Superman Trailer Breakdown: Every New Hero and Villain Revealed

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The debut trailer for Superman has just dropped, and it shows off David Corenswet in action as DC's Man of Steel for the first time.

After being teased by the film's director James Gunn across social media for months, the full trailer reveals what we can look forward to when Superman releases in theaters on July 11, 2025. And it looks spectacular.

Below we're breaking down every important detail you need to know.

Not only do we see DC's new-look Superman, who replaces former Man of Steel Henry Cavill in the role, but his bumbling alter-ego Clark Kent, a reporter for newspaper The Daily Planet.

There are also tantalising shots of a furious Lex Luthor (Nicolas Hoult), a romantic scene with love interest Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and at one point his faithful dog Krypto coming to the rescue.

Listen closely and there's even a hint of John Williams iconic score from director Richard Donner's 1978 Superman, which new composer John Murphy's incorporates into his newly original score as a nostalgic callback.

Notably, there's a lack of laughs in the trailer, with the tone more aiming for wonder than humor. That's a conscious effort on Gunn's part. The director's known for his subversive gags in Guardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad, but Superman calls for something different.

What is Superman about?

"It's humorous," Gunn tells The Wrap, "but it certainly is not as comic or as much a comedy as either Suicide Squad or Guardians. There's plenty of humor in it. People like Rachel (Brosnahan) are so funny and David (Corenswet) is very funny as well, so there's humor in it, but it's trying to create something that is grounded, but also it's an incredibly fanciful world, it's fantasy, it's taking from other things like Game of Thrones, where it's this universe where superheroes actually exist."

Compared to DC's last Superman reboot, 2013's Man of Steel, 2025's Superman seems like an altogether more optimistic prospect. The darkness injected by that film's director Zack Snyder is replaced with blue skies and hope.

"David said something to me that really affected me," Gunn continued. "Superman wants kids to not be afraid of him. He's an alien. He's this incredibly powerful, could be considered scary individual and he wants people to like him. He wants to be a symbol of hope and positivity. So he dresses like a professional wrestler, he dresses in a way that makes people unafraid of him, that shows that."

Who is in Superman?

Krypto: Alongside Superman, we're introduced to Krypto, who saves an injured Superman in a snowy climate by grabbing his cape and whisking him to safety. Just like the Man of Steel himself, this superpowered pooch has the powers of advanced speed and strength.
Hawk Girl: The trailer showed a brief glimpse of Hawk Girl (Isabela Merced) soaring through a stunning Metropolis skyline while wielding her signature mace. While we saw Hawkman in 2022's Black Adam, as played by Aldis Hodge, this is our first ever live-action adaptation of Hawk Girl.
Green Lantern: Nathan Fillion plays Guy Gardner, aka Green Lantern, a man with a special ring capable of conjuring anything he can imagine in physical space. In the trailer he uses it to keep a door closed from a baying mob after they're shown targeting Superman - one angry crowd member even throws a cup at Superman's head.
Mister Terrific: Edi Gathegi's Mister Terrific is revealed in a tantalising shot of him using his powers to summon a forcefield and repel an attack. One of the good guys, he fights evil with a combination of invisibility, superior technology, and genius-level intellect.
Metamorpho: Anthony Carrigan plays the shape-shifting Rex Mason, aka a man turned into a mass of chemicals after being cursed by an ancient artifact. At least, that's how he's introduced in 1965 DC comic The Brave and the Bold. Hyperelasticity and elemental transmutation are his core powers.
Kelex: Not so much a hero, but a friend. The dead robot Superman can be seen mourning looks to be mechanised caretaker Kelex, a faithful Kryptonian service robot who serves both the House of El and the Fortress of Solitude, Superman's home base. Kelex first appeared in John Bryne's 1986 comic The Man of Steel #1.

Who is the villain in Superman?

Lex Luthor: Nicholas Hoult is about to have a very successful few months. As well as featuring alongside Willem Dafoe and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Nosferatu, he plays Superman's main nemesis. The CEO of LexCorp is often portrayed as the smartest man on the planet, and harbours a deep resentment of Superman. Previous film incarnations saw him played by Jesse Eisenberg, Gene Hackman, and Kevin Spacey.
Mystery monster: There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of a huge monster roaming through Metropolis. It's currently unconfirmed who exactly this monster is. It can't be tied back to any creature from the comics, suggesting it's a brand new James Gunn creation specifically for the movie. With his vaguely aquatic look, the massive kaiju might have emerged from the ocean, which could tie him into a potential Aquaman story arc.