SUPERMAN Said To Have "No Real Central Plot" To Speak Of - Possible SPOILERS

SUPERMAN Said To Have "No Real Central Plot" To Speak Of - Possible SPOILERS

Coming off the most recent test-screening, we have some more story details for James Gunn's Superman, and it sounds like the movie is taking more inspiration from All-Star Superman than we expected...

By MarkCassidy - Mar 30, 2025 09:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman

We've been hearing mixed reports about James Gunn's Superman since the first internal/test-screenings took place, so it didn't really come as a surprise when the most recent showing - which was reportedly held this past Wednesday - resulted in similar reactions.

One aspect of the movie that seems to have proven to be most divisive among those who have seen it is its story structure. The DCU reboot is said to have an "episodic" feel, and has been compared to Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's acclaimed 2005 All-Star Superman, which focused on a dying Man of Steel accomplishing a series of heroic feats (The Twelve Labors of Superman) as he attempts to make peace with the world before the end.

Here's what scooper MTTSH has heard:

"The Superman movie is very much like All-Star Superman — no real central plot, just Lex scheming in different ways to kill Superman or get him locked up. A kaiju, a black hole in the sky, a conflict between nations, a clone — he throws everything at him. He also turns the public against Superman and gets him arrested."

By and large, superhero movies don't tend to have very complex plots. There's a central conflict between the hero and the villain, a love-interest, maybe a MacGuffin (or two), etc. What usually makes a great CBM stand out from the pack is a solid script and compelling characters, so Gunn taking the above approach wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

All of these screening details should be treated as rumors for the time being, but let us know what you make of this latest report in the comment section below.

New SUPERMAN Banner Spotted At CinemaCon; James Gunn Confirms Pocket Universes And Sorcerey
Related:

New SUPERMAN Banner Spotted At CinemaCon; James Gunn Confirms "Pocket Universes And Sorcerey"

Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabel Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.

Sara Sampaio is on board as Lex's assistant/lover Eve Teschmacher, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell will play "Ma" and "Pa" Kent, and Milly Alcock's Supergirl has been confirmed to make her debut ahead of her own Woman of Tomorrow movie.

"And that’s a wrap," Gunn posted earlier this year when filming concluded. "God bless our cast and crew whose commitment, creativity, and hard work have brought this project to life. I set out to make a movie about a good man in a world that isn’t always so much. And the goodness and kindness and love I’ve encountered on a daily basis on the set has inspired me and thrust me forward when I felt too spent to move on my own.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. It has been an honor. The destination has been Superman, but the journey has been the toil and the laughter and the emotions and ideas and magic we’ve shared together on set - and for that I am forever grateful."

You can check out an updated synopsis for the movie below.

"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."

James Gunn Discusses How SUPERMAN Sets The Tone For The DCU: This Is 100% A James Gunn Movie...
Recommended For You:

James Gunn Discusses How SUPERMAN Sets The Tone For The DCU: "This Is 100% A James Gunn Movie..."

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2 3
HagridsHole1
HagridsHole1 - 3/30/2025, 9:05 AM
I don't really have high hopes for this, or the DCU. But this doesn't *really* sound like a problem to me
captainwalker
captainwalker - 3/30/2025, 9:27 AM
@HagridsHole1 - Careful, I said the same and was shamed for it......lol
Simonsonrules
Simonsonrules - 3/30/2025, 9:40 AM
@HagridsHole1 - Sounds to me like a very smart way to deal w the original superhero, create a foundation for a new DC universe, etc. Narratively creative.
FrankenDad
FrankenDad - 3/30/2025, 9:41 AM
@captainwalker - User Comment Image
lvcl
lvcl - 3/30/2025, 10:38 AM
@HagridsHole1 -

In 007 movies like this, with action and pointless scenes that lead nowhere, they called them loafer movies. Now we have Superman the loafer.
RipleysCurls
RipleysCurls - 3/30/2025, 12:57 PM
@lvcl - who is they? I know he wore loafers in certain films but have never heard this one before
comicsberty
comicsberty - 3/30/2025, 2:12 PM
@lvcl - so you are basically referring to the raimi trilogy as well those are pretty episodic lmao
captainwalker
captainwalker - 3/30/2025, 5:16 PM
@FrankenDad - No.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 3/30/2025, 9:07 AM
These are just things we've seen in trailers and set photos.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/30/2025, 9:44 AM
@ObserverIO - literally
WruceBayne
WruceBayne - 3/30/2025, 2:55 PM
@ObserverIO - absolutely! There was nothing new that MTTSH added that wasn’t in the trailer.
IAmAHoot
IAmAHoot - 3/30/2025, 9:08 AM
Sounds like a cool idea. (Doesn't mean the execution works.)
Simonsonrules
Simonsonrules - 3/30/2025, 9:41 AM
@IAmAHoot - good point
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 3/30/2025, 9:08 AM
The reactions seem to be all over the place. I guess we'll see which way the general public leans once it releases. I really hope it does well enough to keep the DCU going. This brand cannot take another misstep.
SuperiorHeckler
SuperiorHeckler - 3/30/2025, 9:14 AM
@TheJok3r - Another "misstep" may not be such a bad idea. Maybe DC just can't nail the "shared-universe" concept and needs to concentrate on multiple stand-alone stories instead. 🤓
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 3/30/2025, 9:19 AM
@SuperiorHeckler - I would vastly prefer standalone projects over another shared universe. I'm just worried that this movie failing will result in WB pulling the plug on all things not Batman related.
SuperiorHeckler
SuperiorHeckler - 3/30/2025, 9:28 AM
@TheJok3r - Can I personally imagine a pause of some of the characters? Maybe. But, the comic-book genre (for better or for worse) has become standard-operational-procedure for what passes for 21st century Hollywood entertainment. Some characters may be put on ice for a while but, it ebbs and flows. They will eventually come back around again because there's simply not enough original creativity within the various studios to do otherwise. 😐
captainwalker
captainwalker - 3/30/2025, 9:28 AM
@SuperiorHeckler - Maybe a director that doesn't like to dilly young children would have been a better choice ......
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 3/30/2025, 9:32 AM
@SuperiorHeckler - DC can nail the shared universe concept... if they do it right.

Marvel showed them how but they, in their infinite impatience continually refuse to do it that way.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 3/30/2025, 9:47 AM
@ObserverIO - Marvel themselves seem to not know how to get it right anymore. Both companies are just throwing random shit at a wall in hopes of something sticking.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 3/30/2025, 10:02 AM
@TheJok3r - Marvel went full DC in phase 4.
User Comment Image
pclark
pclark - 3/30/2025, 10:12 AM
@SuperiorHeckler - The only problem with that is that some of the rumors swirling around say that if this movie doesn't perform and launch the new DCEU then it may just kill not only the DCEU, but Warners itself.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 3/30/2025, 10:28 AM
@pclark - Insiders once said that David Zaslav only bought Warners to dismantle it and sell off the pieces. It's looking more and more like they were right.

I'd say Dreamworks would be a good home for Looney Tunes and Legendary would be a good home for DC.
A24 can have Animaniacs but only if they promise to make a live action political satire based on Chicken Boo.
User Comment Image
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 3/30/2025, 10:29 AM
@pclark - Outside Superman 78, the franchise has never performed up to its full potential, so I don't get why WB put all its eggs in the Superman basket. Even if the movie is well liked, the franchise just doesn't have a good financial track record.
Arthorious
Arthorious - 3/30/2025, 11:03 AM
@SuperiorHeckler - their early animated movies were like this and did well, but ain’t gonna lie, I do enjoy a good team up every now and again
comicsberty
comicsberty - 3/30/2025, 2:14 PM
@captainwalker - weird to put that out with no evidence like saying a director is or was emotionally abusive of their children for no reason..
Mutale97
Mutale97 - 3/30/2025, 3:09 PM
@TheJok3r - what do u mean they didn't know how to do it anymore
Mutale97
Mutale97 - 3/30/2025, 3:10 PM
@ObserverIO - what does that even mean ?
captainwalker
captainwalker - 3/30/2025, 5:16 PM
@comicsberty - So ignore the text messages then, ignore the depravity that hollywood is legendary for.
KwisatzHaderach
KwisatzHaderach - 3/30/2025, 9:09 AM
The point- I mean ‘plot’ of the movie is to establish another Justice League. That’s why everyone and the kitchen sink is in it.
SuperiorHeckler
SuperiorHeckler - 3/30/2025, 9:12 AM
"...a black hole in the sky..."

Close enough I suppose to the prerequisite 'energy-beam-that-shoots-into-the-sky' trope that was all the rage during the mid-2000s when it came to comic-book movies. 🫤
Wahhvacado
Wahhvacado - 3/30/2025, 9:13 AM
MTTSH

User Comment Image
Juicebox316
Juicebox316 - 3/30/2025, 9:14 AM
You know, if this is true, I have to give credit for trying something new in a genre that's grown tired as it relates to plots and formulaic approaches to story telling.
Scarilian
Scarilian - 3/31/2025, 10:33 AM
@Juicebox316 -
None of these aspects are interesting individually, let alone together. Throwing a bunch of formulaic aspects together isn't something new or creative, it just shows a lack of new ideas.
stuey
stuey - 3/30/2025, 9:16 AM
A simple reboot could be a refreshing changer from the tiresome multiverse crap that Marvel can't seem to let go of.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 3/30/2025, 9:29 AM
@stuey - I don't understand Marvel's obsession over the multiverse, especially considering how mixed the critical and financial results have been for it. I think the concept would've been fine as a trilogy of projects (Wandavision, No Way Home, & Multiverse of Madness), but not as three whole phases.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 3/30/2025, 9:44 AM
@stuey - If only this was a simple reboot.
User Comment Image
Mutale97
Mutale97 - 3/30/2025, 3:18 PM
@TheJok3r - the multiverse projects like nwh, Multiverse of Madness, Deadpool and Wolverine have been the most successful projects post endgame and for all the flaws of their handling of it they arent the worst recieved projects the ones that are like quantumania, secret invasion, love and thunder.
Mutale97
Mutale97 - 3/30/2025, 3:22 PM
@stuey - only 3 out of 14 movies post endgame have been multiverse projects. You act like every mcu movie involves the multiverse.
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 3/30/2025, 9:33 AM
soon....
User Comment Image
1 2 3

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

View Recorder