Lex Luthor ends up being stupid
Superman is the film written and directed by James Gunn and distributed by Warner Bros., the first chapter of the new DC cinematic universe. It hit theaters in July 2025.
The film isn't your usual origin story. Our protagonist has a real handful on his plate: Superman is not only defeated over and over, but also torn apart in the media by Lex Luthor — insult on top of injury. The interesting thing is that the introduction of the Justice Gang, clumsy as it is, helps our struggling Clark.
The antagonist is Lex Luthor, presented more as a businessman and a media figure than as a criminal in the classic sense. He isn't an intelligent character, because his media campaign isn't built on any real discontent caused by the superhero's failings, but is completely made up out of thin air.
And that's where the film shows all its weaknesses. The villain, in truth, isn't a charismatic person and has very little patience. When that patience starts to run out and it turns out it was all hot air — including his girlfriends — he suddenly decides to destroy the world for no valid reason.
He thus proves to be deeply weak, uncharismatic and stupid, facing the protagonist in a fit of hysteria. I get that Superman is naive, but Lex Luthor turned out to be by far the most insufferable character and is the main reason I hated this film. Bear in mind that we're talking about the smartest man in the world.
The film also parades a myriad of utterly anonymous or barely sketched villains. Introducing them was completely pointless, since they're just devices the villain uses to distract Superman.
The sound is forgettable, because it's always the same Superman jingle repeated ad nauseam: it adds nothing to the experience. Like every big-budget film, it has impeccable cinematography and CGI, and there's no arguing about that.
I have to be honest: I've heard reviews that loved the portrayal of Lex Luthor — and it is well acted — but in my opinion he's exactly what made the film no fun. And yet, in a way, I appreciate this new characterization of Superman; I'm just saying that Lex Luthor's character is terribly written.