thematic throughline for a reboot to have, and one that gives the movie emotional stakes.

The lead role of Clark Kent/Superman is played by David Corenswet, who may be best known for his work in Pearl and his more recent appearance in Hollywood. In Superman, he’s in his mid-20s, making this version of the hero a more seasoned veteran than his wide-eyed, 21-year-old, Green Lantern-helmet-wearing past iteration. For the DC-faithful, we learn in the trailer that Clark struggles mightily with his secret identity of both Superman and Clark Kent—and that will become particularly clear in the scenes that he shares with Lois Lane.

The leading lady opposite Superman is Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), who steps into the armor and takes the bull by the horns as the brash, take-no-prisoners Lois Lane. The trailer’s first half opens not with Superman himself, but Lois herself sprinting her way through a staged interview with “Superman”—the aforementioned Clark Kent. He eventually cuts her off, as she and Superman exchange flirtations and barbs over Clark’s secret life in Metropolis. It’s here that we get a question: Do you or do you not know that Superman and Clark Kent are the same person, Lois? The internet seems split. Many think yes, Lois has it figured out. Others (this writer included) don’t think she has fully put the pieces together. Pay close attention to the reactions on their faces in the final shot of their shared scene together. The trailer doesn’t commit either way, but either is an exciting place to land. After all, the onus is on Lois, so what Clark Kent knows at this point is less important.

Nicholas Hoult is one of the film’s other major additions, bringing his A-game villainy to the role of Lex Luthor. The trailer wastes no time flexing the mainstay of Luthor’s industrial-evil character: His malevolent brain. He’s also joined by Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, a loyal lieutenant who appears to work for Luthor, and Terence Rosemore as Otis, another henchman in Luthor’s employ.

Superman’s Superdog and the Expanding Universe

One of the wildcards of the Superman trailer is the movie’s breakout animal star: Superman’s loyal white dog Krypto. He first stole the show in the movie’s teaser trailer last December, helping a critically wounded Superman drag himself to the Fortress of Solitude. The heroism continues in the full trailer, with the titular canine doubling down on the dog-ness to save the day yet again: Punching through Lex Luthor and the terrifying, sci-fi supervillain Angela Spica (also known as The Engineer and played by Maria Gabriela de Faria). She’s a visually striking addition to the DC filmverse, donning full-body black spandex with many hidden weapons, including the sick rotating blades she launches from her hand to menace our new hero. The villain also has access to nanotechnology, which she uses to lead an onslaught on Superman’s Fortress.

Speaking of visual flair, the trailer is not shy with its explosive set pieces, kaiju-sized teases, and hero ensembles. Along with Luthor and Spica, Superman also gives fans their first look at a wide-ranging ensemble of lesser-known but no less interesting DC characters. Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, the mohawk-wearing Green Lantern with a bowl-cut for days; Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho, a superhero who can alter his body to manipulate the elements at will; Isabela Merced as the winged fighter Hawkgirl; and Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt/Mister Terrific, a math-genius-turned-masked hero. Fans of Supergirl, Superman’s cousin, will be excited to see that she, played by Milly Alcock, also makes an appearance in the trailer, which gives further weight to the possibility of a larger Kryptonian family narrative in this movie and beyond.

Completing the roster of new faces are Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as Clark’s adoptive Kansas parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, which is particularly important when it comes to understanding Clark’s character and this film’s emotional core. The roster also includes a crossover moment for DC fans, as Frank Grillo returns in his role as Rick Flag Sr. from the animated series Creature Commandos, while Sean Gunn, brother of director James Gunn, makes an appearance as Maxwell Lord.

Superheroes and Mortals

In between the titular hero bounding across rooftops, punching through kryptonite villains, and launching cosmic-level smackdowns, there’s a common motif in the trailer where Superman struggles between his role as a do-gooder and his relationship with the concept of heroism among Earthlings. Lois confronts Superman about his actions and their perception by those in charge, like the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Superman fires back, proclaiming that his actions were justified because “People were going to die!” This emotional and mental crossroads Superman is put in about his perception as a hero versus the way he views himself is something that we will likely see play out throughout the film.

Lighter moments, in the form of genuine laughter and humor, but also heartfelt ones, are sprinkled in and not relegated to the 1-minute-and-50-second runtime of the trailer. The movie’s final shot, in particular, is just Superman in bed, in one of the rare quiet moments of the film, while his right cheek is guarded by the extraordinarily content Krypto, lying chest-deep on the hero’s chest. It’s a powerful moment. In a film with so much fan service and epic nods, it also serves as a grounding one, suggesting that Gunn will be hitting a nice medium in his tone.

Taken as a whole, Superman appears to be not only an exciting new reboot but a sort of reset for the DC universe moving forward. Here’s to hoping this film will deliver on what its much-anticipated first trailer promises.