The first thing you notice is the frame. Wide. Towering. Like a Kansas sky on a day when the clouds refuse to move. James Gunn's Superman—opening July 11, 2025, everywhere that still has a theater—wants you to feel that bigness. Wants you to feel, maybe, that hope can still fill the whole screen.
But let's get one thing straight: it wasn't shot on IMAX cameras. Not a single reel. And yet, the marketing screams “Filmed for IMAX,” as if the label itself could make you believe you're seeing something epic, something rare. It's a trick, sure—but it's also a trend. Post-production wizardry stretches the frame, polishes the grain, and suddenly you're promised “more movie” for your money. More Superman, more sky, more everything.
The Hype Machine, in Overdrive
IMAX just dropped their final featurette for Gunn's take on the Man of Steel. The video is all bluster and bravado: “Seeing Superman fly – we want as much frame as you possibly can.” It's the kind of line that sounds good in a boardroom and even better over a sizzle reel. But if you squint, you'll catch the seams—making-of snippets, cast in shadow, mostly there to keep the hype balloon afloat.
And hype is the word. David Corenswet steps into the cape, bringing a kind of earnestness that's almost unnerving in 2025. Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane is sharp, Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor looks like he hasn't slept in weeks (in a good way), and the supporting cast reads like a who's-who of “Wait, they're in this too?” Hollywood. Gunn, now the co-captain of DC Studios, has stacked the deck. But is it enough?
Superman, Reframed
Here's the pitch: Clark Kent, torn between the stars and the soil, trying to make sense of his Kryptonian legacy while mowing the metaphorical lawn in Smallville. The world thinks truth, justice, and the American way are old-fashioned. Superman disagrees. Or maybe he just can't let go. It's classic Gunn—heartfelt, a little meta, and just self-aware enough to get away with it.
But there's something else at play. This isn't just another reboot. It's a recalibration. Gunn's Superman (formerly Superman: Legacy) wants to be the bridge between nostalgia and the now. It's not afraid to wear its ideals on its sleeve—even if the world, and maybe the audience, rolls its eyes.
The IMAX Illusion
Let's talk about that “Filmed for IMAX” tag. It's everywhere. Posters, trailers, the whole nine yards. But it's a sleight of hand—one that's become almost standard. The movie was formatted for IMAX in post, giving you a taller frame, a little more picture, a little less letterbox. Is it a scam? Maybe. Is it effective? Absolutely. Because when Superman flies, you want to feel like you're flying too—even if it's just an illusion.
Why It Matters (Or Doesn't)
Here's the thing: nobody's pretending this movie is going to change the world. But it might—just might—remind us why we cared in the first place. Gunn's track record is weird, wild, and occasionally brilliant. He's the guy who made you cry over a talking raccoon. Now he wants you to believe in Superman again.
Will it work? I don't know. Maybe that's the point. Maybe the best thing a Superman movie can do in 2025 is make us hope, even if it's just for a couple of hours, in a theater that smells faintly of popcorn and nostalgia.
Details & Dates
- Title: Superman (formerly Superman: Legacy)
- Director/Screenwriter: James Gunn
- Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Skyler Gisondo, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell
- Produced by: Peter Safran, James Gunn for DC Studios
- Release Date: July 11, 2025 (worldwide)
- Format: Prepared for IMAX (not shot in IMAX)
