Superman: Up, Up and Reboot (movie trailer).

The blue tights are back, the spit curl is freshly set, and the red cape is once again flapping heroically in the wind – yes, dear readers, the first main non-teaser trailer for Superman has officially landed, and it looks like James Gunn is putting the “Super” firmly back in the Man of Steel.

Here at SFcrowsnest magazine, we love this kind of thing – a proper big-screen reinvention of one of pop culture’s oldest and most resilient icons, complete with nods to the past, a crisp modern polish, and just the right touch of cosmic weirdness. And judging by the footage, Superman is going all-in on what it means to be a hero in a jaded world.

Written and directed by Gunn – the ex-Marvel maestro behind Guardians of the Galaxy and the DC redemption arc The Suicide Squad – this new film launches the first chapter of DC Studios’ grandly titled “Gods and Monsters” cinematic universe. Set to release in July 2025, it stars David Corenswet as a 25-year-old Clark Kent still navigating the tricksy business of dual identities, heartfelt moral choices, and, naturally, intergalactic mayhem.

Corenswet’s Superman is no brooding demigod; instead, he’s pitched as a beacon of idealism and emotional complexity. There’s warmth, there’s wonder, and – yes – there’s Krypto the Superdog, a VFX-rendered menace modelled after Gunn’s own unruly canine. (One can only hope he doesn’t chew the Fortress of Solitude.)

Rachel Brosnahan (late of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) is Lois Lane, sharp, cynical, and allegedly unimpressed by the Kansas farmboy in glasses who keeps beating her to the scoop. Their newsroom banter, we’re told, channels classic screwball energy à la His Girl Friday, and frankly, it’s about time Superman got his wit back.

The villain’s chair is filled by Nicholas Hoult, newly bald and ready to sneer as Lex Luthor. Gone is the twitchy tech-bro energy of Eisenberg’s Luthor – Hoult is channelling something colder and cleverer, drawing on both All-Star Superman and the mad science of DC’s Silver Age. Add to that a soupçon of Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, and you’ve got a villain with actual ideological bite.

And if you thought the guest list ended there, think again. This Superman doesn’t just introduce one or two Justice League hopefuls – it throws open the gates. We’ve got Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, Guy Gardner (complete with bowl cut), and even a Supergirl cameo from Milly Alcock to set up her own spinoff. Gunn insists the focus remains firmly on Clark’s journey, but it’s clear the DCU is being assembled brick by brick, starting here.

Visually, the film leans into spectacle with a vengeance. Shot in IMAX and boasting work from VFX titans like Wētā FX and ILM, there are glimpses of a glittering Kryptonian Fortress, street-level chaos in Metropolis, and what appears to be a massive kaiju lumbering out of some unfortunate dimensional tear. Oh, and those charming little robot assistants in the Fortress? Voiced by Alan Tudyk, Michael Rooker and Grace Chan. Because why not.

Composer John Murphy (with a hand from David Fleming) is handling the score, and – steady yourself – Gunn has confirmed they’ll be weaving in a new take on John Williams’s legendary 1978 theme. Yes, the horns are returning. And not a moment too soon.

All told, Superman looks like a film that knows the weight of its legacy but isn’t afraid to soar in new directions. Less gloomy god, more relatable alien lad trying to do his best in a messy world – with laser eyes.

The new DCU may have been born out of chaos (and more abandoned reboots than you can shake a Kryptonian crystal at), but if the trailer is any sign, Superman could well be the cornerstone fans have been waiting for.

Now, if only we could get a bit of that Lex Luthor aftershave bottled. “World Domination – for men.”