In the glittering coliseum of streaming giants, where algorithms battle for eyeballs and content kings rise and fall with the whims of weekend binges, one caped crusader has landed with the force of a Kryptonian meteor: James Gunn’s Superman. Since touching down on HBO Max on September 19, 2025—barely two months after its thunderous theatrical debut—the film has not only claimed the top spot on the platform’s movie charts but has clung to it like a fortress of solitude, defying challengers and racking up views that would make even Lex Luthor envious. With 13 million global viewers in its first 10 days alone, Superman shattered records, marking HBO Max’s biggest movie launch since Barbie‘s pink-powered domination in late 2023. As October 2025 unfolds, the Man of Steel remains unchallenged at #1, a testament to Gunn’s alchemy of heart, humor, and high-flying spectacle. In an era where superhero fatigue whispers like a villain’s curse, this reboot isn’t just flying—it’s soaring, proving that Clark Kent’s enduring appeal is as unbreakable as his jawline.

The ascent of Superman to streaming supremacy feels predestined, a narrative arc scripted in the stars of comic lore and realized through Gunn’s irreverent genius. Released in theaters on July 11, 2025, the film—Gunn’s directorial baton for the rebooted DC Universe (DCU)—opened to a staggering $125 million domestically and $220 million worldwide in its first weekend, outpacing every Marvel release of the year and cementing itself as 2025’s box-office beacon. By the end of its run, it had amassed $615.6 million globally on a $225 million budget, landing as the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year, trailing only juggernauts like Ne Zha 2, Lilo & Stitch, and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. Critics hailed it with an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, praising Gunn’s blend of epic action and emotional intimacy. “Gunn constructs an intricate game of a superhero saga that’s arresting and touching,” raved one review, capturing the film’s delicate balance of levity and legacy.

At its core, Superman reimagines the Last Son of Krypton not as a brooding god among men but as a wide-eyed immigrant grappling with his dual heritage in a world starved for hope. David Corenswet, the 31-year-old breakout from Pearl and The Politician, steps into the iconic blue-and-red suit as Clark Kent/Superman, embodying a 25-year-old hero who’s equal parts farm-boy earnestness and alien outsider. Corenswet’s portrayal—marked by a disarming smile that crinkles his eyes and a physicality honed through rigorous flight training—avoids the stoic isolation of predecessors like Henry Cavill’s DCEU version. Instead, he channels the optimistic vigor of Christopher Reeve’s 1978 classic, updated for a fractured era. “Superman isn’t just powerful; he’s kind,” Gunn has emphasized, and Corenswet nails that ethos in scenes like the Metropolis food drive where Clark’s quiet compassion sparks a chain reaction of community goodwill.

Opposite him, Rachel Brosnahan ignites as Lois Lane, the Pulitzer-chasing firebrand whose razor-sharp wit and unyielding curiosity make her the story’s true north. Fresh off The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s four Emmys, Brosnahan infuses Lois with a modern edge—a relentless journalist who sees through Clark’s mild-mannered facade not with suspicion but with electric attraction. Their chemistry crackles from the jump: a rooftop stakeout that devolves into flirtatious banter amid crashing thunder, or a Daily Planet bullpen clash where Lois’s barbs draw out Clark’s hidden fire. “Rachel’s Lois is the heart that beats for everyone else,” Brosnahan shared in a post-release chat, her performance earning raves for elevating the rom-com sparks into something profoundly human.

Then there’s Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, the tech-titan antagonist whose bald ambition and messianic complex make him a mirror to Superman’s altruism. Hoult, shedding the boyish charm of Skins and The Menu for a chilling intellect, portrays Lex as a Silicon Valley sorcerer—equal parts Elon Musk parody and tragic visionary. His Luthor doesn’t just plot world domination from a penthouse lair; he wages a PR war, unleashing viral deepfakes and smear campaigns via his “Mister Handsome” AI creation, a grotesque digital doppelganger born from Lex’s childhood loneliness. “Lex sees Superman as the ultimate disruptor to his perfect world,” Hoult explained, his scenes—particularly a tense boardroom interrogation where Luthor’s calm facade fractures into rage—delivering the film’s most layered villainy since Heath Ledger’s Joker.

The ensemble orbits these titans like planets around a sun, each adding gravitational pull to Gunn’s universe. Edi Gathegi shines as Mister Terrific, the polymath engineer whose T-Spheres gadgets blend Iron Man ingenuity with Wakandan flair, his moral compass clashing beautifully with Superman’s idealism. Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho, the elemental everyman turned reluctant hero, brings comic relief with his shape-shifting mishaps—think a rubbery arm flailing during a bank heist gone wrong. Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, the hotheaded Green Lantern with a bowl cut and a chip on his shoulder, injects Gunn’s signature snark, while Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl soars with fierce loyalty, her mace-swinging ferocity a nod to underrepresented legacies. Supporting turns from Skyler Gisondo as the bumbling Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as the ethereal Eve Teschmacher, and María Gabriela de Faría as the enigmatic The Engineer round out a tapestry rich with Easter eggs for diehards, from Krypto’s tail-wagging cameos to subtle nods to the Justice League’s forming shadows.

Gunn’s fingerprints are everywhere, a masterclass in rebooting without retreading. Co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, he penned the script solo, drawing from the comics’ Silver Age whimsy while infusing Guardians-esque heart. The film’s Metropolis pulses with vibrant life—neon-lit skyscrapers where holographic billboards hawk LuthorCorp drones, contrasted against Smallville’s amber wheat fields where Clark learns to fly amid fireflies. Action sequences dazzle: a zero-gravity skirmish in the Fortress of Solitude, where Superman grapples crystalline phantoms from Krypton’s ghosts; a high-speed chase through Kandor’s bottled city, miniaturized and teeming with alien refugees. Cinematographer Henry Braham bathes it all in a warm, hopeful palette—golden-hour glows that make flight feel euphoric—while John Murphy’s score swells with heroic brass and ethereal synths, echoing John Williams without imitation.

Behind the scenes, Superman was a labor of love forged in the fires of DC’s rocky past. Gunn, who joined Warner Bros. in 2022 after helming The Suicide Squad, envisioned this as Chapter One: Gods and Monsters—a 10-year blueprint blending standalone tales with interconnected threads. Filming spanned Cleveland’s steel mills (doubling as Metropolis) and Norway’s fjords (for Arctic isolation), wrapping in July 2024 after delays from the 2023 strikes. Gunn’s on-set vibe—impromptu pizza parties and script tweaks scribbled on napkins—fostered a family feel, with Corenswet crediting the director’s “endless encouragement” for his confidence. The 70-day theatrical-to-streaming window was deliberate: Gunn timed it to precede Peacemaker Season 2’s October premiere, ensuring viewers caught Lex’s post-credits machinations before John Cena’s helmeted anti-hero dove back in.

That synergy has paid dividends. Superman‘s HBO Max arrival—complete with an ASL version, Gunn’s commentary track, and a gag reel of Fillion’s blooper-fueled rants—ignited a DC renaissance on the platform. Viewership for classics surged: Superman: The Movie jumped 155%, Superman Returns 120%, Man of Steel 40%, and the Reeve documentary Super/Man a whopping 670%. Samba TV clocked 1.3 million U.S. households in the first three days—a 145% leap from premium VOD. Globally, across 80 markets, it’s the 2025 streaming champ, outpacing Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* on Disney+. Social media echoes the mania: X (formerly Twitter) buzzes with #SupermanHBO threads, fans dissecting Luthor’s AI ethics in viral edits, while TikTok floods with Corenswet’s flight recreations using AR filters. “Gunn’s got the DCU humming like never before,” one post raved, as Peacemaker Season 2—topping TV charts—cross-pollinates with cameos teasing Hawkgirl’s arc.

This streaming stranglehold isn’t mere momentum; it’s a cultural reset for superheroes. In 2025, a year where box-office blues dogged the genre—Marvel’s trio netting less than Superman alone—Gunn’s film reaffirms the caped crowd-pleaser’s power when rooted in humanity. It grapples with timely tensions: immigrant alienation in a border-walled world, tech overlords’ unchecked might, the heroism of everyday kindness amid chaos. Superman doesn’t just punch asteroids; he mentors a wayward Metamorpho through identity crises, shares falafel with Kandorian refugees, and weeps for a world that fears his light. “This is Superman for a generation that needs him most,” Gunn reflected, his words landing like a sonic clap.

Looking skyward, the horizon gleams with promise. Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Gunn’s 2027 sequel, teases an uneasy Superman-Lex alliance against a “much bigger threat”—whispers of Brainiac or Darkseid loom. Spin-offs simmer: a Mister Terrific series exploring his tech utopia, a Jimmy Olsen comedy-thriller unleashing Gorilla Grodd. Physical media drops September 23—4K UHD packed with featurettes—while HBO Max’s “Superman takeover” homepage keeps the hype aloft. For Corenswet, Brosnahan, and Hoult, it’s stardom solidified; for Gunn, vindication as DC’s savior.

As October’s chill sets in, Superman endures at #1, a beacon proving that in streaming’s endless scroll, true heroes don’t fade—they fly forever. Whether you’re rewatching Lois’s defiant kiss or Lex’s unraveling sneer, Gunn’s vision reminds us: hope isn’t a relic; it’s the ultimate superpower. Stream on, Metropolis— the Man of Steel is just getting started.