James Gunn’s newest superhero film,Superman, is finally out, and people all over the planet are raving about it. With positive reviews, awonderful opening weekend at the box office, and how good it made audiences feel, this movie has made a huge impact on both the viewers and the industry. Some ofSuperman’s major highlights are the wonderfully well-written and performed characters in the story, and the heroes, especially, are so much fun to watch.
There’s a reason that the likes of Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) are now DCU fan favorites for many after walking out of the theater. Whether they’re part of the “Justice Gang,” mistreated prisoners of Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), or the Man of Steel himself, the heroes inSupermanare going to be major players moving forward.This list will rank every major superhero inSupermanbased on how meaningful their roles are, the actors bringing them to life, and how much of an impact they leave on audiences.
6Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl
Played by Isabela Merced
Who doesn’t love Isabela Merced? She’s excellent in absolutely every role she takes on, and Hawkgirl is no different. Despite being at the bottom of the people’s list of favorites, she’s still a fan favorite and only below the others becauseshe is given far less to do inSupermanthan the other heroes.
While there wasn’t much more room in the plot for more stuff, there was a lot of missed potential for Hawkgirl. It worked out in her favor, though, aspeople are begging for more of her in the future. When she does appear, Hawkgirl steals the show and even makes the major move of killing the president of Boravia, Vasil Ghurkos (Zlatko Buric), which makes her an absolute G.O.A.T. Hopefully, Hawkgirl gets more attention in the future, especially as the Justice League begins to form. She has a massive rolein the old animatedJustice Leagueseries, which James Gunn should take inspiration from.
5Rex Mason/Metamorpho/Element Man
Played by Anthony Carrigan
For those who weren’t delving deep into the production of the movie, Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) had an unexpected role in the film. Fans of the character and the deeper DC universe in general can sit back and smile now that general audiences finally get to see how genuinelycool and powerful Metamorpho really is. Also, regardless of how small it may be, he has a nice arc.
Viewers first meet this Element Man when Superman (David Corenswet) turns himself in to Lex Luthor in hopes of finding where he took Krypto the Super Dog. It’s here where Metamorpho’s absurdly powerful metahuman ability is shown:he can turn himself into any element, including Kryptonite. He’s initially kept in fear of his son being murdered, but has an arc coming around when he sees the death of an innocent man, knowing he could have done something.
4Guy Gardner/Green Lantern
Played by Nathan Fillion
James Gunn always finds a way to work his family and friends into his projects, and one of his best pals is none other than Nathan Fillion. The actor makes his DCU debut as one of the least popular Green Lanterns, but audiences might actually come around to Guy Gardner after seeing what Fillion did with the role. It’s no easy task because Green Lantern hasone of the worst on-screen treatments of any superhero, but Guy Gardner is the perfect step in the right direction for the character.
Guy is an absolute goofball who’s self-obsessed and an all-around d-bag, but that’s kind of what makes him work because, at the end of the day, he still ends up doing the right thing.His sense of humor(ex, putting oven mittens on the Kaiju to restrain him)makes him almost immediately likeable to audiences, and people already want to see more of this bowl-cut-wearing Lantern moving forward.
Green Lantern
3Krypto the Super Dog
Inspired by Ozu the Dog
Every Superman fan lovesgood ‘ol Krypto the Super Dog, and while he is normally a pretty good boy in other media,Supermandepicts him as arowdy, playful, and endlessly energetic pup. He’s constantly causing mischief for Clark and his pals, but still steps up and defends those he loves when it comes down to the wire, like when he did his best to protect the Fortress of Solitude from Lex’s goons.
The fact that Krypto is based on James Gunn’s dog in real life, Ozu, makes him even more believable and easy to connect to.
Dogs in film will always be lovable, but Krypto’s chaotic energy, paired with how dang cute he is, makes hima total highlight whenever he’s on-screen. The fact that he’s based on James Gunn’s dog in real life, Ozu, makes him even more believableand easy to connect to. Krypto actually belongs to Supergirl (Milly Alcock), but hopefully, audiences will get to see him team up with Supes again in the future.
2Michael Holt/Mister Terrific
Played by Edi Gathegi
BeforeSupermancame out, most audience members probably only knew of the general Mister Terrific character from his appearances on shows likeArrow, where he was played byEcho Kellum, andthe acclaimedJustice League Unlimited, where he was played byMichael Beach. However, now that he’s had such a grand theatrical debut inSuperman, he’ll forever be remembered for this iteration, played by Edi Gathegi.
Mister Terrific is not only one of the smartest characters in the film, helping actively move the plot forward, but he also hasthe best action sequence in the entire movie. The one-shot fight that is brilliantly executed and showcases that he’s not just a smartypants, but a capable fighter, too. Terrific was a surprising but delightful fan favorite of the project, bringing the intellect necessary to balance Superman’s more hands-on approach.
1Clark Kent/Superman
Played by David Corenswet
How could the big man himself not be the best superhero in the movie?The titular hero isloving, caring, genuine, honest, and attentive—every trait a Superman needsto have. David Corenswet, as a performer, is about as close toChristopher Reeve’s iconic version of the Last Son of Krypton, and for all the best reasons. However, Corenswet also carves a place for a new and more modern take on Superman,honoring the past without feeling indebted to it.
A gigantic part of the reason people adoreSupermanis because of the heart and soul that the titular character brings to it. His motivation for good and love for others lies at the very core of the movie, and that helps make it sucha hope-filled experience. It’s safe to say that the themes and center of this project would be nothing without the main man at the front. He took the time to save a squirrel from a Kaiju; how much better could he get?
NEXT:It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Every Superman Actor, Ranked!
