Another Embargo Broken As Variety Critic Says Amazon's 67% HEADS OF STATE Is Better Than SUPERMAN

Another Embargo Broken As Variety Critic Says Amazon's 67% HEADS OF STATE Is Better Than SUPERMAN

Another negative verdict on Superman has been shared by a noteworthy critic, with a new streaming movie on Prime Video hailed as a far more entertaining watch than the Man of Steel's big screen return.

By JoshWilding - Jul 05, 2025 08:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman

Things are getting weird with Superman. The movie arrives in theaters less than a week from now, and a devastatingly negative review from The Daily Beast was published on Thursday and removed moments later (it was, however, online long enough to cause quite a stir). 

Variety's Chief Film Critic Peter Debruge recently reviewed Amazon's Heads of State starring John Cena and Idris Elba, and appeared to accidentally break his Superman review embargo by saying the streaming action flick—which has a 67% Rotten Tomatoes score—is "a lot more entertaining" than the DC Studios reboot.

"You could be forgiven for writing off 'Heads of State,'" the review reads. "But then, you would miss a movie that’s no sillier than 'Superman' and a lot more entertaining (a comparison worth making, since both adhere to a mythical sense of heroism)."

The review has since been updated, and now swaps out "Superman" for "big-studio superhero fare." However, the original, unedited version of the review can still be seen on Yahoo! News.

Do critics have it out for Superman? There are some wild conspiracy theories doing the rounds on social media, none of which make any sense, and it simply appears we can expect negative verdicts from two major websites. That doesn't mean every critic will agree, of course, as even the most critically acclaimed superhero movies (Black Panther and The Dark Knight, for example) have negative reviews. 

Still, for two noteworthy critics to essentially slate Superman, it does rather suggest that the DCU reboot won't be the beloved fresh start that James Gunn and DC Studios are hoping for. 

Also, while Heads of State is entertaining, albeit forgettable streaming fare, a critic of Debruge's standing finding it a better watch than Superman may be a worrying sign of things to come when the review embargo fully lifts.

On the plus side, these comments from Uproxx's Mike Ryan may bode well...

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After the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad, it would be odd for Gunn to suddenly drop the ball on a superhero project. However, his ideas for Superman are pretty unique, and how much audiences want another Superman vs. Lex Luthor story while contending with apparent superhero fatigue is hard to say. 

Box office takings will ultimately be key for Superman, and we'll find out soon whether the Man of Tomorrow is critic-proof. 

Superman, DC Studios' first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures.

In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.  

The movie stars David Corenswet in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

Also appearing are Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell, and Milly Alcock.

Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.

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AllsGood
AllsGood - 7/5/2025, 8:27 AM
User Comment Image
Flameon
Flameon - 7/5/2025, 11:16 AM
@AllsGood - Please check the original article it doesn’t mention Superman at all: https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/heads-of-state-review-john-cena-idris-elbadle-terrorism-1236443183/
MarvelZombie616
MarvelZombie616 - 7/5/2025, 12:09 PM
@Flameon - Learn to read, mate.
NonPlayerC
NonPlayerC - 7/5/2025, 2:03 PM
@AllsGood - is it so bad that writers can't help themselves? I don't remember seeing very man broken embargos in the past
DrServo
DrServo - 7/5/2025, 6:39 PM
@MarvelZombie616 - Perhaps you haven't read the article yourself. It makes no reference to the new Superman flick, only mentioning the character himself. I think this whole reference was taken out of context in that the author of the article was trying to point out that superhero films as a whole are full of far out situations that present the audience with silly tropes and concepts. My guess is that when it was written said author was most likely looking for a shorter way of saying "big-studio superhero fare" and choose Superman as an example before realizing how that might be perceived. One could easily replace Superman's mention in the article with any other superhero flick and it would read just the same. Nowhere else in the article is there any mention of Superman or the film. The whole piece was literally done to quell the complaints about Heads of State being too far-fetched and silly.
Wilding (and a number of "fans" who want to see this movie fail) is reaching here and it's sad.
Canyoublush
Canyoublush - 7/6/2025, 5:20 AM
@DrServo - You are already too late. This movie will fail miserably. There are specific reasons why this movie is bad and why it will flop. You need to see it to realise this for yourself. End of the day, Warner bros are no capable making a good superman film. Also history repeats itself this is flash, green lantern, black adam, Thor love & thunder & rise of skywalker all over again. Just you wait and see.
DrServo
DrServo - 7/7/2025, 10:44 PM
@Canyoublush - You're hilarious. Truly.
RealTurner
RealTurner - 7/5/2025, 8:27 AM
I watched Heads of State. It was okay. Tonally a bit of a nightmare but reasonable streaming fare from Amazon. Superman needs to be a hell of a lot better than that!

Just not sure the marketing is landing, to say how much we've seen. It has Superman in it and he'll certainly punch some stuff. Still not sure why any of it is happening and the dog is probably confusing a lot of people (or just seems too silly).
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/5/2025, 8:28 AM
Aw geez...
Flameon
Flameon - 7/5/2025, 11:15 AM
@ObserverIO - Please check the original article before loosing faith. It doesn’t mention Superman at all, Josh is lying and I hope he gets in trouble for it. Either that or he’s stupid and has fallen for clickbait. Original article:
https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/heads-of-state-review-john-cena-idris-elbadle-terrorism-1236443183/
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/5/2025, 11:49 AM
@Flameon - You musta skimmed over the part of the article that states:
"The review has since been updated, and now swaps out 'Superman' for 'big-studio superhero fare'."
BlackBolt84
BlackBolt84 - 7/6/2025, 10:44 AM
@Flameon - I'm begging you to stop "correcting" the article in every comment thread and actually read it.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/5/2025, 8:28 AM
Why you gotta keep doing me like this DC?
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 7/5/2025, 8:29 AM
Does it always haveto be rough, cold, emotionless BDSM assraping? Can we not just make love like we used to in the days of Nolan?
Canyoublush
Canyoublush - 7/5/2025, 8:40 AM
@ObserverIO - Warner bros are incompetent simple. They don’t know what to do with superman as an IP. I keep telling y’all do not put your faith in Warner bros when it comes to superman. How are you guys so gullible? 🤦🏿‍♂️ The movie is a mess, it’s flawed, overstuffed and desperate. Superman as a franchise has always been cursed but this is the final nail in the coffin. I knew this wouldn’t fly from the first teaser trailer. It just seemed off. Gunn is a good director and had this film been made under Disney I’d be far more optimistic but it’s not. Warner bros have driven superman into the ground and buried it.
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