The release of James Gunn’s Superman marks a pivotal moment for the new DC Universe, launching a fresh cinematic saga with one of the most iconic superheroes of all time at its center. The film wastes no time in establishing David Corenswet’s take on the Man of Steel, presenting audiences with a seasoned hero who is already a global presence and fully comfortable with his metahuman abilities. Plus, Gunn’s direction places a clear emphasis on showcasing the sheer scale and variety of Superman’s powers, integrating them into thrilling action sequences and key character moments that underscore how powerful the Man of Steel truly is.
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Superman serves as a comprehensive showcase of the Man of Steel’s classic abilities, highlighting not just their raw power but also the creative and strategic ways in which he uses them. This approach allows Superman to ground its larger-than-life hero, making his incredible abilities feel both awe-inspiring and integral to the story. Now that the movie is finally available in theaters, let’s break down every superpower that Corenswet has already used in the DCU.
1) Flight
As expected, flight is a fundamental aspect of the DCU’s Superman, and Gunn puts a special emphasis on capturing its speed and grace. The film follows the hero with breathtaking aerial sequences as he travels the globe and engages enemies in high-velocity dogfights. The opening minutes immediately establish the incredible speed at which he moves, showing Superman traveling from the Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic to Metropolis in what appears to be a matter of moments. In addition to being an efficient method of transportation, Superman’s flight is also a handy tool of combat, particularly in his brawls with the villainous Ultraman and Lex Luthor’s (Nicholas Hoult) army of battle-armored goons.
2) Superhuman Strength
Superman’s incredible physical might is impressively showcased in several key moments of the movie. For instance, in one of the film’s major set pieces, Superman attempts to contain a massive kaiju that Lex Luthor has unleashed upon Metropolis as a deadly distraction. Refusing to kill the creature, Superman physically pushes and holds the monster back, preventing it from leveling buildings and minimizing civilian casualties through pure force. In the third act, he takes this display even further when he single-handedly stops a collapsing skyscraper from crushing a civilian, bearing the weight of the massive structure to save a life.
3) Healing Factor
The opening scene of Superman effectively underlines how the energy of a yellow sun fuels all of Superman’s abilities, including a potent healing factor. After a brutal early battle against the Hammer of Boravia, Superman is left with multiple perforated internal organs and numerous broken bones. The robots at the Fortress of Solitude quickly administer a concentrated dose of yellow sun radiation by focusing an intricate system of lenses, healing his devastating injuries almost instantly. This ability proves crucial again when he is weakened by Kryptonite poisoning inside a prison created by Lex. There, Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) creates a miniature yellow sun, allowing the Man of Steel to purge part of the radiation and rapidly regain his strength.
4) Super Speed
As part of his scheme to ruin Superman’s public image, Lex Luthor releases a recording of the hero’s Kryptonian parents that implies Kal-el was sent to Earth to become its ruler. This causes the Justice Gang to intercept Superman, with Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) being predictably confrontational. The moment Superman realizes that Luthor could have only obtained the recording from the Fortress of Solitude, he moves faster than the eye can see, instantly evading the assembled heroes to check on his home. This scene is a clear demonstration of his ability to react and operate at a velocity that makes him untouchable even to other powered individuals. Another key scene also shows Superman using his super speed to protect a child against debris during the fight against the kaiju.
5) Heat Vision
Superman’s iconic heat vision is shown to be a versatile weapon in the DCU’s new movie. He shows a particular degree of creativity with this ability during the film’s third act, where he spins in a circle to unleash a continuous 360-degree beam that his a squad of Lex Luthor’s armored goons. The power is also put on full display during Superman’s multiple brawls with Ultraman, his dark counterpart who possesses all of the same abilities. Their clashes often devolve into raw contests of power, with both combatants using their heat vision in an attempt to subdue the other.
6) Super Breath
The hero’s super breath is shown to be surprisingly versatile in Superman. In a key moment during the fight against the rampaging kaiju, Superman holds the beast’s massive weight to prevent it from stomping on a frightened dog. To get the animal out of the danger zone, he uses his super breath to blow it to safety. The ability is featured more dramatically during a prison break scene, where Superman and his allies are being pulled into a black hole inside Lex’s pocket universe. Thinking quickly, Superman uses a blast of super breath to propel himself and his allies away from the gravity well, providing the thrust needed for their escape.
7) X-Ray Vision
In Superman, the hero’s X-Ray vision is presented as a critical tool for battlefield assessment. During the chaotic fight against the kaiju in Metropolis, the Justice Gang gets involved to subdue the threat, willing to kill the beast against Superman’s desire to keep it alive. At the end of the brawl, Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) deploys explosive T-Spheres, sending them directly into the monster’s mouth. Powerless to stop the event, Superman uses his X-Ray vision to see what is happening inside the creature. He watches with grim detail as the T-Spheres detonate, ripping apart the kaiju’s internal organs from within.
Which of Superman’s powers was your favorite to see on the big screen? Let us know in the comments below!
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Image Courtesy of Pixar -
Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm
