While we’re still a few weeks away from the release of James Gunn’s Superman, in movie theatres on July 11, 2025, the conversation around the DC reboot is already splitting fans down the middle, with some cautiously optimistic and others totally against everything they’ve seen in the trailers, and that’s before we’ve even seen the full extent of what David Corenswet’s Man of Steel has to offer. But while most of the early buzz coming from industry insiders, exhibitors, and theatre managers, who have seen the film, has been incredibly positive, not everyone’s buying what Gunn is selling. Well, according to John Campea, who has been hyping the film for months, at least two people aren’t.
After weeks of praising everything he’d heard about the film, especially from people who had reportedly seen the first 30 minutes, Campea said it was only fair to share a different opinion (from someone who has reportedly seen the whole film) when it surfaced. “I have to emphasize this is one person,” he said. “But again, in the service of fairness… I just kind of felt like if I’m going to rush onto my show and put up thumbnails about talking about every time I have somebody tell me that they loved Superman, it’s only fair for me to also come out and say, ‘Hey, it’s not all roses.’”
According to Campea, this particular person, who is apparently well-balanced, not anti-DC, and definitely not a Snyder cultist, described the film as “convoluted,” “messy,” and “massively disappointing.”
You’ll agree, those are strong words.
Still, Campea is excited for Superman (2025), which he has called his most anticipated movie of the year. He just isn’t going to pretend that all the feedback is unanimously great. “Has it taken a little bit of the wind out of my sails as far as my excitement goes? Yes,” he admitted. “But that’s just because I wanted to hear nothing but pure positive praise about it.”
Robert Meyer Burnett, Campea’s co-host, was quick to point out that Gunn’s Superman is a completely different beast, and that many fans might outright reject the direction it’s going. “James Gunn is embracing the whimsy. He’s embracing the four-colour fantasy. He’s embracing the Silver Age in a way that we’ve never seen before.”
Burnett explained that Superman is essentially a comic book fan’s comic book movie, and that it may not be to everyone’s cup of tea. He believes it’ll divide audiences, especially those who are more used to Snyder’s god-like, grounded approach.
Still, like Campea, he remains optimistic. “This is something new,” he said. “And for that alone, I’m excited to see an auteurist director who wrote and directed a Superman movie and made it their own.”
Campea agreed, saying that while the film might not be everyone’s favourite, or even hit 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, he still expects to have a great time. “I love his vision for what he’s doing and I’ve heard from the vast majority of people that I’ve talked to who have seen this film now have absolutely loved it,” he said. “But not all of them.”
With just days to go until the film’s release date, it’s pretty clear that Superman is going to stir debate and spark big opinions on both sides. You’re either going to eat up everything you see or spit it all out.
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