Superman Movie: Handling Side Characters a Major Challenge

The Man of Steel is making a triumphant return in James Gunn’s upcoming film, *Superman*, set to premiere in July. The latest trailer has ignited a buzz of excitement, showcasing David Corenswet’s compelling performance and the dynamic action sequences featuring Superman’s loyal companion, Krypto. However, the trailer has sparked a wave of curiosity among fans about the film's packed narrative and how it will handle its extensive cast of characters.

On the r/Superman subreddit, fans shared their initial reactions to the trailer. One user commented, “Strong start to the trailer, but then practically every shot was another new character and I started worrying how the movie was going to tell a coherent story.” Another fan expressed enthusiasm for Corenswet’s portrayal but noted, “the movie looks like it might be a bit busy, there's a lot going on here.” A third chimed in, expressing concern about the numerous cameos, stating, “am I the only one who is worried for all the cameos that are in the trailer? Like I swear I was counting like 8 friends and foes in this movie. I know they want to set up James Gunn’s DCU with this but I would prefer it to be less heavy on cameo fodder and take more time to develop the characters that are needed to tell the story that they’re trying to tell.”

The trailer indeed teases a wide array of characters, including Clark Kent’s Earth parents, love interest Lois Lane (played by Rachel Brosnahan), and a roster of villains led by the iconic Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). While some fans worry about the film being overstuffed, others are thrilled by the prospect of these character introductions.

All the characters revealed so far in *Superman*:

• Superman
• Lois Lane
• Lex Luthor
• Mister Terrific
• Guy Gardner
• Hawkgirl
• Metamorpho
• The Engineer
• The Hammer of Boravia
• Ultraman
• Rick Flag Sr.
• Supergirl
• Maxwell Lord
• Kryptonian robots, including Kelex
• Krypto
• Jonathan Kent
• Martha Kent
• Perry White
• Jimmy Olsen
• Steve Lombard
• Cat Grant
• Ron Troupe
• Eve Teschmacher
• Otis

Supporters of the film’s direction argue that the abundance of characters adds depth to the story. One fan expressed, “I'm glad there's a lot going on. We've seen him fight Lex & Zod countless times at this point, I want to see him completely overwhelmed and emerge as a symbol of hope,” while another noted, “It’s side characters, less cameos. Like Iron Man had several side characters.” A third fan added perspective, saying, “I don't feel like it's such a big deal honestly. Movies usually need secondary/side characters. Gunn here is just filling in those spots with rather big names, but I doubt he'll give them more than what they need.”

Superman: Behind the Scenes Cast and Character Images

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Despite concerns about the film being overstuffed, fans remain intrigued. One user noted, “It looks good but wondering how they’re going to shoehorn so many different characters into one movie,” while another reassured, “It's not any more characters than the average comic book movie. It's fine.” A third user even compared it to another Gunn project, saying, “Kinda like Guardians of the Galaxy…?”

James Gunn has emphasized that the film is centered around Clark, Lois, and Lex. During an Instagram Live session at the beginning of 2025, he stated, “At the middle of everything is Clark, Lois, and Lex. It’s about these three characters.” How he will balance this focus with the extensive cast remains to be seen.

*Superman* will soar into theaters on July 11, 2025.