Fans Are a Wondering How the Superman Movie Is Going to Deal With All Those Side Characters: 'There's a Lot Going on Here'

The Man of Steel is set to make a triumphant return in James Gunn's upcoming film, "Superman," with the latest trailer dropping ahead of its July launch, sparking excitement and curiosity among fans. The trailer showcases the impressive performance of lead actor David Corenswet and the dynamic action sequences featuring Superman's loyal dog, Krypto. However, it's the sheer volume of characters and plot elements that has fans buzzing about how the film will manage to weave a coherent narrative amidst all the action.

On Reddit's r/Superman, fans shared their initial reactions. One user commented, "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 expressed enthusiasm mixed with concern, stating, "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 highlighted the potential issue with numerous cameos, saying, "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 wide array of characters, from Clark Kent's Earth parents and love interest Lois Lane (played by Rachel Brosnahan) to various villains, including the primary antagonist Lex Luthor (portrayed by Nicholas Hoult). While some fans express concern about the film's potential bloat, others are thrilled at the prospect of these character 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 countered the concerns by 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 argued, "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,” the person commented. “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 worries about the film being overstuffed, fans remain eager to see how the story unfolds. 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 witty reply even drew a comparison to another Gunn project, stating, "Kinda like Guardians of the Galaxy…?"

James Gunn has emphasized that "Superman" is not an ensemble piece, focusing instead on the core trio of Clark, Lois, and Lex. In an Instagram Live session at the beginning of 2025, he stated, "At the middle of everything is Clark, Lois, and Lex. It’s about these three characters." How he manages to balance this focus with the broader cast remains to be seen.

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