Ahead of Superman (2025) Review Embargo, Critics Share First Reactions

After quite a wait and massive anticipation, Superman has finally reached the audience through its grand world premiere. And while the full reviews are still under wraps, the first reactions to Superman (2025) are out, and they are mostly positive. The world premiere took place in Los Angeles on Monday night at the iconic TCL Chinese Theater, where a lucky few got an early look at the movie. The Superman (2025) review embargo will lift at 3 AM EST today. So, here are the first reactions before we receive reviews from critics.

Superman (2025) First Reactions Before Embargo Lifts

Reading through the Superman first reactions, honestly, felt like those lucky enough to watch the movie were transported straight back to their childhood, watching a comic book leap off the page and come to life on screen.

One such reaction came from Perri Nemiroff, who praised Superman (2025) for its balance of action, humor, and above all, the genuine humanity at the heart of Superman. She also applauded David Corenswet for his commitment to the role and congratulated James Gunn and his entire team for pulling it off. In her post, she said—

“Superman made me so damn happy. The movie is loaded with exhilarating action set pieces and well-placed humor and levity, but the beating heart of the film is Superman’s humanity, and his insistence on doing good and making the world a better place. David Corenswet brings such an infectious determination and warmth to the role that it makes that pursuit all-consuming and impossibly heartening. Making that an even more robust aspect of the movie, Gunn and co. don’t shy away from exploring the challenges one might encounter when trying to navigate our reality while holding tight to those core values.”

Another reaction came from Brandon Davis, who simply said that Superman is a triumph for DC. According to Brandon, the movie is quite literally a comic book brought to life, and he even confessed to crying tears of joy while watching the movie. In his post, he said—

“It’s a comic book brought to beautiful live-action life, brimming with hope & fulfillment. It actually elicited tears of joy from me. It’s a Superman for everyone. David Corenswet was born for Superman & Clark Kent. Loved it.”

Once again, a positive reaction came from Erik Davis, who pretty much dropped a full-on mini review for Superman (2025) on X, and let’s just say, it was all praise and no complaints. He went on to highlight how exciting and vibrant the film is, applauding its colorful tone and the stellar performances across the board. Erik didn’t stop there; he also gave James Gunn a well-deserved shoutout for his masterful execution of Superman’s big-screen return. He said:

“James Gunn’s Superman is the perfect superhero movie and a terrific start for the new DC Studios. It’s big, bright, exciting, full of hope & it never loses its sense of wonder. Watching it felt like ripping open a comic book & feasting on its wild, chaotic imagination. Loved it! Gunn sets up his universe right from the start and jumps into Superman’s story when he’s at his lowest point. It’s narrative choices like that which help make this feel unlike any Superman story we’ve experienced before on the big screen. Gunn goes out of his way to change things up and shake loose our expectations, but it still plays like a classic Superman adventure at the same time….”

Following this, another glowing reaction came our way from Courtney Howard, and, unsurprisingly, it was all praise once again. She shared that Superman truly soars and specifically appreciated David Corenswet for his heroic and heartfelt portrayal of the Man of Steel. Courtney also gave a shoutout to Nicholas Hoult, calling his Lex Luthor a standout, and didn’t forget to applaud Rachel Brosnahan’s take on Lois Lane. Oh, and yes, Krypto, the Superdog, got some well-deserved love too. She wrote—

“Superman absolutely soars! An awesome achievement & hopeful balm, honoring past iterations (cinema & comics) while cutting its own path. Corenswet has that heroic shimmer. Hoult is delightfully diabolical. Brosnahan brims w/ vim & vigor. Krypto’s adorbs.”

Another wholesome reaction to the world premiere of Superman (2025) came from Joseph Deckelmeier. He praised the film for capturing the pure comic book magic of Superman and bringing it to life on the big screen. According to him, watching Superman (2025) felt like watching his childhood leap straight out of the pages of a comic book. In his post, he wrote—

“James Gunn and the cast really bottled that classic Superman magic in this film. As someone who grew up buried in DC Comics, this felt like watching my childhood leap off the page in real-time. It’s for families, comic book nerds, & anyone who has ever loved a good dog story.”

However, There Are Some Negative/Mixed Reviews as Well

While a majority of reviews for Superman turned out to be positive, some people were dissatisfied with what James Gunn had put forward. One such review came from ViewerAnon, who was not exactly dissatisfied with the movie but did not like certain elements incorporated in the film. He said that the episodic structure of the movie did not work for him, and even though he had fun watching it, it didn’t exactly tickle the nerve he wanted Superman to. He wrote—

“Superman Movie is pretty good. There’s less of an overarching plot than a series of episodes. Some are great (Superman vs. Kaiju!), some are not (Superman must escape inter-dimensional prison) Easily James Gunn’s weakest comic book movie but I still had fun.”

Another mixed review came from JoBlo, who stated that their critic said that he didn’t hate Superman, but it was not as good as he hoped it to be. They also stated that Superman does not feature enough of Lois Lane and Clark Kent. In their X post, they stated-

“We saw Superman and it was a mixed bag for our critic. Not a disaster at all (has some great moments) but not as good as hoped for. Oddly the movie short-changed a vital character – Lois Lane and, surprisingly, Clark Kent. Lots of Supes, not much Clark.”

Another negative review came from Andrew J. Salazar who said that Superman is fine at best and there is simply too much going on in the movie and while David and Rachel are amazing together, the time they have together is just not enough. He commented—

“Saving more of my thoughts… but Superman  is just fine. Very ambitious in trying to thrust us into a new universe, but there is simply *too much* going on in Superman’s first solo movie. David and Rachel are *amazing* but there’s not enough time with them together.”

So, looking at all these reactions, it’s safe to say that Superman (2025) is shaping up to bring some of the best comic book action we’ve seen in a long time and while there are some mixed reactions, it’s only natural. But of course, the internet is going to be the internet.