After Scathing ‘Superman’ Review Leak, Another Early Review Breaks Embargo

Things have been a little messy for James Gunn’s Superman in the lead-up to its release. Just a few days ago, The Daily Beast made a pretty big mistake; they published their review of the movie five days before the official embargo was supposed to lift. The headline? Not subtle at all. It read: “The Terrible New ‘Superman’ Movie Is the Final Nail in the Grave for the Superhero Genre.”

That article was taken down within five minutes, but it was already too late. Screenshots of the review spread online fast, and Warner Bros.’ PR team suddenly had a major headache on their hands. Accidentally breaking an embargo is one thing, but doing it with a headline like that? That’s the kind of thing that sets off alarm bells.

Then came another jab, though a quieter one. Variety’s Peter Debruge slipped a quick comparison into his review of Heads of State, where he praised Idris Elba and John Cena’s chemistry. He wrote that the movie is “no sillier than Superman and a lot more entertaining.” It wasn’t a full-on attack, but it clearly showed he wasn’t impressed with Gunn’s take.

And now, in the latest twist, The Sunday Times has also broken the embargo. But this time, the review was much more positive. In fact, the writer called the film “a triumph” and said it was “the film the character deserves.” The review also looked back at earlier versions of Superman, saying Richard Donner’s 1978 film made people believe a man could fly when he cast Christopher Reeve as Kal-El. But after that, things went downhill. The review said, “Brandon Routh is forgotten, Henry Cavill is boring. Nobody seemed to know what to do with Superman until now.”

This sudden swing from a brutal takedown to glowing praise has made things more confusing. Was the early Sunday Times review another mistake? Maybe. But it’s hard not to notice the timing. Whether this was part of Warner Bros.’ plan or just another accident is something people can decide for themselves.

Right now, with only two reviews out, one trashing the movie, one praising it, it’s hard to say if Superman is actually good. We’re kind of stuck in the middle with no clear answer.

Superman is written and directed by James Gunn and is the first movie in the new DC Universe, also called the DCU. David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent, and the cast includes Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Isabela Merced, Nathan Fillion, and more. The story is about Superman trying to figure out how to live as both an alien from Krypton and a human raised on Earth.

Filming started in Norway and continued mostly in Atlanta, Georgia, with some scenes also shot in Ohio. Production finished in July 2024. The movie takes ideas from the All-Star Superman comic series.

Warner Bros. plans to release Superman in theaters in the U.S. on July 11, 2025. It will kick off the first part of the DCU’s new story chapter called Gods and Monsters.

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