Things are actually looking up! After a week of preparation, the eagerly awaited trailer for James Gunns Superman Finally arrived and all eyes are on the sky. Since this is the first live-action installment of the DCU, there’s still a lot going on Superman. Not only does an entire cinematic universe depend on the success of this film, but Gunn must also break through the world’s cynicism and provide a perspective on the character whose cinematic portrayal has not resonated with many audiences since 1978.

But the teaser trailer makes that clear Superman ’25 is not Superman ’78. Composer John Murphy’s guitar riff over John Williams’ classic theme breathes new life into Superman as hero and symbol, suggesting that while holding onto the core themes associated with the character, Superman is a living and evolving concept, an electric current through the world.

There are several key takeaways from the trailer. Firstly, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Although Warner Bros. Discovery’s press synopsis emphasizes hope and Gunn’s desire to restore optimism to Superman, the teaser trailer shows a keen awareness of the reality of the world. Surprisingly, the teaser doesn’t start with an iconic shot of a smiling Superman. Instead, it begins with Superman (David Corenswet) falling from the sky and landing in the Arctic near his Fortress of Solitude. He’s covered in blood, beaten, gasping and can’t get home without Krypto’s help.

It’s a little uncomfortable, but far from unwelcome, to hear Superman struggling to breathe. The moment grounds us in the fact that Superman feels pain. One of the most common complaints about Superman from the general non-comic reading audience (and those who missed it). Superman: The Animated Series and other various media adaptations) is that he is overpowered and rarely faces major physical challenges. This teaser nips that in the bud and shows that Superman is very physically fallible.

Not only do we see Superman being beaten physically, but emotionally as well. He walks through an angry crowd who throw bottles and cans at him as he is escorted by police to Stagg Industries, where he stands with the weight of the world on his shoulders. It’s clear that Superman isn’t universally popular, and as a reflection of today’s America, we see him at his deepest. Although there appear to be clear tonal departures from previous Superman films in both style and comic book elements introduced, it is ironic that after a decade of complaints about an unsmiling Superman and his controversial perception on the world stage, these themes continue Gunn’s opinion is present.

This raises the question of whether these themes have become essential to establishing a contemporary film version of Superman. In 2006 Superman returns addressed “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman” and in 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice asked, “Does there have to be a Superman?” The respective answers were that the world needs a Superman and “there is.” What Gunn seems to be concerned with is not the need for a Superman or the resigned acceptance that there is one, but the question: “How do we make the world want a Superman?” And this question affects not only the world of the film, but also the audience. With all the superhero movies out there, what makes us want another Superman movie?

Despite the reality of an injured and beaten Superman, there is also a desire for imagination, to imagine the world as it could be. Now more than ever. Based on the glimpses we see in the trailer, Superman saves a little girl and Superman’s symbol is used as a flag in the fictional country of Boravia (which appeared in). Superman No. 2 in 1939, although it appears that the setting has been moved from Europe to the Middle East), there is a suggestion that the hope lies in younger generations.

There’s something compelling about a character created for a children’s audience that appeals to children again, especially as the Superman films of the millennium are increasingly aimed at older audiences. The tagline for Superman, “Look Up,” promotes the same kind of wonder and childlike innocence as 1978’s “You’ll Believe A Man Can Fly.”

Gunns Superman is also a world with countless other wonders, as the teaser shows. While the film feels packed with characters, enough to make one worry about whether it can continue to focus on Clark, they definitely give the film a distinct comic book feel that we haven’t seen in previous Superman films.

The teaser shows brief glimpses of superheroes Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). Our first look at the film’s villains includes a brief glimpse of a mysterious, black-clad giant wearing a face mask and the ever-devious Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), who is brimming with emotion. There’s also a giant monster that may be related to the giant purple-green orb in the sky – colors associated with a villain Superman fans have been waiting to see for decades – Brainiac.

As exciting as these building blocks and potential battles may be, what seemed most compelling about the trailer was Corenswet’s Clark, whose performance is reminiscent of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely All-Star Supermanin which Clark wore oversized clothing and was characterized by a casual attitude and messy hair. We see Clark share a tearful moment with his father Jonathan (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and have numerous interactions with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). Their chemistry is immediately apparent.

For all the big ideas, questions and hopes for the future that the teaser circles around, the key takeaway from our first look at James Gunn’s Superman is that he’s just a guy with a dog who manages two jobs and, like him, a romantic one Relationship leads to good days and bad days, some that leave him physically and emotionally defeated, some that move him to tears, and others that could be some of the best days of his life. Why do we want a Superman? He is what we are and what we could be – the man of tomorrow, today.