Superman Movie: Handling Side Characters Amidst Complex Plot

The excitement is palpable as the latest trailer for James Gunn’s upcoming film, *Superman*, set for a July release, has been unveiled. Lead actor David Corenswet's portrayal of the iconic superhero and the dynamic action sequences featuring Superman's loyal dog, Krypto, have fans buzzing with anticipation. However, the trailer's dense array of characters and plot elements has sparked a lively debate among enthusiasts about how the film will manage to weave a coherent narrative with so much happening on screen.

On the popular subreddit r/Superman, one user noted, "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." Echoing this sentiment, another fan commented, "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."

Concerns about the film being overloaded with cameos were also prevalent. One fan expressed, "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 introduces a plethora of characters, from Clark Kent's Earth parents and love interest Lois Lane, portrayed by Rachel Brosnahan, to a variety of formidable villains led by Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult. Despite worries about the film's potential bloat, many fans are thrilled by the prospect of these numerous character introductions.

Here is the list of all 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

Some fans see the abundance of characters as a positive aspect. One user stated, "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 argued, "It’s side characters, less cameos. Like Iron Man had several side characters." A third fan remarked, "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

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Despite concerns about the film being overstuffed, the enthusiasm among fans remains high. One user commented, "It looks good but wondering how they’re going to shoehorn so many different characters into one movie," to which another fan responded, "It's not any more characters than the average comic book movie. It's fine." A third user humorously compared it to another Gunn project, saying, "Kinda like Guardians of the Galaxy…?"

James Gunn has repeatedly emphasized that *Superman* is not an ensemble film. In an Instagram Live session at the start of 2025, he clarified, "At the middle of everything is Clark, Lois, and Lex. It’s about these three characters." How he plans to balance the focus on these core characters amidst the crowded cast remains to be seen.

*Superman* will soar into theaters on July 11, 2025.