First Trailer For James Gunn's 'Superman' Hints At Something Long Missing: Hope!

Look at that guy. I mean, just look at him. Ain’t he great?

I’ve never not been excited whenever another Superman project comes to fruition. There are other denizens of the pop culture void that I’ve gotten tired of over the years. I’m not so much interested in the MCU anymore and I've long since dropped Star Wars off at a farm up north to live and play with all the other little space operas. Even 2022’s The Batman (a film that I loved) was a theater-going experience that I had to be dragged into because I didn’t feel the particular need for another version of this character right off the heels of Ben Affleck’s iteration.

But when a Superman project comes along, I’m all ears ,and I sometimes wonder why. Maybe it's because he's the rays of a setting sun that lighten an otherwise dark room, or perhaps it's because he’s the physical embodiment of the song that The Grinch hears the citizens of Whoville singing. I mean, he is THE superhero. He was the first. If you look up “beacon of hope” in the dictionary, you will probably see a version of that Kryptonian’s face. In a world that has forgotten Spider-Man and boasts of heroes returning as Doctors of Doom and grieving witches enslaving entire towns with sitcom-inspired magic, it’s nice to look up in the sky and see not a bird nor a plane but Superman in all his hopeful wonder.

In the new trailer for James Gunn's Superman -- yet another reboot of the iconic Man of Steel meant to officially kick off Gunn's new DCU era -- we get that glorious John Williams score from the 1978 version of the movie starring Christoper Reeve, but this time via some wicked guitar riffs, but once the action starts, it reverts to its “proper” orchestral gloriousness. This is perhaps their way of saying that we are bringing you the spirit of something you know and love but we’re going to put our twist on it. Or James Gunn just likes gnarly guitars. The point is, I’m sold, and so are apparently millions of people around the world who suddenly realized that, after watching the trailer, behind the scenes photos shot on iPhones aren’t necessarily going to give you the best idea of what a film is going to look like visually after a director and other makers of movie magic get their hands on it.

I’m not going to pretend to be excited about Green Lantern or Hawk Girl or any of the other DC heroes that pop up in this movie (with the exception of Krypto, who is a very good boy). In the hands of someone like James Gunn, I’m sure they will shine, but it’s the guy with the big S on his chest that I’m anticipating watching while chomping on popcorn and sipping on Cherry Coke. Just look at him protect that girl from the dangerous flying debris. It’s nice to see the Man of Steel saving people again. Let's hope that the “burn the village to save it” approach has been left far behind in the dust. In an interview with Variety, James Gunn said, "It felt good to be doing something that was about a person’s kindness.” Amen.

On July 11th, we’re getting another Superman, and that’s not nothing. I doubt the film’s debut will move mountains like its titular hero, but it's just possible that we might have a good time at the movies and can soak in that warm feeling usually given to us when hope is on the horizon... as it should be.