The DC Universe’s first official release has only increased the pressure on James Gunn’sSuperman, but the film still has a lot going for it.James Gunn’sSupermanmovieis set for release in July 2025 and marks the true beginning of the DCU’s overarching story.Supermanis the firstmovie in the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monstersand, as such, is looking to kickstart the franchise into an age of cinematic storytelling that has been absent from DC for a long while.
Superman’s cast of charactersis expected to establish the foundations of the franchise, but it is the film’s writer and director that faces the most pressure. Gunn’sSupermanmust achieve all of these elements to be deemed a success, all while performing well enough commercially to warrant the complete restart of the DC Universe. Now, the pressure on theupcoming DC moviehas been increased thanks to the highly successful release of the DC Universe’s first project.
Creature Commandos
Cast
Creature Commandos follows the exploits of a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for perilous missions unsuitable for humans. Released in December 2024, the film explores themes of redemption and collaboration as the monstrous squad is tasked with handling threats that present dire challenges beyond human capability.
The project in question isCreature Commandos, the first official DCU story despiteSupermanbeing dubbed as the true beginning of the franchise.Creature Commandoswas written and created by Gunn just asSupermanis, with the former becoming the filmmaker’s highest-rated superhero projectin history. This is no small feat, given that the other projects it has outdone regarding critical reception include theGuardians of the Galaxytrilogy,The Suicide Squad, andPeacemaker.
Guardians of the Galaxy
92%
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
85%
87%
90%
82%
93%
89%
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81%
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
95%
WithCreature Commandos' immense success in mind, it is worth noting that the series only has 39 reviews in comparison toThe Suicide Squad’s 383, for example. However, the series has a lot of elements that are causing it to be revered. For one, it capitalizes on the formula Gunn has become excellent at by bringing a group of morally questionable characters together to form a found family, like theGuardianstrilogy andThe Suicide Squadbefore it. Beyond that, it is simply well-written, has strong animation, funny humor, excellent action scenes, and all theDCU Easter eggsone needs.
James Gunn’s Superman Movie Is The First Real Test For The DC Universe
Superman Needs To Be A Success More Than Any Other Project
As alluded to,Creature Commandos' success only makes it more vital forSupermanto pass the first true test the DCU has faced. After all,Creature Commandoswas a smaller, less popular way of introducing the DCU to audiences.Superman,however, is expected to be a global sensation. This was proven by the record-breaking views ofSuperman’s first trailer. For this reason, as well as many other elements of the film that have been confirmed before its release,Supermanis a bigger test for the franchise thanCreature Commandosproved to be.
As the first movie release of the DCU,Supermanalready faces a lot of pressure. Not only that, butGunn has regularly reiterated that the movie will be the first official step in the DCU’s overarching story, which places more stakes on its success than the smaller, more self-contained story ofCreature Commandos. Similarly,Supermanwas the first story announced by Gunn after he became the co-CEO of DC Studios, meaning it was always viewed as the starting point of the franchise.Creature Commandos’success proves it passed its own tests, butSuperman’s hurdles are on another level completely.
Superman Is Different From Gunn’s Past Superhero Projects In More Ways Than One
The Differences Of Superman Add Another Potential Obstacle
As well as the other aforementioned reasons, the fact thatSupermanis different in several ways from Gunn’s past superhero projects adds more pressure. Of Gunn’s eight Marvel or DC projects since 2014 - countingSuperman- only two of them have focused on individual characters, withSupermanbeing the second. The first wasPeacemaker, and even that contained a hefty subplot about the titular hero learning to work with other characters, like Emelia Harcourt, John Economos, Vigilante, and Leota Adebayo. Even more so thanPeacemakerdid,Supermanwill likely focus on the titular hero more closely.
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This contrasts with projects like theGuardians of the Galaxytrilogy,The Suicide Squad, andCreature Commandos, all of which focused on a team of vigilantes and antiheroes coming together as a found family. WhereCreature Commandossucceeded in leaning into this trend from Gunn’s superhero filmmaking past,Supermanwill have to succeed in doing something different entirely. For this reason, the pressure on the DCU’s first film only increases.
Another waySupermanis different is by focusing on a morally incorruptible character. Superman is a paragon of justice and hope in DC, which is much different from the murderers, thieves, monsters, and outlaws focused on in theGuardianstrilogy,The Suicide Squad,Peacemaker, andCreature Commandos. Although Gunn is excellent at writing these morally questionable characters to be sympathetic to the audience,Supermanis different entirely in that the character is inherently good from the off, adding another dose of pressure to the movie.
James Gunn’s Superman Can Still Be A Major Success
Superman Still Looks Promising As The DCU’s True Beginning
The enormous sense of pressure that has built forSupermanaside, the film still looks set to be a major success. The immense focus that has been placed on it by DC Studios from a marketing perspective all but guarantees the film will be a financial success for the DCU. Critically, there is also a lot going for it. Regardless ofSuperman’s differences from the filmmaker’s past projects, James Gunn has yet to put out a superhero project that is not great, at the very least. This track record bodes well forSuperman, differences or no.
The trailer forSupermanalso looked excellent, portraying a tone that is endlessly hopeful and will introduce a lot of fantastical DC Comics elements to the live-action franchise. The cast assembled forSupermanis also excellent and incredibly promising, as are the connections to future DCU projects likeSupergirl: Woman of TomorrowandLanterns, to name but a few.Superman’s exposure may mean it does not quite matchCreature Commandosin the way of majoritively positive reviews, but there is a lot that can be factored in when exploring why the film may overcome the pressure it is facing,
Superman
Superman (2025): Superman follows the dual life of Clark Kent, a journalist in Metropolis, as he endeavors to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Set against a backdrop of personal discovery, the film explores his journey of identity as he navigates his existence in a complex world.
