Movies - Why James Gunn’s Superman Might Crash and Burn in France – And How the Film’s Press Strategy Is Fueling the Fire

By Mulder, 27 june 2025

There are films that generate excitement. There are films that divide. And then, there are films that generate... silence. Uneasy, awkward silence. Superman—the upcoming DC Studios reboot helmed by James Gunn—should, on paper, be a pop culture event. It’s the first entry in a new cinematic universe, the long-awaited resurrection of one of the most iconic characters in fiction, and the project meant to signal DC’s creative rebirth after a decade of chaotic misfires. But instead of a groundswell of anticipation, what we’re seeing—especially in France—is indifference from audiences and outright contempt from the film’s publicity machine, particularly when it comes to independent and online press. And these are more than just growing pains. They could be the early warning signs of a spectacular failure.

The film’s central problem might be that it wants to be everything to everyone—and that’s always a risky place to start. Superman is being positioned as both a fresh start and a love letter to the past, as both mythic and modern, heartfelt yet witty, grounded yet cosmic. James Gunn, known for his idiosyncratic flair on Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, is being tasked with carrying not just a film, but the weight of an entire cinematic universe on his shoulders. The expectations are massive. He’s expected to restore the nobility and charm of Clark Kent, inject humor without veering into parody, modernize the world without erasing its legacy, and, simultaneously, win over fans disillusioned by the fragmented mess that was the DCEU. That’s not a film. That’s a minefield.

What makes this even more precarious is the current cultural climate. Superman is no longer the universally beloved icon he once was. For some, he's outdated—too clean-cut, too simplistic, too perfect. In a time where flawed antiheroes dominate screens and moral ambiguity reigns supreme, Superman has often struggled to feel relevant. Past attempts to modernize him have been met with division: Zack Snyder’s brooding, Christ-like portrayal split fans down the middle. James Gunn wants to go back to optimism, to hope. But that hope has to feel real, not manufactured. And with a tone that seems to oscillate between reverence and cheeky detachment, there's a risk that Superman will end up in tonal limbo—neither inspiring enough to be stirring nor sharp enough to be truly entertaining.

And then there’s the casting. David Corenswet, while a handsome and capable actor, is still a blank slate to the general public. He doesn’t yet carry the weight of iconography needed to instantly command the screen in the way Christopher Reeve or even Henry Cavill did. Likewise, Rachel Brosnahan is a seasoned performer with excellent range, but her chemistry with Corenswet remains to be proven. The rest of the cast, from Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor to Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, reads like a patchwork of interesting choices, but there’s little cohesion in how these actors fit together as a world, as a believable ensemble. And that’s a big part of what made the original Superman films work: a sense of timeless unity, of myth made human. Here, it feels more like a trendy reboot, cobbled together from casting wishlists.

Yet the most frustrating and revealing part of this entire production doesn’t lie in the film itself—but in how it’s being marketed. In France, the public relations strategy for Superman has been a masterclass in alienation. The online press, independent media outlets, and dedicated pop culture journalists who’ve been supporting superhero cinema through thick and thin, have been completely shut out. No advance press materials. No interviews. No updates. No planned access for online critics or smaller outlets. It’s a wall of silence from Warner Bros. Discovery’s French PR channels, and that silence speaks volumes. In an era where traditional print journalism is fading and younger audiences rely almost entirely on digital content for film recommendations, this approach feels not just outdated—it feels arrogant.

Let’s be clear: online media is no longer the underdog. It is the conversation. Whether it’s longform interviews, social media hype, fan-driven YouTube analyses, or TikTok reaction culture, the digital press sphere is where interest is born and sustained. Ignoring that ecosystem, especially in a country like France where niche media and pop culture blogs still carry a passionate and loyal readership, is akin to cutting the film off from its own future. This lack of access isn’t just insulting—it’s strategically foolish. These are the very outlets that would’ve amplified excitement, contextualized the creative vision, and built bridges with skeptical fans. Instead, they’ve been treated like nuisances or worse, like irrelevancies.

The irony? Superman is supposed to be a film about inclusivity. About hope. About building a better world. And yet, its handling by the French publicity teams reflects the exact opposite: a cliquish, tone-deaf return to an old-world media strategy that values gatekeeping over engagement. This isn’t just disappointing—it’s emblematic of a broader problem in blockbuster filmmaking today. Studios still pretend the press landscape hasn’t changed. They still prioritize glossy legacy outlets while ghosting the independent voices that have, time and time again, been the ones keeping genre cinema in the conversation.

In the end, this mishandling—both in creative vision and in audience outreach—may result in a Superman film that feels less like a heroic return and more like a missed opportunity. A movie that tries so hard to redefine a character that it forgets to simply tell a compelling story. A film so concerned with launching a franchise that it forgets to build genuine excitement. And worst of all, a cultural product that claims to be for everyone, while its gatekeepers are systematically shutting out the people most eager to help it succeed.

If Superman’s symbol truly stands for hope, then the team behind this reboot might want to start by believing in something other than legacy press lists. Because if they don’t, the film’s biggest enemy won’t be Lex Luthor—it’ll be irrelevance.

Synopsis :
The portrait of a Superman driven by compassion and guided by an unshakeable belief in human goodness.

Superman
Written and directed by James Gunn
Based on Characters from DC
Produced by Peter Safran, James Gunn
Starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced
Cinematography : Henry Braham
Edited by William Hoy, Craig Alpert
Music by John Murphy, David Fleming
Production companies : DC Studios, Troll Court Entertainment, The Safran Company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date : J July 9, 2025 (France), uly 11, 2025 (United States)
Running time : 130 minutes