I Expected Superman To Have Another James Gunn Tearjerker Scene, And I'm Very Surprised By The Scene That Ended Up Getting Me

Warning: spoilers for Superman are in play. Warning people about that sort of thing could be considered the real punk rock, so take heed.

If you were at your local theater this past weekend, you probably saw a rather super looking crowd celebrating James Gunn's Superman officially landing on the 2025 movie schedule as the cinematic opener for the DCU's Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. To date, the reactions have been largely ecstatic. (Check out our Superman review, for example.)

I myself was taken by the charms of David Corenswet’s big blue Boy Scout, and I think that was partially because I knew what to expect emotionally from a Gunn comic movie. Or at least I thought I did, right up until the huge moment I thought was going to break my heart in two...didn’t happen. Instead, it was another touching scene that surprisingly resonated with me, and I kind of appreciate the switch-up.

I Was Fully Prepared For Superman To Deliver Pa Kent’s Death…And It Didn’t

From the moment I saw the first Superman trailer, I was bracing myself for that cornerstone moment in Clark Kent’s development as a Metahuman. As we’ve seen in titles like Superman: The Movie and Man of Steel (each available to stream with an HBO Max subscription), the demise of adoptive father Jonathan Kent is the point where our hero realizes he can’t save everyone.

We still get that important story beat in James Gunn’s version of events, but the way it plays out actually surprises audience members such as myself who expect it. Pruitt Taylor Vince’s rendition of the Smallville patriarch is just as sweet and wise as you’d expect, but he makes it through this new DC origin story.

I still shed some tears on behalf of Pa Kent though, specifically when he talks to his on-screen son about being given the tools to make his own mistakes in the world. However, there was another scene that I think packed a more powerful punch in its feelings.

Meanwhile, The Kids In Jarhanpur Calling For Superman Totally Got Me

Not too long after this point in Superman’s story, our DC hero seemingly has to make a choice. At the same time that Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) opens a black hole that threatens Metropolis, and the whole of planet Earth, the military of Boravia is about to launch another invasion of Jarhanpur.

Soldiers amass on the border between those nations waiting for word, and a group of children raise a flag with a very familiar looking symbol on it. Chanting “Superman” as they hold fast, the beginning of the invasion sees all but one child run from the armed personnel swarming their border.

For a moment, it looks like our remaining child is going to be in grave danger, which is where the tears come in. That tense exchange then leads to Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) swooping in to save the day, in a manner you'd expect from the co-writer/director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.

It really does feel like a classic James Gunn two-step, where despair gives way to hope through a quippy punchline; and it absolutely works. In one moment, the hope that Superman inspires is not only seen in that young child, but also the jaded Gardner and his Justice Gang team arriving to save the day.

That decision aptly highlights why James Gunn's Superman works so well. Clearly understanding the building blocks of what's needed to believe that this pure hearted protector, the same lessons we're used to learning are told with a different spin. More importantly, the fictional world of DC's latest cinematic incarnation believes in Superman - which allows us to buy in to that same degree; tears and all.

Audiences can of course debate whether this is a good thing or not, but at least it can be agreed upon that this isn’t a “typical” entry in DC’s cinematic canon. If you’ve somehow read this rundown without seeing the movie for yourself, don’t worry - there’s plenty more to unpack, including Superman’s ending.

\Also, if you think you’ve seen this movie without experiencing Superman’s 3D/4DX-perience, you haven’t truly flown with the Last Son of Krypton! So keep that in mind for your next trip to Metropolis at a theater near you.