long and complex history in the pages of comic books and on the big and small screens, everyone knows that Superman can fly and he stands for truth, justice, and the American way. Perhaps not necessarily the American way as it is, but the ideals that the country is supposed to represent.
While there are constants in his character ever since his creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938, there have been many more differences, as seen in the numerous variations of the superhero over time. This is a natural phenomenon that occurs with any long-running character who becomes interpreted by a variety of different artists. After all, no two Sherlock Holmeses or Doctor Whos are exactly alike. Yet fans can’t help themselves when discussing the merits of Superman, believing that some sort of consensus or definitive take on the character exists. Not only does a definitive take not exist, it can’t exist, given how much variation there is between any two depictions of the character, let alone all of them.
That’s why it’s more productive to highlight the differences along with the similarities between each version of Superman, as such comparison allows for each individual to build their own definitive (or at least ideal) version of Superman in their own mind. Now, writer/director James Gunn debuts his take on the character in a movie simply titled “Superman,” and there’s no doubt that the Superman in this movie recalls many of the prior versions of the hero. Yet there’s enough that’s different about the way Gunn writes him and the way actor David Corenswet plays him to make this Superman distinct. Here’s a brief rundown of how 2025’s Superman differs from his past incarnations.
