Krypto Carries the Superman Trailer (And That’s a Good Thing)

DC Studios is not messing around this year. A new Batman is coming this March in the form of Robert Pattinson’s Batman, and the first summer blockbuster of 2023 is one we’ve been hearing about for months but have finally gotten a full look at: Superman, the rebooted take on the biggest hero in the DC universe by writer-director James Gunn. The film, due out this July, has had months of hype and teases, but thankfully, the studio released the first full trailer for the film this week, which is just about enough Superman for fans to handle. The trailer has our new Clark Kent, a snarky Lois Lane, a host of DC favorites, and just one superdog who is stealing the show. We are in for an action-packed, emotional reboot for the titular character.

Superman Is Not an Origin Story

If you’re excited to see Superman’s childhood hometown of Smallville, you’re going to be let down, and Gunn has already said the film is not your typical “origin story.” Instead, this iteration of Superman puts a lot of focus on Clark Kent’s emotional journey, trying to balance his innate Kryptonian upbringing as a member of the royal family and his adopted Kansas lifestyle, where he was raised as a small-town boy. It’s a grounding touch that gives the movie an emotional through-line, as Clark struggles to find his place in both his birth and adopted homes.

Pearl and Hollywood alum David Corenswet steps into the big shoes left by years of previous Superman and Man of Steel iterations with the new film. Corenswet’s Superman is a 25-year-old, still wet behind the ears, but not the doe-eyed, ignorant kid who gets everything handed to him off the bat. His early struggles navigating between the Clark Kent reporter and Superman personas seem to be at the heart of the film. That dynamic also very much includes his Lois Lane, played by Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel).

The trailer opens with Lois in a playful run from the camera, ostensibly part of a pre-recorded interview with “Superman”—portrayed by Clark Kent in Clark Kent’s Superman costume, of course. In the back and forth between Lois and Clark’s Superman, both their body language and voice acting feel like the familiar banter of flirtation and one-upsmanship of Clark and Lois’ past, but it’s unclear if Lois has learned Superman’s secret identity yet. Depending on how you interpret Lois’s face when she’s pushing Clark’s buttons about his origins and past, some people feel she has. This writer? No way. You can almost see the check marks next to each of her theories in Clark’s head as he scrambles to maintain his cover. But it’s still one of the best elements of the trailer because it centers their relationship at the heart of this Superman universe, rather than just an action hero up to no good.

Nicholas Hoult joins David Corenswet as the most famous villain to face Superman early in his career. Lex Luthor is no stranger to a big-screen adaptation, but Hoult’s performance is channelling his usual brand of corporate, genius villainy. Luthor isn’t without his fan club, of course. Sara Sampaio portrays Eve Teschmacher, who you’ll remember from our comic book canon, and Terence Rosemore plays Otis, Luthor’s unwavering and seemingly unquestioning assistant.

Hot Dog! Krypto, Kaiju, and What Looks Like More DC Movies

Spoiler: it’s his eyes. Fans may have first met Superman’s dog Krypto in the teaser trailer for the film that dropped last December, where he heroically drags a severely injured Superman (Corenswet) into the safety of the Fortress of Solitude. Krypto has not one, but two full moments in the new trailer showing off his canine capers, this time taking on the full-court press by Lex Luthor and the nanotech-wielding high-tech villain Angela Spica, a.k.a. The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria). Spica, donning a black spandex suit with spinning circular blades for arms, has a large militia and cybernetic soldiers on the ground attacking the Fortress.

There’s an entire kaiju that the audience only sees through Clark’s laser-vision eyes. If you needed any more reminders that these aren’t your old DC movies, or your dad’s DC movies, look no further than the incredible epic action sequences dotted throughout the trailer. Fans get a quick glimpse of some underutilized and way more diverse DC characters not named Superman, Lois Lane, or Lex Luthor. Nathan Fillion appears as Guy Gardner, the Green Lantern with the bowl-cut hairstyle; Anthony Carrigan plays Rex Mason/Metamorpho, a superhero who can change his body into other elements; Isabela Merced is the winged heroine Hawkgirl; and Edi Gathegi stars as Michael Holt/Mister Terrific, a super-genius inventor who suits up in a battle suit with high-tech gadgets of his own.

Fans also got a surprise look at Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El (aka, Supergirl), portrayed by Milly Alcock. This is only a small tease of her larger role in the film, but it gives a significant clue that we will be seeing the extended family of the Kryptonian royalty more than ever before. Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell play Clark Kent’s adopted parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, and the actors’ combined experience gives weight to this being Superman’s emotional core.

One other big fan crossover to catch in the trailer is Frank Grillo reprising his Rick Flag Sr. role from the DC animated film series Creature Commandos. Longtime James Gunn actor Sean Gunn also makes an appearance as Maxwell Lord.

Superman’s Big Takeaways

Despite all the action — full on leaps from rooftops, hand-to-hand fights, street-level heroics, spaceship escapes, and intergalactic battles with huge CGI creatures — what we can pull from the trailer and the larger narrative that’s been teased is the balance between superhero and humanity. The most telling moment of Clark as Superman grappling with what he’s “supposed to do” is when Lois chastises him for not considering that his actions are being seen by someone like the U.S. Secretary of Defense. His response? “People were going to die!” If there’s a theme that Superman will lean into, based on the trailer, it’s on the line between following your instincts and having that overshadowed by those in power or charge. Not to say it’s all big dramatic moments and serious talk about morality, either.

There’s space and room for humor and heart throughout. The last shot of the trailer is Superman lying on his bed, having a moment of quiet in what is likely an incredibly rare, peaceful moment for him, and Krypto is sitting on his chest, proudly and contentedly licking the hero. A simple shot to end on, but one that shows a clear depiction of the emotional through-line Gunn has with this movie: as big and epic as it is, it’s also going to be about connection. Superman isn’t just a reboot. It looks like the epic reset button the DC cinematic universe needed.