“Maybe kindness is the real punk rock.”

Superman 2025

In an era when superheroes are stoic and gritty and chase darkness like it is the only way to be taken seriously, James Gunn’s Superman dares to do something different: be kind. And yet, this feels more rebellious than any bloody, cape-flipping warehouse fight scene in recent memory. 

This is not just a tonal shift; it’s a genre correction. Gunn’s Superman doesn’t just excel; it resets our expectations for comic book films. So what does this shift mean for the future of the DC Universe? Now that the Gunn is loaded, will upcoming films be able to ride this wave, or will they let it fizzle out? Can Marvel find its footing again, or will it fall under the shadow of the new DCU? 

Filmmaker James Gunn is known for directing the Guardians of the Galaxy film trilogy for Marvel. In 2022, he became the co-lead and creative head for the new DC Universe. The DCU is the new plan to reboot, organize, and streamline the future of all new DC movies, shows, and games into one connected storyline. 

The first official theatrical entry of the DCU is Superman, a bright, colorful, and hopeful piece of cinema and a return to form not seen since the Christopher Reeves films of the 1980s. The film isn’t trying to be edgy or ironic; it’s simply trying to be honest. That is exactly what makes Superman and the entire new DCU feel fresh. If this film can be the blueprint, what comes next for the DCU could be truly special. 

The DCU’s next film is Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. which is already confirmed to be very different than Superman. Based on the masterful work of Tom King, it is expected to be a much more emotionally raw film, one that is cosmic in scale. Supergirl will center around Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin, and journey through grief and isolation. While the Man of Steel represents hope, the Girl of Steel represents resilience. But will the DCU manage to replicate the magic of Superman, or will it cause the the end for our DCU before it ever truly takes off? 

Moraine Valley humanities professor Marc DiPaolo is the author of the book War, Politics and Superheroes: Ethics and Propaganda in Comics and Film. He sees James Gunn’s new Superman film as a much-needed course correction.

“Oh, for me, Superman is way better than Man of Steel,” he said. “Man of Steel had a lot to like: Lois figuring it out, a more complicated Zod, but it was very much a post-9/11, ash-covered, depressing superhero movie, and it didn’t feel like Superman.” 

DiPaolo praised the tonal range of this new DCU, which includes movies with a “hard R quality” such as Peacemaker and Suicide Squad: “Look at this cute dog quality of Superman. But it’s the same universe, and it’s got the same ‘No, let’s really put on the screen what goes on in comic books and not worry about making it plausible to people who grew up with cop dramas.’”

DiPaolo’s critique suggests that realism isn’t the problem; it’s the loss of imagination. Gunn’s DC isn’t trying to be believable. It’s trying to be meaningful.

While DC is finding its footing, Marvel is showing signs of wear. The upcoming Avengers: Doomsday is raising eyebrows among longtime fans with reports of the script still being written while filming has been underway for more than three months.

Avengers: Doomsday is Marvel’s most ambitious project yet, completely dwarfing its last major team-up film in terms of scale. With every major Marvel Cinematic Universe character planned to make an appearance, Sony’s X Men characters and many more who have yet to be revealed, this undertaking won’t be an easy one. 

Add in MCU’s financial struggles, current poor critical reception–with an average Rotten Tomato critics score of 67–and the lack of any buildup for Avengers: Doomsday, and the future for MCU isn’t looking bright.

On the horizon for Marvel is Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth entry in the Tom Holland Spider-Man movie series. Coming off the hot $2 billion showing of its predecessor, it is likely to once again reach that billion-dollar mark. However, with no major release between Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel’s status as the top dog of the film industry may be waning.

The film isn’t trying to be edgy or ironic; it’s simply trying to be honest. That is exactly what makes Superman and the entire new DCU feel fresh. If this film can be the blueprint, what comes next for the DCU could be truly special. 

But hope isn’t lost for Marvel. With talks of a reboot after the release of Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027, if Marvel can stick the landing of its upcoming projects, it will be primed to remain on top. It has come back in the past. For example, in 1996, Marvel went bankrupt and had to sell the film and TV rights for most of its major characters.

Here we are, nearly 40 years later, with Marvel having completely turned things around, gaining back the film and TV rights to all of their major characters. A well-done reboot like the one the DCU is planning might be all Marvel needs to regain what it has lost.

DC and Marvel stand at a crossroads. Audiences want richer storytelling, whether that be from cosmic grief or street-level stakes.

If kindness really is the new punk rock, then the true revolution will be the heroes and the studios brave enough to feel.

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featured image graphic by EMILY STEPHENS