David Corenswet in “Superman.”
Superman, James Gunn’s reboot of DC’s Man of Steel franchise starring David Corenswet, is new in theaters this week. How are Rotten Tomatoes critics reacting to the superhero movie so far?
Also written by Gunn — based on the iconic DC Comics character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster — Superman plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.
The official summary for Superman partially reads, “When Superman (Corenswet) is drawn into conflicts both abroad and at home, his actions to protect humankind are questioned, and his vulnerability allows tech billionaire and master deceiver Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) to leverage the opportunity to get Superman out of the way for good.
“Will the Daily Planet’s intrepid reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), together with the aid of Metropolis’s other metahumans and Superman’s own four-legged companion, Krypto, be able to help Superman before Luthor can completely destroy him?”
Rated PG-13, Superman also stars Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Mikaela Hoover, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell and the voice of Alan Tudyk.
The review embargo for Superman reviews lifted Tuesday afternoon. As this publication, Rotten Tomatoes critics have collectively given the film an 87% “fresh” rating based on 93 reviews.
The RT Critics Consensus and Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings are still pending.
How Are Individual Critics Reacting To ‘Superman’?
Alison Willmore of New York Magazine/Vulture is among the top critics on RT who gives Superman a “fresh” review, writing, “Instead of another origin story, it gives us sights we haven’t yet seen — like Krypto, bounding through the air after one of the many monkeys enlisted to rage-tweet from a Luthor-created pocket dimension. What a good, good boy.”
Richard Roeper of RogerEbert.com gives the film a “fresh” review on RT as well, but has a pointed review summary that reads, “This latest version makes for enjoyable-enough popcorn entertainment, but ultimately leaves us wondering: was it even necessary?”
Owen Gleiberman of Variety also gives the film a “fresh” review on RT, writing, “[James] Gunn constructs an intricate game of a superhero saga that’s arresting and touching, and occasionally exhausting, in equal measure. Audiences should flock to it.”
Kevin Maher of The Times (UK) gives Superman a “rotten” review on RT, writing, “[James] Gunn approaches the nerdosphere’s most celebrated property like a giddy amnesiac who has missed the precipitous rise and fall of multi-character Marvel superhero movies and is instead stuck somewhere in the early 2010s.”
G. Allen Johnson of the San Francisco Chronicle also ripped on Superman on RT, writing, “Superman is a mess, but it’s a colorful one. It’s either a terrible superhero movie or an OK parody, take your pick.”
Note: This is a developing story. More RT reviews and the site’s rating for “Superman” will be added when the information becomes available.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2025/07/08/superman-reviews-are-rotten-tomatoes-critics-high-on-james-gunns-dc-reboot/