Following Brutal First ‘Superman’ Review Leak, Embargo is Shattered Once Again

‘Superman’ movie review embargo was supposed to be lifted on July 8, but as you’re likely aware, things didn’t go as planned just a few days ago.

The Daily Beast accidentally published its review of James Gunn’s “Superman” five days before the embargo was supposed to be lifted. The review’s headline read: “The Terrible New ‘Superman’ Movie Is the Final Nail in the Grave for the Superhero Genre.”

The article was removed within five minutes, but many people already saw it online. Warner Bros.’ PR team is now facing a big problem. They made a mistake by breaking the embargo. And breaking it with that headline caused even more trouble.

Then, In his review of ‘Heads of State,’ Variety’s Peter Debruge took a subtle shot at James Gunn’s ‘Superman.’ While praising the fun chemistry between Idris Elba and John Cena, he slipped in a comparison, saying ‘Heads of State’ is “no sillier than Superman and a lot more entertaining.” It wasn’t a direct attack, but it clearly suggested he found Superman underwhelming.

Now, yet another review “leaked.” ‘The Sunday Times’ broke the review embargo early by publishing a positive review of the movie. The review calls the film a “triumph” and praises it as the Superman movie fans have been waiting for. It suggests that previous versions struggled to handle the character properly, but Gunn has finally gotten it right.

Superman, directed by James Gunn, is a triumph. After a long wait, this is the film the character deserves. In 1978 Richard Donner made us believe a man could fly when he picked Christopher Reeve as Kal-El, the Kryptonian who falls to Earth to become Clark Kent, and despite a superb sequel the franchise has since been a reboot slog of diminishing returns: Brandon Routh is forgotten, Henry Cavill is boring. Nobody seemed to know what to do with Superman until now.

I’m not going to pretend the early release of this specific review was just an innocent mistake; the timing is far too convenient to ignore. Whether or not this was a calculated move by Warner Bros.’ PR team is up to you to decide.

What is clear, though, is that we’re still in the dark about the film’s true quality. With one glowing review and one harsh critique, we’re essentially back to square one.

‘Superman’ is written and directed by James Gunn and will be the first movie in the new DC Universe (DCU). David Corenswet plays Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, and others in the cast. The story is about Superman trying to balance his alien roots with his life on Earth.

Filming started in Norway and continued mostly in Atlanta, Georgia, with other scenes shot in Ohio. Filming ended in July 2024. The movie is inspired by the All-Star Superman comics.

‘Superman’ will be released in the U.S. on July 11, 2025, and will launch the first chapter of the new DCU called Gods and Monsters.

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