Full Superman Trailer Breakdown: Plot Details and Fan Reactions

James Gunn’s directorial debut was a godawful thriller called Super, which was enough to make a lot of people suspect the idea of Gunn tackling the Man of Steel was a bad one. Gunn assured audiences that his Superman reboot would do justice to the character, and DC Studios has indeed put a new face on the mantle. It’s also a bold move for a cinematic universe that needs to set the stage for the future, and this first trailer for Superman makes it look like the perfect place to jump on the DC train.

Get It Together, Clark Kent

Superman is set to drop this July and has been building anticipation for a few months already. In the first full trailer for the film, it’s clear audiences will have more than enough to look forward to. A new face for Superman, a fiery Lois Lane, all of your favorite DC heroes and villains, and of course, one incredible superdog — everything Gunn needed to make this reboot not just different, but a grounded, new beginning for DC Studios as a whole.

This is Clark Kent’s journey, as much as it is Superman’s. And from what Gunn has said and shown, this is no ordinary origin story. Gunn has emphasized Clark’s emotional journey, and trying to reconcile his Kryptonian royal blood with his down-home Kansas roots will be the source of tension in the film. Director James Gunn has said Clark is set on making the world a better place, but with both family legacies pulling at him, he’s struggling to figure out where he fits in.

One other important note on Clark Kent’s journey is that this is a slightly older and presumably wiser Superman than we’re used to. Star David Corenswet, who has roles under his belt in Pearl and Hollywood, is 25 and approaches the role as a version of Superman that’s further down the hero path. He’s not a wide-eyed noob, if you will. Both versions of himself — Clark Kent and Superman — are vital to the story, especially as it relates to Lois Lane.

Speaking of, Rachel Brosnahan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel fame is Lois Lan, and to be frank, you’d never know it from the trailer. It begins with Lois running through a made-for-TV interview at the airport with… “Superman.” Clark Kent is there, in disguise, ready for his long-awaited first date with Lois Lane. The two have obvious flirting and sparring banter, but if you’re wondering whether Lois has figured out Clark’s secret yet, you’re not alone.

Others, such as this writer, find it hard to believe given the angle, lighting, and reactions from both actors at the end of the scene. You’ll have to watch for yourself, of course, but what’s clear is that this Lois Lane and Clark Kent dynamic will be center stage.

James Gunn Superman Full Trailer: Release Date, Cast, Plot

Nicholas Hoult is no stranger to playing villains (last year’s Maybe Maybe Not), but few will get quite as much fanfare as his Lex Luthor here. Of course, we see and hear the usual: dastardly Luthor corporate speak and evil scientist charm. He has his minions as well — Sara Sampaio (Eve Teschmacher) and Terence Rosemore (Otis) appear to be Luthor loyalists.

Welcome, Krypto the Superdog (Friendly Reminder: Just Krypto)

Okay, so one of the heroes we already know and love is Krypto, Superman’s white dog. He first appeared in last December’s teaser trailer in a heroic moment where he carries a bloodied Superman to the Fortress of Solitude. The first full trailer features more of this canine crush than in any other DC trailer we’ve seen to date.

Krypto battles it out with Lex Luthor and villainess Angela Spica, aka The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), in the new trailer. She is not to be underestimated either, sporting a black spandex suit and a gauntlet that sprays nanotech blades around like a futuristic vampire. The trailer does not skimp on the fight scenes either, as Lex Luthor, Angela Spica, and the military take a full-on assault on the fortress in suits and a tank.

If You’re Excited About the Trailer’s Action Scenes, There’s More

Not only is there some serious action in this trailer, from Superman saving a child on a roof to punches being thrown during Lois and Clark’s interview, there are just about kaiju-sized problems to fight as well. Along with an action-packed battle featuring the main cast, several lesser-known DC heroes and villains also appear to be teaming up.

Actors Nathan Fillion, Anthony Carrigan, Isabela Merced, and Edi Gathegi make up the biggest group among them. Fillion is Guy Gardner, a Green Lantern with a bowl-cut and all the skills of a hero; Carrigan is Rex Mason/Metamorpho, a shape-shifter who can alter his body to access the four elements; Merced is the winged warrior Hawkgirl; and Gathegi is Michael Holt/Mister Terrific, a master inventor who has taken to donning a mask and cape as well.

Superman’s Cousin, Kara Zor-El, Joins the Fray

Is there any way in the world that a Superman movie that also includes a character like Kara Zor-El could exist and not be a boon? No, but it does. Milly Alcock will play Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin. This character is better known in DC comics lore as Supergirl, but that will be a bit of fun tease for moviegoers, I’m sure.

We also get to see the heroes’ human side. Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell fill in as Clark’s adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent.

DC Fans Are in for Some Easter Eggs

Frank Grillo (retired wrestler from The Suicide Squad) reprises his role as Rick Flag Sr. from the animated series Creature Commandos, and Sean Gunn will play Maxwell Lord. A fan favorite actor of Gunn’s from the years in the superhero trenches, Gunn’s brother has cameoed and helped write the comics since the very beginning of the Superman saga.

Emotion Drives the Action

It’s a full-on action movie from the trailer alone. We have roofs and punching bags being cleared across town, fist fights, spaceship crashing, and kaiju, but more than anything, this movie — for Clark Kent at least — is about emotion. Lois Lane calls him out about how his actions may not be received well by the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the world at large.

He flips out and shouts, “People were going to die!” as he’s being manhandled by Superman and Joe Chill stand-ins. We know who they’re alluding to, but what about the civilian life and public perception? Lois and Clark will have to find common ground if Superman’s journey is going to be a fruitful one. As far as the action goes, though, I’m not worried.

DC Comics Superman Trailer: James Gunn Comic Book Adventures Reviews

The final shot of the trailer is Superman flopped down on his bed at rest. He is calm and quiet for a change in the film, taking a second with his loyal and adoring Krypto. It is an iconic shot, simple and yet one that can tell us where Gunn is taking this movie. Superman and Krypto can leap from Earth to space to save the world, but for all that he does and goes through, love and connection are at the center of his epic journey.

Superman has the advantage of building a new slate of characters to carry forward. That extends to a slew of great actors Gunn has gathered to play the parts from his movie universe,  so re-purposing The Suicide Squad actor Frank Grillo. The DC universe can’t miss, and this trailer? It’s fantastic.