Hope, humor, and heroism

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MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Friday, July 11th.

Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Myrna Brown.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

Coming up on The World and Everything in It, Truth, Justice, and a brand new storyline!

Superman is back—and the comic book world is watching.

BROWN: Collin Garbarino is, too.

Here is WORLD’s arts and culture editor with the latest on the return of one of pop culture’s most enduring heroes.

COLLIN GARBARINO: Warner Bros. has a lot riding on its new Superman movie. Back in 2023, its DC Extended Universe died with a series of box-office flops panned by critics and ignored by audiences. Now director James Gunn, best known for the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, is trying to reboot the DC universe with a fresh approach to the world’s most iconic comic book character.

Gunn drops us straight into the action. No laborious origin story here. It’s been three years since Superman started playing the hero in Metropolis, living his double life as the mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent. He and Lois Lane have already begun their romance that’s tinged with more than a little journalistic rivalry.

LOIS LANE: So this guy just flew into midtown and started attacking people, demanding for Superman to show up?

CLARK KENT: Yeah. It’s all there, in my article.

LOIS LANE: I’d actually have to make it through your writing, Clark. Knowledge is worth many sacrifices. That isn’t one of them.

Superman had recently stopped a war between two small nations. He saved countless lives. But many people are questioning whether it’s a good thing to let such a powerful individual interfere in geo-politics. But then again, who could stop him? As it happens there are some other superpowered folks out there who are more than happy to cause havoc to keep Superman from meddling.

JIMMY OLSEN: Twenty-two people in the hospital. Over 20 million in property damage. It does make you wonder.

LOIS LANE: Wonder what?

JIMMY OLSEN: As great as he is, maybe Superman didn’t completely think through the ramifications of the Boravia thing.

With this incarnation of Superman, James Gunn recaptures some of the bright, hopeful tone of the classic Superman comics and movies. No dark, angsty Man of Steel here. David Corenswet plays Superman and Clark Kent as a fresh-faced idealist whose overriding purpose is to protect life. It’s a sincere and entirely likable interpretation of the character. I only wish we would have gotten to see more of his Clark Kent. The actors who play Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Lex Luthor feel so right in each of their roles. Especially Nicholas Hoult, whose Lex Luthor might be the best version of the character to date.

The overall vibe of the movie is very traditional, respecting the old comics as well as the Christopher Reeves version of the hero. But Gunn also takes some big swings. The biggest might be the inclusion of the superdog Krypto.

SUPERMAN: Ow. Ow! Stop. Ow. Stop it! Krypto, ow, ow. Stop it! Stop! Sit. Sit. Stay.

When I first heard the superdog was making his live-action cinematic debut, I was skeptical. Part of Gunn’s charm is that he doesn’t shy away from the silliness of the comic book genre, but I was afraid this time he might push the silliness too far. However, the mischievous pup gives us some nice comedic moments while also serving as a lynchpin for the story.

SUPERMAN: Superman robots, I thought I told you to keep an eye on him.

NO. 4: We feed the canine, but he is unruly. And he realizes we are not flesh and blood and couldn’t in our heart of hearts care less whether he lives or dies.

Another big swing that pays off is the introduction of the so-called Justice Gang, made up of Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and the Green Lantern Guy Gardner. These other heroes help flesh out this world of super-powered individuals without bloating the film. Guy Gardner is actually one of my least favorite comic book characters, but Nathan Fillion’s portrayal made me almost like him.

Superman is rated PG-13 for violence, action, and language. The movie contains some crass moments, which is something of a hallmark for Gunn, but Gunn’s respect for Superman’s earnestness keeps the crudities in check.

The movie contains some cheap gags, but the relationship between Lex Luthor and Superman gives the film its emotional weight.

AUDIO: [door crashing open]

HEATHER: Lex, I tried to stop him.

LEX LUTHOR: That’s fine, Heather. Superman. We finally meet. Would you like a coffee? Tea?

SUPERMAN: Where’s the dog?

LEX LUTHOR: Dog?

Despite being created by a couple of Jewish kids in the 1930s, the Superman character has often left itself open to Christian interpretations. And as with some of his other movies, Gunn lets glimpses of his Roman Catholic upbringing peek through the filmmaking. Superman has godlike powers, but he proudly joins himself to humanity. He also has his own metaphorical death and resurrection in this movie. And we even get a superhero version of the Harrowing of Hell.

Lex Luthor, on the other hand, is the brilliant leader of a techno cult who seems patterned on Satan from John Milton’s Paradise Lost. He’s consumed with envy to the point of self-destruction.

At its heart, this Superman film offers a conservative message to our relativistic society. We’ve been told that it matters who we think we are. We value intentions, inward dispositions, and self-identifications. Pa Kent reminds us, “Your actions make you who you are.” What good are all our talents and abilities if we fail to do good with them?

I’m Collin Garbarino.

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