First Superman Review Releases Early Due to Daily Beast Error and It’s Not Good…

The first official Superman review has been published and it’s not good news for Warner Bros. Discovery or The Daily Beast. 

With the Superman review embargo officially set to lift on July 8th, Warner Bros. has been keeping tight control over early critical reactions to James Gunn’s highly anticipated DC reboot. However, that strategy hit a major snag late last night when The Daily Beast accidentally published its review ahead of schedule—and it wasn’t pretty.

Superman beaten down in the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC

Though the review was quickly taken down, it stayed up long enough to send shockwaves through social media. Screenshots and summaries spread like wildfire, and the early verdict is already fueling doubts about the direction of DC’s revamped cinematic universe.

So what did this first published review have to say about Superman?

The headline alone pulls no punches: “Terrible New ‘Superman’ Is Final Nail In Superhero Cinema’s Coffin.”

Superman withstands fire in the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC

According to The Daily Beast, Superman plays out like a “Saturday morning cartoon” that’s “overstuffed” and “awash in over-the-top CGI insanity.” The result, according to The Daily Beast is action sequences so bombastic and relentless that they lose impact. It’s a sensory overload that, in the critic’s view, drowns out the emotional core.

Even David Corenswet, the new face of Clark Kent, doesn’t escape criticism. While the review concedes that he visually fits the role, it claims he feels “relatively slight” compared to Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill—undermined further by a narrative that’s “all-over-the-place.” The whirlwind structure of the film reportedly makes it difficult for any character to truly land, asking audiences to “hold on for dear life as it whiplashes about from one out-of-this-world locale and incident to another.”

Superman wounded in the snow in the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC

The review also blasts the film’s script for “[feigning] interest in actual emotion” and claims the humor falls flat. The relationship between Clark and Lois Lane is said to lack spark, while Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is overshadowed by a plot so chaotic it renders “the entire affair superficial and silly.”

Most alarming of all for DC fans is the comparison to Joss Whedon’s Justice League—a film widely seen as one of the DCEU’s lowest points. The reviewer criticizes Superman for being overloaded with “heroes and villains it has neither the time nor the inclination to develop,” making everything feel “two-dimensional” despite Gunn’s signature “sharp and vibrant” visual style.

To say the response was brutal would be an understatement.

Superman grimacing by a Stagg Industries sign in the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC

While this is just one review—and a prematurely posted one at that—it casts a long shadow over the looming release. With opening weekend projections already softening, poor word of mouth could trigger a disastrous second-week drop, even if the film starts strong at the box office.

There’s still a chance the majority of reviews next week will be more forgiving or even enthusiastic. But make no mistake: this fist Superman review is not the kind of pre-release buzz Warner Bros. wanted. It reignites concerns that Gunn’s vision for DC might be too niche, too chaotic, or too meta for general audiences to embrace.

Whether this leaked critique is a fluke or the canary in the coal mine remains to be seen.

Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane in James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC

Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.

That Park Place will have our official Superman review live on Wednesday morning, July 9th. Stay tuned.

What do you think of this first Superman review being leaked? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

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