The Man of Steel is set to make a triumphant return in James Gunn's upcoming film, *Superman*, with the latest trailer stirring excitement ahead of its July launch. The trailer showcases lead actor David Corenswet's compelling performance and highlights the dynamic action sequences featuring Superman's beloved dog, Krypto. However, the trailer has sparked a buzz among fans, not just for its action-packed scenes but for the sheer volume of characters and plot elements it introduces.
On the r/Superman subreddit, fans have shared mixed reactions. One user commented, "Strong start to the trailer, but then practically every shot was another new character and I started worrying how the movie was going to tell a coherent story." Another fan echoed the sentiment, saying, "I'm gonna love it, he looks great as Superman, he looks great as Clark Kent, but the movie looks like it might be a bit busy, there's a lot going on here."
A third fan expressed excitement but also concern about the numerous cameos, stating, "Now this, I love this trailer. From someone who never really liked the dark DC vibe I’m excited to experience a true comic superhero movie. But am I the only one who is worried for all the cameos that are in the trailer? Like I swear I was counting like 8 friends and foes in this movie. I know they want to set up James Gunn’s DCU with this but I would prefer it to be less heavy on cameo fodder and take more time to develop the characters that are needed to tell the story that they’re trying to tell."
The trailer indeed features a diverse array of characters, including Clark Kent’s Earth parents, love interest Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and several villains, with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) as the central antagonist. While some fans worry about the film being potentially overcrowded, others are thrilled at the prospect of these character introductions.
Here's a list of all the characters revealed so far in *Superman*:
- Superman
- Lois Lane
- Lex Luthor
- Mister Terrific
- Guy Gardner
- Hawkgirl
- Metamorpho
- The Engineer
- The Hammer of Boravia
- Ultraman
- Rick Flag Sr.
- Supergirl
- Maxwell Lord
- Kryptonian robots, including Kelex
- Krypto
- Jonathan Kent
- Martha Kent
- Perry White
- Jimmy Olsen
- Steve Lombard
- Cat Grant
- Ron Troupe
- Eve Teschmacher
- Otis
One fan defended the packed cast, saying, "I'm glad there's a lot going on. We've seen him fight Lex & Zod countless times at this point, I want to see him completely overwhelmed and emerge as a symbol of hope." Another pointed out, "It’s side characters, less cameos. Like Iron Man had several side characters." A third fan added, "I don't feel like it's such a big deal honestly. Movies usually need secondary/side characters. Gunn here is just filling in those spots with rather big names, but I doubt he'll give them more than what they need."
Superman: Behind the Scenes Cast and Character Images
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Despite concerns about the film being overstuffed, fans remain eager to see how Gunn manages the runtime and integrates these characters. One user noted, "It looks good but wondering how they’re going to shoehorn so many different characters into one movie," to which another replied, "It's not any more characters than the average comic book movie. It's fine." A witty response even drew a comparison to another Gunn project: "Kinda like Guardians of the Galaxy…?"
James Gunn has reassured fans that the film is not an ensemble piece, emphasizing during an Instagram Live session at the beginning of 2025 that "At the middle of everything is Clark, Lois, and Lex. It’s about these three characters." How he balances this focus with the expansive cast will be a key factor in the film's success.
*Superman* is set to soar into theaters on July 11, 2025.
