The first trailer for James Gunn's Superman is finally here, and it offers fans their first real looks at many new screen adaptations of popular heroes. Old designs, underrated heroes, and fine details throughout the trailer reveal small details about the film's plot, and the choices of which characters to include feels very intentional.
Sean Gunn is cast as Maxwell Lord, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag, and Milly Alcock as Superman's cousin, Kara Zor-El, but they don't appear in the trailer. The film's central plot is still largely unknown, but the new first look gives fans a broad idea of the major players and which heroes to look out for. Not all the key comic characters have superpowers, but they're all crucial to Superman's story.
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Honorable Mention: The Robot
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One brief shot of the trailer features Superman bent over a dismembered robot. The humanoid construct appears to be clutching Clark's hand, as if thankful for his presence in its final moments. It could be a goofy, one-off robot, or it could be important.
Kelex was a robot assistant who helped to raise Superman, and that's just one of the important droids in his life. L-Ron was a loyal helper to the Justice League until his mind entered the hulking villain Despero, but he's less connected to Superman. It could be one of Superman's robots, built to defend his home and loved ones (and to do his dirty work in the Golden Age) but nothing is confirmed yet.
10 David Corenswet Is Superman
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It may seem obvious, but Superman and Clark Kent were the trailer's main focus, and David Corenswet's portrayal has a lot to tell fans about the story. Not all versions of The Man of Steel rely on their human upbringing, and the bumbling version of Clark fans may recognize from classic Superman comics and Grant Morrison's legendary All-Star Superman.
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Corenswet's Superman suit is bright and hopeful. It blends clean professionalism with approachability. The Man of Steel's trademark red trunks are here at Corenswet's request, giving the hero the goofy, professional wrestler vibe that comic superheroes should have. His colorful clothes and goofy persona do not detract from the incredible feats fans can glimpse as he saves children and fights monsters throughout the trailer.
9 Anthony Carrigan Is Metamorpho
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Metamorpho, The Element Man, is a wildly interesting and incredibly weird character. A mystical artifact in Egyptian ruins altered his body, and he is entirely incapable of appearing human. He's made up of four essential elements, with which he can turn his body into almost anything he can imagine, but his main wish is to become human again.
Metamorpho's struggles with fitting in make him a great foil for Superman. He was a member of the Justice League Europe and the Terrifics, and he sacrificed himself several times to save other team members. Anthony Carrigan is a phenomenal actor, and it's very likely his portrayal of Metamorpho will be driven by tragedy.
8 Nathan Fillion Is Guy Gardner
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Love or hate him, Guy Gardner is a force to be reckoned with. Shifting creative teams with different goals for the corps introduced many problematic elements to Guy's character, and many fans are curious to see what direction Gunn and actor Nathan Fillion will take the character in. One glaring feature of his character design is his classic bowl cut, which indicates his standoffish nature and immaturity.
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Another feature of Guy's appearance that eagle-eyed fans may have noticed is the symbol on his chest. While the leather coat, sick belt, and white and green color scheme are all fantastic, the logo on his chest is troubling. It seems that Guy has Maxwell Lord's logo on his chest, which could indicate the presence of the Justice League International, one of the most dysfunctional superhero teams in DC history.
7 Edi Gathegi Is Mister Terrific
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Michael Holt is the third-smartest man alive, and seeing him on the big screen is very exciting. His presence could indicate the introduction of the Terrifics or a peripheral sect of the Justice League, or he may have a huge part to play in challenging other smart characters. Holt is the second iteration of Mister Terrific, which could be a clue to this Earth's superhero history.
His design features his iconic t-shaped face mask and his trademark Fair Play coat. He's also shown with all his terrific gadgets, including his T-Spheres. Holt's intellect will be a thorn in Lex Luthor's side, and as long as his talents are kept out of the Maxwell lord's greasy mits, he could be an incredible ally to the Man of Steel in whatever conflicts could arise.
6 Isabela Merced Is Hawkgirl
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Reincarnation is a central facet of Hawkgirl's character, so there are many different versions of her throughout DC Comics. The original was Shiera Hall, but every version is a fierce warrior with ties to ancient Earth history and alien civilizations. The version portrayed by Isabela Merced will also have ties to Maxwell Lord.
Apart from one shot of her flying into battle, most of Hawkgirl's screen time in the trailer is spent next to Guy Gardner. It's hard to imagine two characters so notorious for their tempers being effective buddy cops, but maybe her Stoic professionalism will rub off on the rambunctious goofball. What's certain is that her mace looks like it could do some damage, and she definitely means business.
5 Nicholas Hoult Is Lex Luthor
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Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor looks like the petty, fearfully angry tycoon he's supposed to be. He observes the world below from a special chamber suspended between two towers on high, and he clearly doesn't like the idea of Superheroes in the world. With Maxwell Lord in the cast list, there's an awful lot for Lex not to like.
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One shot clearly shows Lex holding a pistol, which is incredibly scary. When one of the smartest and wealthiest people in the world resorts to hands-on measures like that, they usually involve dead innocents or kryptonite bullets. Hoult looks intense and cold, but his range will make his version of Lex the wild card he's supposed to be.
4 Rachel Brosnahan Is Lois Lane
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Lois Lane is essential to Superman, and knowing she'll be a big part of his life assures fans they'll get the Superman they know. It's refreshing to see a world where Clark Kent and Lois Lane already have an established working relationship. Whether that relationship already includes honesty about Kal-El's double life remains to be seen.
In classic Superman comics, Lois is frequently treated as a damsel in distress. Writers would hurl her into catastrophically dangerous situations, only for Superman to save her and lie about what happened. Brosnahan's portrayal has an appropriate air of confidence as she paces the bullpen of the Daily Planet, in stark contrast to the frumpy posture of Corenswet's Kent.
3 Skyler Gisondo Is Jimmy Olsen
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Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen is a staple of The Man of Steel's legacy. He provides levity to heavy situations but is also one of the frail, flimsy humans Superman cares most about. When Jimmy is in trouble, Superman comes to his rescue.
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Skyler Gisondo is best known for his roles as a child actor, so his youthful energy will be great for capturing the spirit of Jimmy Olsen. Jimmy is prone to freak accidents and scientific coincidences that grant him incredible powers or dire consequences, and it could be a blast to watch Superman navigate that sort of wacky comic conundrum on the big screen.
2 Pruitt Taylor Vince Is Jonathan Kent
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He's only shown briefly in the trailer, but Pruitt Taylor Vince's portrayal of Jonathan Kent is potentially the most realistic to date. Pa Kent is often drawn and portrayed as a strong and able-bodied man despite dying when Clark was still relatively young. Vince is a little heavier than Kevin Costner and John Schneider, and he should be with a super-powered son to do all the heavy lifting.
With thinning hair and clear signs of age, Gunn's character design for Jonathan Kent is grounded in modern reality. Rather than casting a former Superman actor like Dean Cain, the choice to go with a more grounded portrayal of the elderly Kansan farmer will help ground the parts of Kal-El's human upbringing that counter the wildness of his alien-powered crime-fighting career.
1 Krypto Is a Super Dog
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Krypto is a famously good boy, and it's about time somebody did him right. He's starred in cartoons and animated features about silly superhero pets. Still, he's originally an important part of Superman's backstory, serving as one small thing he could have in common with human children. However, several versions of Krypto exist in the comics, and it's unclear which version will appear on-screen.
The easiest backstory for Krypto includes Jor-El and Lara sending him to Earth as a test run for Kal-El's pod and the test pod veering off course for several years. Another version came from a false version of Krypton, only to be adopted by Superman later and kept as a faithful companion. Superman is a friendly guy, but he doesn't have a lot of actual friends. Krypto can keep up with Clark and is much smarter than the average pooch.
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Superman
Action
Adventure
Fantasy
Superhero
Follows the titular superhero as he reconciles his heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth and justice in a world that views kindness as old-fashioned.
Director James Gunn
Release Date July 11, 2025
Franchise(s) DCU
Cast David Corenswet , Rachel Brosnahan , María Gabriela De Faría , Edi Gathegi , Nicholas Hoult , Frank Grillo , Nathan Fillion , Milly Alcock , Sara Sampaio , Pruitt Taylor Vince , Skyler Gisondo , Anthony Carrigan , Wendell Pierce , Beck Bennett , Sean Gunn
Writers James Gunn
YouTube Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msfs4tjy2-0&pp=ygUec3VwZXJtYW4gMjAyNSBvZmZpY2lhbCB0cmFpbGVy
Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures
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