A few days ago, my wife and I had the chance to see the new Superman (2025) film. For those of you who know me well, comic books are in my blood. To say I’m deeply enmeshed in the genre, from penning reviews and recording podcasts for The Batman Universe to my current stint as reviewer of the Defenders of the Earth over at Chronicle Chamber, is appropriate.
Comics have been with me for as long as I could read. They saw me through good times, and they carried me through the rough moments. Characters like Batman, Spider-Man, The Phantom, and Superman inspired me to keep going. When I needed someone in my corner, they were there for me, helping me find my way through turbulent teen years into adulthood.
This is all to say that, as a fan, I have an emotional connection to many of these characters, and in moments when I’m down and out, I still look to them as fables and signals to step up and be my best.
There is a lot of chatter online about what is or isn’t Superman. There are claims that it’s “woke,” and there are angry detractors who want to return to the Superman films under the guidance of Zack Snyder.
Superman is neither of those things. In a world where each day brings its own new headlines of horrors and the outlook for humanity, as a species, feels grim, Superman is a familiar antidote. It’s a film about love and kindness, about defying the odds to save everyone and everything, regardless of whether it’s a person or a squirrel in harm’s way.
This new film firmly roots itself into the ideals of its character: Hope. It’s a film that not-so-subtly challenges us to be better, fueled by our love for a character who chooses to be a symbol for a better world. As was true in 1938 in the pages of Action Comics #1, Superman embodies the idea of the “Man of Tomorrow.”
If you’re feeling weary and weighed down by everything, I implore you to see this film. I hope it washes over you the way it did me, refilling my empty cup with a rekindled love for the people around me.
We can still make tomorrow brighter. Superman can inspire us and help us find the way.
Looking for more from me?
- Get the creative motivation you’re looking for. Read my latest newsletter issue, “Lessons About Community By Way of a Laundromat“
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Scott Waldyn Writes 