Superman Movie: Handling Side Characters Amid High Expectations

The Man of Steel is making a comeback, and the excitement is palpable with the release of the latest trailer for James Gunn's upcoming film, *Superman*, set to hit theaters in July. The trailer showcases not only David Corenswet's compelling portrayal of the iconic hero but also the thrilling antics of Superman's beloved dog, Krypto. Yet, amid the buzz, fans are buzzing about the sheer number of elements packed into the film and how it will manage to weave them into a coherent narrative.

On Reddit's r/Superman thread, fans shared their thoughts shortly after the trailer dropped. One user remarked, "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 chimed in, "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 fan expressed mixed feelings, stating, "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? 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 features a plethora of characters, including Clark Kent's Earth parents, love interest Lois Lane (played by Rachel Brosnahan), and a variety of formidable villains, led by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). Despite concerns about the film being overly packed, many fans are thrilled at the prospect of these 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 fan defended the crowded cast, saying, "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 perspective added, "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

View 33 Images

While some fans are concerned about the film feeling overstuffed, the general sentiment remains positive. One user noted, "It looks good but wondering how they’re going to shoehorn so many different characters into one movie," to which another responded, "It's not any more characters than the average comic book movie. It's fine." A third even quipped, "Kinda like Guardians of the Galaxy…?"

James Gunn has reassured fans that the film is not an ensemble piece. "At the middle of everything is Clark, Lois, and Lex," he stated during an Instagram Live session at the beginning of 2025. "It’s about these three characters." How he plans to balance this focus with the extensive cast remains to be seen.

*Superman* is set to soar into theaters on July 11, 2025.