Up, up and Aarrrrrrrrrrrrh!!?

Footage of DC Studios highly anticipated revival of Superman is dividing fans of the iconic DC Comics character after a five-minute clip from the upcoming film (below) was released Thursday. The video depicted a suffering Man of Steel being assisted by his dog and a squadron of robots.

The film from writer-director James Gunn who is also co-chief of DC Studios is considered a critical make-or-break movie for the studio, which is heavily relying on the July 11 release to help launch a new generation of superhero titles. Some degree of social media snark about any superhero-related film is to be expected especially if a filmmaker is taking some risks with the material, as Gunn clearly is. The Guardians of the Galaxy director is shifting Superman into lighter territory following the glum-core aesthetic of director Zack Snyders take on the hero in films such as 2013s Man of Steel.

In the clip, a broken and battered Superman lays in the snow as hes pummeled even further by his over-enthusiastic dog Krypto, causing him to wince in pain. Krypto gamely drags him back to his Fortress of Solicitude. There, Superman is assisted by a quartet of robotic caretakers who heal him with magnified sunlight, causing him to scream and writhe in agony. This is followed by a series of brief shots from the rest of the film.

The online reaction has been pretty strong and apparently comes down to two factors: Do you want a Superman who is more impervious and god-like, or one thats more human and vulnerable? Do you want a Superman movie that takes itself quite seriously, or one thats more comedic?

First, here are a sampling from the naysayers from across X, Reddit and YouTube:

The real Superman doesnt need a bunch of robots to carry him over to a table to healand doesnt whine like a little bitch when the sun hits him.

Snyders Superman literally took a nuke at point blank range and healed from the sun without feeling any pain from its radiation, which is accurate in the Comics. Gunns mediocre interpretation is screaming in agony.

James Gunn gets it, they said. He wont make it a stupid comedy, they said. They said he understood the assignment. That was the worst Superman clip I have ever seen. Its an utter joke and its all about Krypto.

Now, here are some of the positive takes, which seem to be in the majority:

How in the name of hell can anyone not like this preview? Im convinced some people just like to rage hate. This looks so Superman its insane.

By far, far and away, the best part of this trailer is that there is ZERO cynicism, zero moral grayness, zero self loathing, zero sense that Superman is a vigilante. Its a romantic, idealistic, innocent vision which is pure awesome.

Love the design of Fortress of Solitude and the giant double doors with the House of El symbol that lights up. We have Krypto, Kelex and the other service robots. This is very silver age and all star superman and I fuckin love it!

The dog being a rambunctious little shit jumping all over you at the worst possible time is incredibly relatable. Also, good lord, everything about the Fortress looks great. This movie is Superman as fuck.

Or, as one user summed up the debate:

What kind of Superman fan are you? pic.twitter.com/eX6R1dbwtj

Heavy Spoilers (@heavyspoilers) April 4, 2025 DC titles have endured several years of box office struggle due to a string of modestly reviewed efforts (such as The Flash, Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), coupled with facing the all-too-familiar specter of superhero fatigue. Now Gunn and his DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran, who were not in charge of DC when those films were made, are wiping the slate largely clean with Superman.

At CinemaCon, Gunn appeared alongside Safran, while starsDavid Corenswet(Superman),Rachel Brosnahan(Lois Lane) andNicholas Hoult(Lex Luthor) also took the stage.

From the stage, Gunn shared, I cannot wait to share the film with all you guys and the rest of the world. He added, Were still in the throes of postproduction.

Superman is distributed byWarner Bros. The cast also includes Skyler Gisondo (Jimmy Olsen), Sara Sampaio (Eve Teschmacher), Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific), Terence Rosemore (Otis), Anthony Carrigan (Metamorpho), Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl), Nathan Fillion (Guy Gardner) and Mara Gabriela de Fara (The Engineer).