After much anticipation, the first teaser trailer for James Gunn’s Superman has arrived. Now that we’ve all had a moment to catch our breath, let’s dive in and discuss some of the remarkable things we found within it. (Uh…kaiju?!? Yes, please!)
 

John Murphy’s Score

The teaser is tied together by a wonderful piece of music from John Murphy. John Williams’ classic Superman theme gets a modern day reimagining, reminding us of what came before as we fly into a bright new future. The orchestration builds and crescendos as we get glimpses of action, romance, heroes and villains. Murphy understood the assignment, and his score here just makes the teaser feel that much more profound.

“I knew from the beginning what I wanted to do with the music,” James Gunn shared at a recent trailer event. “I thought about it a lot. Are we going to do something completely different? Are we going to use the Williams theme? The Williams theme, that soundtrack is one of my favorite soundtracks of all time. When I was a kid, really the thing that I loved the most about the movie was the music. That was the thing I took home with me more than anything else. But I knew we were doing something that was hearkening back to the past, but was also looking forward to the future, so it was about finding that balance.

“John Murphy is a composer who I love working with. He started working on the music before the script was even finished and was one of the first people I gave the script to, along with Peter Safran and a couple of others, so that he could start writing music for it. I said I wanted to use a version of the Williams theme, but I wanted to do our own version of it. So, that’s what you hear. What’s really amazing is how that leads into a lot of other pieces, some of which hearken back to the Williams theme, but some of which are purely John Murphy.”
 

Mild-Mannered Reporter Clark Kent

DC Studios has given us a few teaser images of David Corenswet suited up as Superman, but this teaser was our first official look at his Clark Kent. The mild-mannered reporter stumbles through a crowded street, clearly out of rhythm with the rest of the pedestrians. This is in stark contrast to the commanding presence of Superman, showing us that Corenswet’s performance will explore the duality between the Clark and Superman personas.
 

The Daily Planet Bullpen

Whenever I see the Daily Planet bullpen, I feel like I’m home. This was our first look at the DC Universe’s version of the Metropolis newspaper, and I can’t wait to spend more time there. The bullpen is crowded, busy, and if you look closely, you might spot some important supporting characters. I saw Skyler Gisondo’s Jimmy Olsen, Beck Bennett’s Steve Lombard, and of course, Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane. You can’t have the Daily Planet without Lois, and Brosnahan nails the ace reporter. Plus, those stolen glances between Lois and Clark made me smile. We don’t yet know exactly what stage Lois and Clark’s relationship is in, but it’s clear their courtship hasn’t progressed anywhere near as far as it has in current comics.
 

Father and Son

We get our first look at the Kent farm, and Pruitt Taylor Vince as Jonathan Kent. Jonathan is usually portrayed as one of Clark’s most important anchors to humanity. Jonathan seems to be having an emotional moment with his son Clark. I’m not sure what they’re talking about, but I’m sure it will pull at my heartstrings when I see it next July.
 

Krypto, the Goodest Doggo

As Superman lies wounded in the snow (who did this to him?), Krypto comes to the rescue. I immediately fell in love with this good dog, and judging from the online reactions, it seems I wasn’t alone. Seeing the Superdog carry Kal-El through the snow warmed my heart. I wanted to reach my hand into the screen and pet that dog so badly. He deserves all the cuddles. I can’t wait to see how Superman explores the relationship between the two of them—which Gunn has said may not be what we expect.
 

A Job for Superman

This teaser gives us a glimpse at the relationship Superman has with humanity. We see the Man of Steel perform some heroic rescues, which makes me smile no matter how many times I see it. That’s the core of the character, and it’s on full display here. We also see a Boravian boy raise a homemade Superman flag and call out for help as some sort of international conflict occurs in the background.

Folks, this is everything that Superman represents. He’s the hope in a young boy’s heart when he’s in peril. He’s the champion of the weak and oppressed, and the teaser was able to communicate that with just one image.

We also see the other side of Superman’s relationship with humanity, as a crowd shouts angrily at him. Superman tries to ignore their taunts as they begin throwing garbage at him. He’s the protector of a world that doesn’t always appreciate him, but he saves them because it’s the right thing to do.

Why is everyone so angry at Superman though? I have so many questions…
 

Kaiju

At one point we see Superman fighting a giant monster. Is this one of Luthor’s creations? Is it an alien from outer space? Could it possibly be Jimmy Olsen transformed into a Kaiju? Yes, that’s happened before.

Seriously, I have no idea. Gunn doesn’t tell me these things, but I’m dying to know.
 

Lex Luthor

The teaser gives us our first official look of Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and I can’t wait to see more. Without saying a word, we immediately see the intimidating presence Hoult’s Luthor has. And then there’s the Luthorcorp building, which towers above Metropolis. Immediately you get why Lex has so much resentment towards the Man of Steel—he’s no longer on top. And what’s the deal with that gun Lex was holding? What’s going on?
 

Super Friends

The teaser gave us a glimpse into the wider DC Universe. We get our first official look at Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and he’s rocking Guy’s classic bowl cut. We even see him using his Green Lantern ring. As a big fan of Fox’s Gotham, I was thrilled to see Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho. I can’t wait to see how his abilities translate to the big screen.

We get a brief shot of Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl soaring through the sky, ready to strike with her mace. We also see a few shots of Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, and he was amazing! At one point we see Mister Terrific surrounded by gunfire as his T-Spheres create a protective bubble around him. So, so cool.
 

Fortress of Solitude

We briefly see the Fortress of Solitude, and it looks like the architecture is taking inspiration from the 1978 Richard Donner film. Is that a Kelex robot Superman is cradling? Did someone attack the Fortress?
 

Mystery Menaces

At one point we see Superman battling a mystery villain in a stadium. What’s happening here? Who is this mystery villain, and why are they fighting Superman? And near the end of the teaser, we get another glimpse of that strange malevolent orb we saw in the very first image that was released of David Corenswet in the Superman suit. So, it’s obviously a part of the plot, but what is it? Any theories?
 

The Easter Eggs

If you know me, you know that I love searching for Easter eggs and this teaser gave us some good ones. Some of you might have spotted a few Metropolis Meteors banners throughout the city. That’s a reference to Metropolis’s football team, which was introduced in 1973’s Superman #264. Clark’s colleague Steve Lombard once played for them.

We also see a Stagg Enterprises sign, a reference to the corporation owned by Metamorpho’s father-in-law Simon Stagg.  We see a GBS news broadcast, which is cool, but if you take a closer look, you’ll notice that their logo and chyron layout is identical to the one seen in Creature Commandos.

The news chyron references Boravia, which is an extremely deep cut! The fictitious European country was the setting for 1939’s Superman #2. James Gunn is not playing around with these comic book references, and he’s clearly pulling from all points of Superman history!
 

Superman and Lois

One of the cornerstones of Superman’s mythology is his relationship with Lois Lane, and that’s front and center here. The teaser puts David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan’s chemistry on full display, as Lois and Clark steal glances and enjoy some tender moments together. And of course, there was that epic kiss next to the refrigerator and another one midair. It’s clear that this relationship will be a lynchpin for the movie, which is why it’s so fitting that the final shot of the teaser is Superman and Lois embracing.

“What I love about their relationship, through every iteration of the comic books, films and television series, is that they’re soul mates,” Rachel Brosnahan said at the trailer premiere. “They’re united in the fact that they are both in relentless pursuit of truth and justice, but they approach the world in totally different ways. She’s somebody who—because of her profession, but also because of who she is—questions everything. She questions everyone. She’s trying to see around every corner, and that’s the way that she faces the world. And Superman is just radically present in every moment. He solves every issue that’s directly in front of him. I think the ways that they are opposite is something that is fun to watch.”
 

This certainly gives us a lot to get excited about and I suspect it’s only just the beginning. Did you catch all of this? Did you spot anything that I missed? Join the conversation and share what you’ve found right now in the DC Official Discord server, where we’ll be talking and speculating about Superman well into the New Year!
 

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.