Superman’s New Journey Begins: DC Studios Releases First Trailer

DC Studios is taking a big swing with its next feature, Superman, a reboot of the titular superhero from writer-director James Gunn. After months of anticipatory buildup, the July release is now less than three months away. And while we’ve been privy to a teaser and an action scene, the first full trailer gives fans more than enough reason to strap in. With a new Clark Kent, a sassy Lois Lane, a host of DC favorites from the pantheon of heroes and villains, and one scene-stealing superdog, Gunn’s Superman looks to be a reboot full of heart and promise.

Journey of the Clark

DC fans know the oft-told origin stories of most of the heroes in their cinematic universe. But according to Gunn, that’s not the case here. Superman is not a typical origin story. Instead, the film has a more emotionally driven premise: Clark Kent’s struggle to bridge the parts of his life he wants to share with the world. On one hand, he’s the alien royal of Krypton. On the other hand, he’s a small-town Kansas boy. Thematically, this approach is a welcome one, and it gives the film weight even before audiences see it.

That character burden will fall on David Corenswet, who makes the jump to leading-man status after playing small but memorable roles in Pearl and the critically acclaimed HBO series Hollywood. Corenswet’s Clark/Superman is 25 years old, a number that makes his more-experienced take on the character a contrast to the new, fresh-faced Superman. In the trailer, he’s Clark Kent when not in costume, with a stronger aversion to the big-S powerset he’s known for. At least at the start. But, importantly, the character’s dual identity as Kent and Superman is most evident in the presence of Lois Lane.

Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) stars as Lois, the exact kind of whip-smart Lois Lane that we know and love from past DC films and shows: no-nonsense, hard to rattle, and a force to be reckoned with. We meet Lois in a mock interview she’s running through for an audience. Her stand-in for “Superman” in the roleplay is a white-haired, clean-cut reporter (holy moly, it’s Clark Kent), who seems more than a little impressed by Lois’ attempts to flirt (and cajole). Lois can take care of herself, but has Clark’s identity been fully confirmed in her head yet? Half of Reddit says she already knows. Half, including this writer, doesn’t think so. Check out the scene for yourself. The answer may lie in how their eyes are glued to one another in the shot as they take a breath after Lois’ blistering exposé of Clark-as-Superman.

Another high-profile star joining Gunn in his cinematic overhaul of DC is Nicholas Hoult, who plays Superman’s arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. The trailer has plenty of hints at the classical mad genius businessman, played up through his booming voice, expansive office, and pensive contemplation over his attempts to uncover Superman’s identity. Luthor isn’t alone in his villainy. There are also Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, and Terence Rosemore as Otis, two willing stooges in Luthor’s inner circle.

Krypto, Kaiju, and Familiar Faces

Speaking of the faithful dog, one of the breakout stars of the trailer is a familiar four-legged one. Krypto, Superman’s white dog of record, first made a debut last December during the release of the original teaser trailer. In the two minutes we saw of that teaser, Krypto saved the day by dragging an injured Superman to the relative safety of his Fortress of Solitude. The newest trailer gives Krypto the full treatment and shows him upstaging both Lex Luthor and Lex’s villain-of-the-week with a heroic spin. One scene, in particular, shows Krypto in a mano-a-paw battle with high-tech thug Angela Spica, also known as The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria). Dressed in body-hugging black spandex and armed with a wristblade of rotating nanomachines, The Engineer leads an assault on the Fortress of Solitude that Clark can’t even put a dent in.

While full-on kaiju invasion and massive battles are no strangers to DC movies, there is a ton to chew on between action sequences in the trailer. The first of these is, as previously mentioned, an introduction to a surprisingly large roster of lesser-known DC characters, but no less interesting ones. Nathan Fillion plays a short-haired Guy Gardner, the Green Lantern. Anthony Carrigan (You) plays Rex Mason/Metamorpho, a chemically altered shapeshifter who can use elements through his skin and body. Isabela Merced (Dolittle) appears as an avian warrior, Hawkgirl. Edi Gathegi (The Terror: Infamy) plays the mechanical-wristed genius, Michael Holt/Mister Terrific. And for an early look at a character we’ll all no doubt be hearing a lot more about, Milly Alcock plays Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl.

Parents Jonathan and Martha Kent are also teased with Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell, respectively, a solid choice given how much Clark’s earth-side family factor into his emotional journey in the film. One other DC crossover player fans may be familiar with is Frank Grillo, returning to his role as Rick Flag Sr. from the animated series Creature Commandos. Sean Gunn also makes an appearance as Maxwell Lord.

Heart and Fire, Friend and Foe

There are plenty of fist-pumping moments in the trailer. Jumping from rooftops, visiting the Fortress of Solitude, Kryptonian blood, punching rocket ships, and full-scale Kaiju apocalypses? We’ve got it all. But what stands out for this take on Superman is not the gusto, but the restraint. When Lois Lane grills him on his methods of doing the right thing and why they’re not appreciated by the powers that be (like the U.S. Secretary of Defense, for example), Clark takes a breath and tells her, “People were going to die!” The sentiment sums up the film, the trailer, and the character: for all his power, he’s a hero put in an impossible position. The power to do good or the power to try and do good. It’s a gray area that Clark seems hellbent on not being painted into. Or maybe that’s just his cover-up.

The humor and levity sprinkled throughout the trailer help punctuate that human part of Clark Kent, too. One small shot at the end of the trailer, in particular, hits it home: Superman in bed, in his element (literally). The man of steel is sleeping, or at least taking a hard-earned breather, with a full doghead atop his chest and an equally content Krypto lying on top of him. It’s only one shot in the trailer. But it’s a perfect snapshot of the emotional connection we can expect Gunn to make in Superman. Even during the big stuff, heart.

Superman looks like an epic crossover event not just of characters, but of the DC universe’s universe, with its stacked cast and varied tone. Gunn has been very vocal on both of those fronts for the project, and from the looks of this trailer, it’s a good thing.