Hope Reforged — Or Recycled?
James Gunn’s Superman (2025) trailer lands like a thunderclap of idealism, power, and controversy. But while it may look like a new take on the Man of Steel, longtime fans will recognize that this isn’t fresh ground so much as familiar soil, plowed deeper.
Back in 1987, Christopher Reeve’s Superman remained a cultural icon of optimism and unquestioned authority. He saved lives and was celebrated for it. His humanity wasn’t doubted—his morality wasn’t up for debate. The only voice of dissent was Lex Luthor, whose suspicions were framed as paranoia or villainous ambition.
Then came Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel era, with Henry Cavill’s brooding Superman dragging us into a new narrative terrain—one where Superman’s every action was met with fear, not gratitude. He saved Earth, yes, but not without leveling cities. Handcuffed by his conscience and burdened by the world’s mistrust, Cavill’s Superman was a god learning to be Human—and punished for it.
Now, Gunn seems ready to revisit the same haunting question: Can anyone truly wield immense power without becoming a threat?
Gunn’s Justice League Assembles
In this trailer, Superman does what Superman does—he saves lives. This time, by stopping a war. But there’s a catch. He doesn’t call the President. He doesn’t notify the State Department. He doesn’t attend a press briefing with the Joint Chiefs. He just… acts.
To the average citizen, that’s heroism. To the world’s governments? That’s unauthorized intervention. A vigilante act writ large on the world stage. It is here where the ideological conflict ignites. Superman’s moral compass does not require permission to do what’s right. But human systems of power absolutely require control.
Enter the voice of dissent once again: Lex Luthor and what I call the Luthor Doctrine: Power Demands Parity. Luthor’s paranoia is no longer a fringe position. In this world, it’s a political doctrine: “Superman may look like us, but he isn’t one of us.”
He’s not wrong. And that’s the danger.
Luthor sees Superman’s existence as an existential threat, not because of what he does, but because of what he could do. The logic is cold, simple, and chillingly familiar to real-world geopolitics: if one nation had an unchallengeable weapon, wouldn’t the others seek a counterbalance? Or preemptively strike? It appears Luthor will build a counter.
From the trailer’s glimpses, we see the beginnings of that counterstrike:
- A fully masked figure with a “U” on his chest—Ultraman, a genetically or technologically-engineered Superman analog.
- Debuting the Authority’s first onscreen appearance, the Engineer, reimagined cybernetic or armored enforcer.
- Advanced technologies inside the Fortress of Solitude, now compromised by Luthor’s invasion.
- It’s not enough to question Superman’s actions. Luthor wants to checkmate them.
Gunn’s cinematic world doesn’t leave Superman alone. Joining him are key figures that hint at the dawn of a new Justice League:
- Guy Gardner, rocking the iconic bowl cut, Green Lantern ring glowing.
- Hawkgirl, whose origin—Thanagarian or otherwise—is still mysterious.
- Metamorpho, a grotesque but powerful reminder of Human experimentation gone right—or wrong.
- Mr. Terrific (Michael Holt), one of the smartest men in the DCU, a genius whose tech is second only to his ethics.
Each of these heroes appears poised to balance Superman’s presence. Not through fear, but through capability. They’re not checks—they’re allies. Yet the world might not see it that way.
The Interview Heard ‘Round the World
The emotional core of the trailer arrives when Clark Kent, after presumably revealing his identity to Lois Lane, sits for the most dangerous interview of his life. It starts simple, personal, philosophical, but quickly turns political. Lois challenges Clark’s worldview. Idealism meets realism. Her journalism isn’t just romanticized support; it’s confrontation. Clark’s response is passionate and naïve. This is a subversion of the 1987 Superman of Lois swooning over Superman. Here, she returns to her roots: the Lois who questions, who digs deeper, the Lois who wins Pulitzers by asking hard questions. That may be the sharpest weapon in the film. This interview defines the very heart of this film. “Who asked you to save us?”
The trailer’s closing lines ring with resonance. Jonathan Kent’s voice reminds us, “Your choices, your actions, that’s what makes you who you are.” But behind that gentle paternalism is a deeper tension:
Superman’s choices are his alone.
He isn’t elected. He isn’t governed. He can’t be recalled. If he fails, there is no tribunal. If he succeeds, there is no guarantee he’ll stop there. He embodies the superhero dilemma: benevolent today, but what about tomorrow?
Lex Luthor’s fears are not madness—they are preemptive survival. The world needs Superman… but the fear is, they may also need a leash.
What happens next?
What we’re seeing is the formation of a new mythic structure: not just a Superman story, but the scaffolding of a cinematic universe. The symbolic visuals—a power ring flaring, Hawkgirl and Mr. Terrific in flight, the Fortress violated, Ultraman possibly rising—are all bricks in the foundation.
And just like Alan Moore once warned with Watchmen, the question at the heart of this cinematic narrative remains unsolved: Who decides who gets to save us? And when the world decides it doesn’t want to be saved by someone who didn’t ask permission…
This trailer only complicates what we knew was going to be a challenging new start to the DC Cinematic Universe. Superman (2025) doesn’t offer easy answers. It dares to ask hard questions about power, morality, politics, and fear. Whether audiences will accept a Superman who doesn’t wait for authorization is the real test of this universe.
Because one thing’s for certain: Superman can save the world.
But he can’t make it want to be saved.
Superman (2025) is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on July 11, 2025. This film, directed by James Gunn, is set to be the first film of the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. The film stars David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Edi Gathegi stars as Mr. Terrific. Nathan Fillon as Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, Frank Grillo as Rick Flagg, Sr, Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason (Metamorpho), Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and María Gabriela de Faría as the Engineer. Superman is executive produced by Nikolas Korda, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars Winther. The music is composed by John Murphy.
Thaddeus Howze is an award-winning essayist, editor, and futurist exploring the crossroads of activism, sustainability, and human resilience. He's a columnist and assistant editor for SCIFI.radio and as the Answer-Man, he keeps his eye on the future of speculative fiction, pop-culture and modern technology. Thaddeus Howze is the author of two speculative works — ‘Hayward's Reach’ and ‘Broken Glass.’
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
The phrase is Latin, and is literally translated as “Who will guard the guards themselves?”
In other words, “Who watches the watchmen?” I have encountered this for years, and I finally figured out the answer to that question.
And it’s a real answer.
The real answer to “Who Watches the Watchmen?” is, “We watch ourselves. We are answerable to our own conscience, ethics, morals and sense of duty. We can trust no one else’s more than our own.”
And that implies that we are being asked to follow somebody else’s ethics and morals without questioning them, and that’s exactly what we’re being asked to do by those very people who ask “Who watches the watchmen?” What they’re implicitly saying is that our own judgment should give way to theirs.
This argument is almost always used not in the search for truth, but in the obstruction of it. It introduces a self-referential logical conundrum that cannot be solved, thereby stopping any reasonable discourse in its tracks. By attempting to declare that there is no clear acceptable answer, the speaker implies that the opponents are intrinsically wrong, and this is a logical fallacy. An unknown solution does not imply incorrect action. It’s basically a false dilemma fallacy, similar to a loaded question such as “Have you stopped beating your wife?” or “Are you going to admit that you’re wrong?”
Those who stand up for the good, the innocent, the right and the just are often publicly attacked by those seek to set themselves on a throne and tell others how to think, feel and act — or worse, seek simply to do society harm and not be caught at it.
The next time you hear someone ask “who watches the watchmen”, think about why they’re really asking this. The answers may surprise you.