The Man of Steel is back, and fans are buzzing with excitement following the release of the latest trailer for James Gunn's upcoming film, Superman, set to launch in July. The trailer showcases the impressive performance of lead actor David Corenswet and the dynamic action of Superman's beloved dog, Krypto. However, it's the sheer volume of characters and plot points that has sparked a mix of anticipation and concern among the fanbase.
On Reddit's r/Superman, fans have been quick to share their thoughts. One user commented, "Strong start to the trailer, but then practically every shot was another new character and I started worrying how the movie was going to tell a coherent story." Another fan echoed the sentiment, stating, "I’m gonna love it, he looks great as Superman, he looks great as Clark Kent, but the movie looks like it might be a bit busy, there's a lot going on here."
A third user expressed their excitement for the film's lighter tone but raised concerns about the numerous cameos, saying, "Now this, I love this trailer. From someone who never really liked the dark DC vibe I’m excited to experience a true comic superhero movie. But am I the only one who is worried for all the cameos that are in the trailer? Like I swear I was counting like 8 friends and foes in this movie. I know they want to set up James Gunn’s DCU with this but I would prefer it to be less heavy on cameo fodder and take more time to develop the characters that are needed to tell the story that they’re trying to tell."
The trailer indeed introduces a wide array of characters, from Clark Kent's Earth parents and love interest Lois Lane (played by Rachel Brosnahan) to various villains, including the central antagonist Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). Despite concerns about the film being potentially overstuffed, many fans are thrilled about the prospect of these character introductions.
Here's a list of all the 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
Some fans see the inclusion of numerous characters as a positive, with one user stating, "I'm glad there's a lot going on. We've seen him fight Lex & Zod countless times at this point, I want to see him completely overwhelmed and emerge as a symbol of hope." Another fan pointed out, "It’s side characters, less cameos. Like Iron Man had several side characters." A third added, "I don't feel like it's such a big deal honestly. Movies usually need secondary/side characters. Gunn here is just filling in those spots with rather 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 curious about how the film will manage its runtime with so many characters, others feel it's not an unusual approach for comic book movies. One user noted, "It looks good but wondering how they’re going to shoehorn so many different characters into one movie," while another responded, "It's not any more characters than the average comic book movie. It's fine." A third user even drew a comparison, saying, "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 balance this focus with the extensive cast remains to be seen.
Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.
