EW Drops Exclusive "Superman" Preview with New Photos and Insights
Posted on June 10, 2025 by Neil Cole
In an exclusive Entertainment Weekly cover story released today, "Superman" director James Gunn and the film's stars offered a first in-depth look at the movie that will define the new DC Universe, beginning with its first phase: "Gods and Monsters."
In speaking to EW, Gunn laid out the tonal and narrative ambitions for the new film. "I grew up reading DC and Marvel comics and having worlds and universes of superheroes who were interacting. It always made me feel like there was a bigger story at play, and that's what we're aiming to create. We don't have to explain everyone away. There's a little bit of magic in this world. It doesn't all have to be grounded. It just has to feel emotionally real. That's the heart of this story."
Gunn also emphasized that this is not just a film about Superman - it's about Clark Kent as a whole person. "Clark Kent has his work friends and his play friends. He's a guy with a job, with relationships, with responsibilities. It was about telling the story of this person's life and all the ways different people would be connected to him - some supporting him, others challenging him, but all shaping who he is."
David Corenswet, stepping into the iconic role of Superman, spoke about the emotional complexity and weight of portraying a character so deeply ingrained in global pop culture. "What makes this Superman different isn't just that he's younger - it's that he's still figuring out what being Superman really means," Corenswet said. "He's carrying the weight of two legacies: Krypton and Kansas. He wants to do the right thing, but he doesn't always know how - and that vulnerability is what drew me in. He's not just a symbol; he's a person trying to live up to that symbol in real time."
Corenswet also emphasized the relatability of Gunn's vision. "James didn't want to make a movie about a god looking down on humanity - he wanted to make a story about someone who is constantly pulled between two worlds and just trying to be good in both. That felt very human to me."
Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Lois Lane, described the project as emotionally rich and layered. "It's a workplace origin story in a lot of ways," she explained. "Lois is already a very accomplished journalist when we meet her. She's ambitious, she's relentless, and she has a strong moral compass. Her dynamic with Clark is really compelling because they push each other professionally, and there's a real tension between how they view the world. They're not as opposite as they might appear. There's a sense that they recognize something in each other that's hard to define but impossible to ignore."
Nicholas Hoult, portraying Lex Luthor, shared his approach to reinterpreting Superman's most iconic villain. "Lex in this film is terrifying because he truly believes he's the hero. He's a visionary who sees Superman as an existential threat - not just to power, but to human independence. What I loved about this version is that he's not twirling a mustache; he's persuasive. He's a tech bro with secrets and unlimited resources. And he has the kind of intelligence that makes him genuinely dangerous. There's an immense pressure stepping into a role that so many have played before - but this version goes to darker, more surprising places."
Anthony Carrigan, known for his Emmy-nominated work in Barry, takes on the role of Metamorpho, a character caught between his humanity and his powers. He spoke to EW about the emotional weight of the film. "What the film does brilliantly is it puts you in this situation of, 'Oh! He has no choice.' You see how painful it is when these characters are forced to do things they never thought they would. There's a real moral complexity to it. You're watching these heroes figure themselves out in real time, and that makes every action scene, every emotional beat, hit so much harder."
Gunn has made it clear that Superman is not just the origin story of a hero, but the foundational text of an entire cinematic universe. Rather than slowly building toward a broader mythology, Gunn is opening the doors from the start. "We're diving right in," he said. "This world is already inhabited by superheroes and aliens and mad scientists. It's not about building the world; it's about exploring it. It's a long time coming, and we're putting story before spectacle every step of the way."
The film is the first installment in DC Studios' "Gods and Monsters" slate, co-led by Gunn and Peter Safran. Future projects already in development include "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow", the Amazonian political epic "Paradise Lost", and the morally complex team drama "The Authority", all of which will ultimately connect to a new iteration of the Justice League.
Read the full article at EW.com. "Superman" opens in theaters on July 11, 2025.
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