Superman Movie: Handling Side Characters Creates Buzz

The Man of Steel is gearing up for a thrilling return, and the latest trailer for James Gunn’s upcoming film, *Superman*, has fans buzzing with anticipation ahead of its July launch. Leading man David Corenswet's performance and the dynamic presence of Superman’s loyal dog, Krypto, have sparked excitement. Yet, what seems to be capturing fans' attention most is the sheer number of elements packed into the film and how it will manage to weave them into a cohesive narrative.

On the r/Superman subreddit, one user expressed their initial enthusiasm, saying, “Strong start to the trailer,” but then voiced concerns, “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 chimed in with, “I’m gonna love it, he looks great as Superman, he looks great as Clark Kent, but the movie looks like it might be a bit busy, there's a lot going on here.”

A third commenter added, “Now this, I love this trailer. From someone who never really liked the dark DC vibe I’m excited to experience a true comic superhero movie. But am I the only one who is worried for all the cameos that are in the trailer?” They continued, “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 showcases a wide array of characters, from Clark Kent’s Earth parents to his love interest Lois Lane (played by Rachel Brosnahan), and a host of formidable villains led by the central antagonist Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). While some fans worry about the film being overly ambitious, many 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

One user countered the concerns with, “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 pointed out, “It’s side characters, less cameos. Like Iron Man had several side characters.” A third fan offered perspective, saying, “I don't feel like it's such a big deal honestly. Movies usually need secondary/side characters,” adding, “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 potentially overstuffed, fans remain eager to see how it all comes together. 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 quipped, “Kinda like Guardians of the Galaxy…?” — a witty nod to Gunn's previous work.

James Gunn has repeatedly emphasized that the film centers on Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor. 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 balances this focus amidst the ensemble cast will be key to the film's success.

*Superman* soars into theaters on July 11, 2025.