“Eyes up here,” the Man of Steel says in the latest trailer for his new film.
It’s good advice for anyone watching it because there’s quite a bit to absorb over its three-minute runtime. The Lois and Clark chemistry! The Kents! The action! Krypto!! There’s plenty to unearth and discover as well, with the new trailer giving us our best glimpse yet of this Superman’s world and the all-new DC Universe.
Here are some of the cool things I caught, and why I think they’re worth discussing.
The Interview
The trailer is anchored around an interview between Lois Lane and Superman, and David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan’s chemistry shines throughout it. The exchange reveals so much about both characters, their relationship and what drives them. We already know from other footage that Clark and Lois share a romantic relationship and that Lois knows Clark is Superman, so Clark begins the conversation thinking this will be a playful softball from his girlfriend. However, Lois never stops being a journalist, and she takes the opportunity to ask her boyfriend the hard questions.
So much of this gets to the heart of who both characters are. Lois is the one who grounds Superman and gets him to look at the bigger picture. She’s someone who sees truth as the most important thing. “People were going to die,” Clark cries, as he defends his actions. That primal response shows for Superman, it’s about saving people above all else, regardless of the consequences.
The Engineer in Action
We got our first good look at the Engineer along with a sense of how the film is going to handle her powers. The shot of her turning her hands into buzzsaws was menacing. We also see more of her stadium fight with Superman and we see Mister Terrific on the ground. Does this mean that the Engineer took him out early in the battle? She certainly has no problem taking out the Superman robots! Angela Spica is definitely a force to be reckoned with.
Krypto the Guard Dog
Throughout the leadup to Superman, we’ve seen a lot of Krypto (and I can’t get enough), but this trailer revealed a new side to him—the guard dog. When Lex and the Engineer invade the Fortress of Solitude (!!!), Krypto defends his best friend’s sanctuary. The Superdog knocks the Engineer over, and she appears to be shocked by just how powerful the dog is. Don’t mess with the best guard dog in the DC Universe.
Seriously…if Lex or the Engineer hurt that dog, there is going to be trouble.
Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen
At one point in the trailer, we get a brief shot of Clark and Jimmy at the Daily Planet, and the two of them seem to be overjoyed about something. I don’t know what has them so excited, but I love seeing Clark and Jimmy living in the moment. It’s a great glimpse into their friendship. By the way, did you see that Superman toy on the bulletin board? And is it just me, or does that postcard of Superman on the same bulletin board look a good deal like Jim Lee’s iconic cover for Superman #204?
Easter Eggs
If you know me, then you know that I love Easter eggs, and this trailer gave me a basket of them. Lois Lane’s digital recorder had a LordTech logo on it, giving us a hint at the presence Maxwell Lord’s company will have in this film. There’s also a LordTech building and LordTech field. We know Maxwell Lord is played by James Gunn’s brother Sean in the film, and sharp-eyed viewers may have previously caught the LordTech logos on Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl and Guy Gardner’s uniforms.
During the Metropolis footage, I saw a Waid street sign (oh hi, Mark), a Stagg office sign and an advertisement for Big Belly Burger, the DC Universe’s premier fast food joint. Clark’s bedroom had a pennant for the Smallville Giants, his high school football team, as seen in 1986’s The Man of Steel #1.
I also saw what looked like a Choco executive meeting being attacked by a mechanical menace. For those who don’t know, Chocos are the DC Universe version of Oreos, which debuted in 1987’s Justice League International #8.
Finally, near the end of the trailer, you may catch a poster for the Mighty Crab Boys, a fictional band that seems to be a recurring reference in this new DC Universe. At one point Frankenstein wore the band’s t-shirt in Creature Commandos and a billboard for the group can be seen in the latest Peacemaker trailer.
Heroes of the DC Universe
The trailer gave us some great new footage of some of the DC Universe’s other super-powered heroes. We get a few shots of Mister Terrific and see some creative uses for his T-Spheres, from tossing enemies to serving as a hoverchair. We also see Guy Gardner use his Green Lantern Ring to create a giant hand and slap a bunch of soldiers and their vehicles. Yeah, that’s classic Guy. And Hawkgirl swinging into action, with a face that makes it clear she means business. (Also, how great is it seeing Isabela Merced in the role with how she’s been absolutely killing it this season on The Last of Us? Her star is definitely on the rise.)
Of course, there are also the heroes who aren’t on the best of terms with Superman, like Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr. At one point he seems to have Superman in custody, which leads me to believe that Superman’s international humanitarian efforts might have some unintended consequences. Of course, if Grillo’s character looks a little familiar to you, that’s because he’s been showing up in quite a few of these early DC Studios projects. He was most recently seen in the teaser for Peacemaker’s new season (along with Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner and Merced’s Hawkgirl), but fans really got to know him on last season’s Creature Commandos, in which he plays a major role. Be sure to watch that ahead of Superman if you haven’t yet seen it.
And speaking of other heroes…
The Elemental Man
I have so many thoughts and theories surrounding Metamorpho. We see Superman being led to a cell, where Metamorpho is waiting. The Elemental Man appears to have a Kryptonite hand, which reminds me of the Superman vs. Metamorpho battle in the Justice League episode “Metamorphosis.” I noticed a blonde female in the cell next to them. Who could that be? My mind is racing.
“I will not accept that.”
Throughout the trailer, we cut back to Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, looking as menacing as ever. His presence in the Fortress of Solitude shows just how far Luthor’s reach is, and how his resources give him the power to strike at Superman from anywhere. Beyond that, there’s a line from Hoult which gets to the heart of Lex’s rivalry with Superman.
“He’s not a man, he’s an ‘it’ that’s somehow become the focal point of the entire world’s conversation. I will not accept that.”
This is classic Lex Luthor. In the end, he can’t stand Superman taking the spotlight from him and his desire to be the main character drives their rivalry. Hoult’s delivery captures the obsession, the insanity, and the menace of Luthor that we know from the comics. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.
Home
Since their debut in 1939’s Superman #1, Jonathan and Martha Kent have served as Superman’s moral compass. This film seems to be playing up that angle, as we see Clark Kent talking to Pruitt Taylor Vince’s Jonathan Kent, trying to make sense of his place in the world. We also see what looks like a childhood flashback of Clark embracing his father, showing just how important that relationship and upbringing is.
This trailer also gives us our first official look at Neva Howell as Martha Kent, and she absolutely nails it. The scene where she tells Clark she’s cleaned his boots is absolutely wholesome and reminds me of some of the early Post-Crisis stories with the Kents. And then there’s the shot of Jonathan and Martha comforting Clark as he lays down in bed. This is what home must feel like.
Jonathan also delivers a line that seems to be the thesis statement for the movie and Superman as a character: “Your choices, your actions, that’s what makes you who you are.”
Superman is going to make me cry, isn’t it?
I could go on, but how about I hand it over to you? Did you catch anything in the new trailer that I missed? Have any theories or speculation on what it could all mean? Let’s discuss it over in the DC Official Discord server, where I’m sure we’ll be talking about this movie all summer long!
Superman, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult, lands in theaters and Imax on July 11, 2025.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, “Gotham Gazette.” Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
