The long-awaited Superman reboot with David Corenswet replacing Henry Cavill will be released in cinemas next year.

And now the first trailer from Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy director James Gunn has landed (or should that be taken off?) with the Man of Steel living in a DC universe where other superheroes already exist.

In the alarming first look, Kal-El is bloody and injured as his trusty dog Krypto comes to his rescue, while Earthling members of the public look furious with the superhero.

Just what could be going wrong? Superman is basically invulnerable after all. Whatever the case, we’re sure that Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, who looks rather James Bond-like in the first footage, has something to do with it.

And yes, that is John Williams’ iconic theme from the 1978 original back in action for 2025’s Superman, which was briefly called Superman: Legacy during development.

The new film’s official synopsis reads: “Superman, DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theatres worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humour and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.”

With a retro-futuristic look and sunny comic book colour palette, this is a far cry from the grungy look of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. It looks like we’ll be getting the positive and hopeful Superman fans have been longing for on the big screen for years. Kal-El’s Truth, Justice, and the American Way seem to be making a big comeback.

Warner Bros added: “The film stars David Corenswet (Twisters, Hollywood) in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult (the X-Men movies, Juror #2) as Lex Luthor. The film also stars Edi Gathegi (For All Mankind), Anthony Carrigan (Barry, Gotham), Nathan Fillion (the Guardians of the Galaxy films, The Suicide Squad), Isabela Merced (Alien Romulus), Skyler Gisondo (Licorice Pizza, Booksmart), Sara Sampaio (At Midnight), María Gabriela de Faría (The Moodys), Wendell Pierce (Selma, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan), Alan Tudyk (Andor), Pruitt Taylor Vince (Bird Box) and Neva Howell (Greedy People).”

Superman will be released in UK cinemas on July 11, 2025.