It’s tough out there for DC fans.

The comic book company that’s been around (in various forms) since 1935 has, in recent times, taken a bit of a back-seat to its primary comic competitor, Marvel, with that company’s astounding success over the last 20-some years in translating its properties and characters to blockbuster movies and streaming TV in a largely cohesive and entertaining fashion.

DC, during this time, has tried its best to maintain pace in having its most popular characters make the jump from the page to the silver screen, but with each miss, things started to feel a bit more “panicky” in terms of keeping up with their competition; with a growing selection of movies and TV series that just didn’t fit together tonally, the company seemed like they were trying too hard to “get it right,” and the more they tried, the more it seemed they were destined to fail.

Enter the smart choice a few years back to hand the film-centric entertainment reins to industry stalwarts Peter Safran and James Gunn. Together, they presented “DC Studios,” the company’s new(ish) arm focused on getting things back on track for the Hollywood side of the story-telling pieces of the puzzle. After soft-launching with a few smaller-scale TV series, Safran & Gunn are officially looking to get things cooking with the first major motion picture release of their tenure, “Superman.”

I’m here to tell you: it’s a hit. Gunn has long had my trust, even before his stellar work with Marvel in creating the trio of “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies, dating all the way to his quirkier films like sci-fi/horror mash-up “Slither” and even early on in his career with with the low-budget but endearingly-earnest Troma Entertainment productions. He and his team don’t disappoint with “Superman.”

I could sit here and write paragraphs doing a deep dive into the nuances of the film: its character work that trusts the audience to know a bit about this whole super-fellow and his tangential supporting cast of characters so that we don’t have to have YET ANOTHER original story to slog through; its balance of comedic elements and a real understanding of what makes a super-powered alien feel in many ways more human than the average human being; and the need to tell a story in this day & age that is equal parts action-packed, humorous, and dangerous, while still giving us tender moments and a lot of “thinker” bits about society and how we treat our fellow people on the whole.

Will it be everyone’s cup of tea? Assuredly not, but as far as “summer blockbusters” go, it really sets the bar high and should genuinely entertain most of its viewers. No spoilers here on plot details, post-credits scenes (yes, they’re there) and the like, but trust me on this one… just go see it, you’ll be happy that you did.

Especially if you’re a DC fan. The “tough sledding” may well be over for you all for a while, and god bless you for sticking through – you’re rewarded here with a gem of a movie in “Superman.”

“Superman,” DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.

DC Studios heads Peter Safran and Gunn are producing the film, which Gunn directs from his own screenplay, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

The film stars David Corenswet (“Twisters,” “Hollywood”) in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult (the “X-Men” movies, “Juror #2”) as Lex Luthor. The film also stars Edi Gathegi (“For All Mankind”), Anthony Carrigan (“Barry,” “Gotham”), Nathan Fillion (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “The Suicide Squad”), Isabela Merced (“Alien Romulus”), Skyler Gisondo (“Licorice Pizza,” “Booksmart”), Sara Sampaio (“At Midnight”), María Gabriela de Faría (“The Moodys”), Wendell Pierce (“Selma,” “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”), Alan Tudyk (“Andor”), Pruitt Taylor Vince (“Bird Box”) and Neva Howell (“Greedy People”).

“Superman” is executive produced by Nikolas Korda, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars Winther. Behind the camera, Gunn is joined by frequent collaborators, including director of photography Henry Braham, production designer Beth Mickle, costume designer Judianna Makovsky and composer John Murphy, along with composer David Fleming (“The Last of Us”) and editors William Hoy (“The Batman”) and Craig Alpert (“Deadpool 2,” “Blue Beetle”).

“Superman” releases in US theaters on July 11, 2025.