Five things you may have missed watching the new Superman teaser trailer

Director James Gunn, of Guardians of the Galaxy fame, promised a fresh, comic-inspired take on Superman—and based on the teaser, it seems he’s delivered. The teaser, released on Thursday, has drawn mostly positive reactions from fans anticipating the film’s July 2025 release.

Featuring almost no dialogue, the trailer takes the nostalgic route, using John Williams’ iconic Superman theme from the 80s on a heavily distorted guitar. It is coupled with quick montages of everything the film will likely entail. Bringing back the original theme was spot on, as William’s iconic score defines the presence of Superman.

David Corenswet as Superman looks promising and seems to be up to the challenge of living up to the standards set by his predecessors. Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor is probably one of the best onscreen Luthor castings since the 80s. Without a single dialogue, Hoult’s presence and facial expressions channel Luthor’s deep resentment and hatred for Superman to perfection. We also get our first glimpse at Superman’s furry friend, Krypto, on the big screen.

It is safe to say that Gunn seems to have incorporated more of the Superman mythos for the film than any other previous Superman film. The trailer also teases a host of intriguing characters and action-packed moments. Here are some moments from the trailer that you may or may not have missed at first glance

LuthorCorp instead of LexCorp

Nicholas Hoult channels Lex Luthor’s deep resentment for Superman through piercing expressions—without a single line of dialog. However, it is interesting to note that Luthor’s company is still called LuthorCorp, suggesting we may see a character arc tracing his evolution into the conniving, egotistical villain he is destined to become.

The absence of the LexCorp name indicates that we may even see a transformation character arc in which we witness how Lex Luthor becomes the conniving, ego-driven, evil supervillain everyone dreads.

Nicholas Hoult starring as Lex Luthor in the upcoming Superman film directed by James GunnIMDb

Hawkgirl

We catch a few quick glimpses of Hawkgirl in the trailer, suggesting that the Justice League may exist in this incarnation of the DCU. We see Hawkgirl soaring through the air and striking down a monstrous foe with her trusty mace. The presence of Hawkgirl hints at a possible Justice League connection in Gunn’s DCU.

Hawkgirl featured in the trailer of the upcoming Superman movie directed by James GunnIMDb

Green Lantern

Unlike most adaptations, Nathan Fillion portrays Gardner as the brash, blue-collar Green Lantern, which focuses on Hal Jordan or John Stewart as Green Lantern. First featured in DC comics in the 80s, Gardner’s Lantern is a completely different one from the likes of the ones we are used to seeing on various DC TV shows and films that either cover Hal Jordan or John Stewart as Lantern.

It is also interesting that Guy Gardner’s appearance might even tie into the upcoming Green Lantern series on Max, which features various Lanterns from the Lantern Corp, including favorites Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern in the upcoming Superman movie helmed by James GunnIMDb

Mr. Terrific

A glimpse of Mr. Terrific’s role in an intense firefight teases a compelling addition to the story. Typically, Mr. Terrific is an ally of Superman in the comic books, but it will be interesting to see how Gunn incorporates his character in the upcoming film.

Mr. Terrific featured in the trailer for the upcoming Superman movie, helmed by James GunnIMDb

Metamorpho

We also get a short first glimpse of Anthony Carrigan's debut as Metamorpho, the shape-shifting superhero. Another Superman ally and a member of various incarnations of the Justice League, it will be interesting to see how all these allies play out in the film and whether the film may potentially lead to a Justice League assembly.

Glimpse of Metamorpho from the upcoming Superman film, helmed by James GunnIMDb

The teaser contains many other Easter eggs. We glimpse Superman’s Fortress of Solitude and a poignant moment in which he mourns the destruction of Kelex, a Kryptonian robot responsible for maintaining the Fortress and one of his last ties to Krypton. Krypto, Superman’s loyal dog, also makes his big-screen debut.

Gunn’s 2-minute teaser release leaves most people hopeful and highly anticipating the new film's release, some already referring to it as the best-looking Superman production to come out in forever. We'll find out whether the film can live up to the hype in July 2025.