Superman 4K Blu-Ray review

Suppose you’ve been following what James Gunn and Peter Safran have been doing this year with their introduction of the DCU (DC Universe). In that case, you’ve seen a deliberately timed rollout of DC Comics characters in animated and live-action form as co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios, Gunn and Safran are overseeing a reimagining under the watchful eye of Warner Bros. Discovery. In July, “Superman” was released in theaters, written and directed by Gunn. It became the highest-grossing Superman movie in the U.S. and grossed $615.3 million worldwide. Following its digital release on August 15th, “Superman” dropped on HBO Max on September 19th, with the 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD releases scheduled for this week, on September 23rd. There’s a specific reason for those last two dates.

The reason has to do with Season 2 of “Peacemaker”, which kicked off on August 21st on HBO Max. There are three more episodes left in this 8-episode season, all of them written by Gunn (and three of them directed by him), with the 6th episode dropping this Thursday, August 25th. Rumor has it that the rest of Season 2 has ties to “Superman” or will at least be influenced by what transpired in Gunn’s movie, with appearances by some of the characters that appeared in the film. This was recently confirmed by Gunn, who stated that “Superman” does tie into the last three episodes of “Peacemaker” Season 2.

Considering Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner and Isabella Merced’s Hawkgirl, two-thirds of the Justice Gang (fourths? depending on what Metamorpho decides at the end of “Superman”) have already appeared in Season 2 alongside, Gunn’s brother, Sean Gunn (who play’s tech billionaire, Maxwell Lord), it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if they show up again. It would, however, be a surprise if David Corenswet shows up, but there were also rumors that he was on the set of Season 2 in his Superman suit. Time will reveal all, but one thing is sure: the timing of these release dates are quite purposeful.

Wherever you land on “Superman”, one can’t help but think how modern-day viewers would receive this iteration of the iconic character. Gunn has portrayed Clark Kent/Superman as a more optimistic and kind public-facing superhero in a world that’s not surprised by the presence of metahumans. The kindness is perceived as “old-fashioned” and naive by other heroes, like the Justice Gang. Even some viewers rolled their eyes at Superman uttering words like “Golly” and “Gosh”, but to me, that’s endearing and supports the values and morals that Jonathan and Martha Kent instilled in the alien as they raised him on a Kansas farm.

I’ve already shared my thoughts on Corrnenwet’s Superman and Gunn’s take on the character in my review, and my colleague enjoyed the movie slightly more than I did. I accept him as the New Punk Rock and look forward to more appearances by him. We’ll get just that in Gunn’s sequel, “Man of Tomorrow”, which is scheduled for release on July 9, 2027. We will supposedly find Superman teaming up with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) against a formidable threat (I’m thinking Brainiac). Before that, we have the “Supergirl” movie, which will land in theaters next summer. We’ll see more of Milly Alcock in that role after briefly seeing her at the end of “Superman”.

Until then, fans can rewatch “Superman” as much as they’d like, which is what I already started doing with this new 4K release. Sure, the optimal way to see this movie is on the big screen, but this high-quality 4K presentation is clearly the best way to view it at home. The visuals offer natural colors, smooth gradients, and deep black levels that emphasize texture and depth. As for the sound, it all depends on what kind of sound system you have connected to your Blu-ray player. Dolby Atmos is available to those who have it. The audio on my viewing at home was great during the action sequences, yet a bit too dialed-down during some of the quieter, conversation moments in the movie. That could have something to do with my own sound system. 

If you’re still collecting physical media like me, one reason is the Special Features that have been around since home media options were primarily DVDs. I look forward to all the featurettes and behind-the-scenes extras that are often included, as well as any commentaries and deleted scenes. The features on this 4K are impressive, harkening back to the Special Edition DVDs from back in the day, offering more than most recent new releases by any studio.

While it’s been reported that a Commentary from James Gunn, along with Deleted Scenes and a Gag Reel, will be part of Digital-Exclusive bonus features on September 23rd, it’s a bummer that it’s not all included here. It’s unclear what the reasoning is here for excluding these three features, but it could be that the Commentary just wasn’t ready in time.

Nevertheless, here are my thoughts on the Special Features that are included (in order of appearance)…

• Adventures in the Making of Superman (58:58) – This is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the movie’s making, akin to a mini-documentary. It’s well-produced with heavy participation from the cast and crew, and, of course, insight from writer/director James Gunn. The standout is hearing from costume designer Judianna Makovsky and production designer Beth Mickle, who go into enthusiastic detail on their respective responsibilities for making this iteration both loyal to the source material while carving out its own look. Director of photography Henry Braham goes over his approach to filming, and producer Peter Safran shares how he’s always wanted to make a Superman movie. The feature spans multiple months and covers almost every facet of the production, including casting, screen tests, storyboards, costumes, shooting locations, visual effects, all while extolling a love of Superman. Overall, it’s an infectious piece that fans will love, and it’s more than the usual promotional fluff often included in these releases.

• Breaking News: The Daily Planet Returns (5:26) – We get a breezy tour of the Daily Planet and the coolest bit of information here is how an old terminal in Macon, Georgia was used for the interior.

• Lex Luthor: The Mind of a Master Villain (5:22) – Some behind-the-scenes footage of Nicholas Hoult and others, who speak about his portrayal of Lex Luthor. It would’ve been nice to hear from Gunn how he wanted this Lex to stand apart from past portrayals, especially considering the title, but maybe we’ll get that in the Commentary.

• The Justice Gang (10:31) –  I’m not quite sure how many people make up a “gang”, but apparently Guy Gardner believes it to be three. We get some fun behind-the-scenes moments of filming involving Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, and Edi Gathegi (as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl tech genius Mr. Terrific, respectively). Still, I would’ve appreciated some backstory on these characters – as in when they first appeared in comic book form and who created them, etc, to provide viewers with some history and context. This would’ve been especially helpful regarding Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho, which most viewers know nothing about. We get very little of any of that, and that’s unfortunate. What’s here are screen tests, makeup, and hair application (understandably focusing on Fillion’s bowl cut), as well as comments from the actors playing the supporting superheroes.

• Paws to Pixels: Krypto is Born (5:48) – By now, we all know that Krypto is based on Gunn’s frisky adopted canine Ozu, but for those unaware, there’s this short feature. It’s an enjoyable supporting character-themed piece that could’ve delved deeper into the technological details of how the Superdog was brought to the big screen for the first time.

• The Ultimate Villain (5:08) – This all-too-short feature focuses on Ultraman, the villain behind the Hammer of Boravia. We get a little bit of backstory that briefly details what comic book history the character comes from and the character understandably deviates for this adaptation.   

• Icons Forever: Superman’s Enduring Legacy (6:07) – In case you wondered why Superman has been such an enduring character since 1938, this short feature is for you. It breezes through the character’s history and appeal, but it really doesn’t touch on enough in its brief runtime.

• A New Era: DC Takes Off (4:43) – This brief short offers a light-hearted look at the new direction of the film, but if we’re already watching this, then we’re likely already on board with this direction. More focus on the why and how such a new direction was decided would’ve been interesting.

• Kryptunes: The Music of Superman (6:34) – A funny title for a section on music. It’s fun to hear from composers John Murphy and David Fleming, both of whom talk about their approach to coming up with distinctive music while also paying homage to the iconic theme by John Williams that’s synonymous with the Last Son of Krypton. The short includes interview clips and recording session footage for the movie’s soundtrack. Given that this is a Gunn movie, it would’ve been nice to explore why certain songs were included as needle drops and how Gunn came up with names for the boy bands that Clark loves.

• Krypto Short: School Bus Scuffle (5:33) – This enjoyable 2-D animated short, written and directed by Ryan Kramer (“Uncle Grandpa” and “Ben 10”), was released last month on YouTube and is included here. It revolves around the rambunctious super pup who chases a pigeon all over Metropolis. It’s cute and it’s fun, but that’s about it.