Superman’s ‘woke’ reboot blasted by critics amid ‘immigrant’ hero row as negative reviews slam ‘charmless’ flick
James Gunn’s Superman reboot has been met with a barrage of negative reviews from critics who have branded the film “pointless,” “cluttered,” and a “migraine of a movie.”
The Guardian awarded the film just two stars, with reviewer Peter Bradshaw describing it as a “dim reboot” featuring David Corenswet playing the Man of Steel with “square-faced soullessness.”
The Times was equally scathing in its two-star review, with Kevin Maher calling it an “indigestible mush” and suggesting Gunn approached the project “like a giddy amnesiac who has missed the precipitous rise and fall of multi-character Marvel superhero movies.”
The Irish Times delivered perhaps the harshest verdict, describing the film as “utterly charmless” and “as funny as toothache.”
The controversy extends beyond the film’s artistic merits to its political messaging, with Gunn facing backlash for describing Superman as “the story of America” and comparing the character to an “immigrant”.
“I mean, Superman is the story of America,” Gunn told The Sunday Times of London. “An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”
Fox News personality Greg Gutfeld accused the filmmaker of operating with “a woke shield” and being out of touch with American sentiment.
Kellyanne Conway, former Trump adviser, criticised Gunn for using cinema to push ideology, stating: “We don’t go to the movie theater to be lectured to and to have somebody throw their ideology onto us.”
Critics have taken particular issue with the film’s tonal inconsistencies and overcrowded narrative.
Donald Clarke of The Irish Times noted that “rarely has an actor appeared in virtually every scene of a film while barely being in the thing at all,” criticising Corenswet’s limited portrayal of Clark Kent.
The Los Angeles Times’ Amy Nicholson described the plot as “impatient but entertaining enough,” whilst noting that Gunn’s script makes Superman “a little stupid” who “gets beaten senseless again” after rushing back into battle before healing.
Empire’s Sophie Butcher complained that “the final act sinks into CGI chaos, with an unsatisfying climax, an eye-roll-inducing reveal, a restlessly intermittent tone, and an insistence on prioritising things and people we don’t really care about over core characters.”
The film’s departure from traditional Superman values has drawn sharp criticism from multiple reviewers.
Bradshaw questioned the repetitive nature of superhero films, asking: “How many more superhero films in general, and Superman films in particular, do we need to see that all end with the same spectacular faux-apocalypse in the big city with CGI skyscrapers collapsing?”
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The Irish Times’ Donald Clarke lamented the absence of humanity in the film, noting that “excising the story of Superman’s arrival on Earth, his courtship of Lois and his evolution as superhero doesn’t just deprive the film of useful structure; it also deprives it of vital humanity.”
Conservative commentator Chris Stigall argued that DC Comics had abandoned Superman’s traditional motto, suggesting “the hard left couldn’t have an iconic superhero actually standing up for the country.”
Despite the overwhelmingly negative reception, some critics acknowledged positive elements within the film.
The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney admitted the film felt “lumpy and overstuffed,” though he praised it as “fun, pacy and enjoyable, a breath of fresh air sweetened by a deep affection for the material.”
Rachel Brosnahan received particular praise, with Empire noting she was “spiky and engaging as Lois, breathing life into a role with minimal dimension otherwise.”
Gunn recently dismissed concerns about box office expectations, telling GQ: “They hear these numbers that the movie’s only going to be successful if it makes $700 million or something and it’s just complete and utter nonsense.”
The film, which reportedly cost $225 million to produce, opens in UK cinemas on Friday, July 11.