Just when the crowd at CinemaCon thought they’d seen it all, director James Gunn made sure everyone was talking about Superman. The DC Studios boss just dropped a four-minute footage of his upcoming Superman film online. The move comes right before Marvel’s big Las Vegas presentation. “Check out this Sneak Peek of #Superman, flying into theaters July 11,” Gunn posted, letting fans know the footage is finally public.
A wounded Superman, a loyal Krypto and a fortress full of secrets
After its first show on April 1 and the buzz around Superman’s loyal dog Krypto, we finally get a closer look at the teaser. It opens with a wounded and bloodied Man of Steel crash-landing in a snowy, desolate patch near the Fortress of Solitude. He’s bruised, barely hanging on. You can see his breath puffing up little flurries of snow as he lies there, lifeless. That’s when he lets out a soft whistle, and Krypto, his adorable loyal dog, comes flying in. He quickly realises something’s off. Superman isn’t okay. So, he grabs him and pulls him into the Fortress, where Kryptonian robots are waiting.
One of them, Robot 4, is voiced by Alan Tudyk. You’ll probably recognise the voice if you’ve seen Rogue One or I, Robot. The robots take one look at Superman and hit him with a strong blast of concentrated sunlight to speed up his healing. The treatment clearly hurts—Corenswet’s Superman lets out a deep, painful scream as his broken bones and damaged organs begin to heal.
Check out this Sneak Peek of #Superman, flying into theaters July 11. pic.twitter.com/hqLYhFG0Ur
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 3, 2025
“DC has never been more back, oh my god,” a fan commented. “Absolutely stunning! And what an inspiring song. Thank you, @JamesGunn, for bringing back a Superman we can truly believe in. Up, up, and away!” Another wrote, “This trailer has a 1970s retro vibe with a touch of Christopher Reeve’s Superman. The bright look adds to its nostalgic charm,” a third added. The teaser on X has garnered 21.3 million views already (at the time of writing).
Here you go: the #Superman trailer. Krypto, take us home.
Watch the teaser trailer now and ❤ this post to get updates from @superman before it hits theaters this July. pic.twitter.com/w77kiKef54
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2024
Before debuting the footage at CinemaCon, James Gunn opened up about how deeply personal this Superman story is to him. Back in 2018, he was offered both Superman and The Suicide Squad. He chose the latter. “It was an R-rated movie about a bunch of ragtag heroes,” Gunn said, according to Deadline. “That was the easy way.” But the idea of Superman never left him.
“It stuck with me. How can you take a character seen as old-fashioned and make him feel real today? One day, it hit me—I wanted to tell a story that was utterly human and utterly fantastic,” he explained.
Also read: Superman co-creator Joseph Shuster’s estate sues Warner Bros over film’s copyright
For Gunn, this isn’t just a superhero film. It’s about heart. About love. About kindness. In his words: “This is a movie that celebrates kindness and human love. I want people to walk out feeling more connected to the person they came in with.” Gunn took inspiration from classic Max Fleischer cartoons, his own late dog, and his signature blend of sincerity and spectacle. “I want people to have that magical feeling when they come out of the movie and they love the person they came with a little more than when they went in,” he said.
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The CinemaCon event also hosted Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), David Corenswet (Superman), and Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane). The upcoming film is the launchpad for the new DC Universe, which kicks off with “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.” With risky, lesser-known characters like Clayface, Swamp Thing, and Supergirl following, it’s clear DC is counting on Superman to set the tone and bring back fans in a big way.
