Superman(2025) is filled with iconic DC characters, brought to life in live-action thanks to James Gunn’s talented writing and direction, along with the incredible performances and passion provided by the actors who play them. With unique spins on familiar and iconic characters, why not check outwho stole the show inSuperman(2025)?
Plenty of characters get deserving screentime inSuperman, but they never overstay their welcome for the main man, the Last Son of Krypton himself. Despite having a 2-hour runtime,Supermanbalances its characters well, providing exceptional characterization to iconic charactersthat are ranked below.
Spoilers ahead for Superman (2025)!
10Krypto
Krypto was adorable, as most thought he would be. While this character might have no speaking lines (for obvious reasons — it’s a dog), he still managed to capture hearts and steal scenes with his hyperactive dog personality. The whole point of Krypto is “what if the worst dog in the world had super powers” and it works like a charm, not just for driving some of the plot forward, but for seeing how innocent and destructive Krypto is as a comedic and cute addition who is filled with love and is loved.
9Supergirl
Superman’s Party Girl Cousin
Supergirl only has one very brief scene inSuperman, but it’s one that audiences will fondly remember. Supergirl crashes into the Fortress of Solitude, and has a party girl personality befitting of a girl who wants to fly away from her responsibilities and the trauma that she clearly hides. With her unruly relationship with Krypto, and her fun banter with her cousin, Superman — there’s a fun story with deep-rooted emotion and action waiting for Milly Alcock’s Supergirl, and luckily, thatcomes inSupergirl, which hits theaters Jul 03, 2025.
8Hawkgirl
An Aggressive Mace-Wielding and Wing-Wearing Metahuman
The screeching (potentially) Thanagarian metahuman who flies to her enemies and bludgeons them with a mace. Hawkgirl is extremely powerful and aggressive, with a no-nonsense attitude. Hawkgirl has very limited screen time, and mostly just flies around with her hawk screech while she whacks bad guys with a mace, but she leaves a very strong impression with her final confrontation with the Boravia President, Vasil Ghurkos, where she proves why she’snot like Superman. She’s cool, violent, and pretty stern in her ways.
7Metamorpho
The Element Man Just Wants to be a Hero
Metamorpho is the Element Man, a man whose tragic powers saw him trapped in Lex Luthor’s pocket dimension to create kryptonite for the sole purpose of detaining and poisoning Superman. Metamorpho’s purpose is filled with guilt and regret – a status forced upon him in order to stop harm from befalling his newborn son, Joey. Despite Metamorpho’s fear and shyness, he has an inherent goodness about him, andan inspiration from Supermansaw him become a vibrant hero in a world that desperately needs him. With a great performance from Anthony Carrigan, with incredible practical makeup and creative powers, Metamorpho becomes a welcome addition to the Justice Gang.
6Guy Gardner (Green Lantern)
The Biggest Jerk in the Green Lantern Corps
When Nathan Fillion fills the red-headed bowl cut, audiences are in for a treat. Nathan Fillion is perfectly cast as Guy Gardner, bringing the personality of a charming jerk to life. Guy Gardner is the first Green Lantern thataudiences meet in the DCU, and while he might not have the legendary status of Hal Jordan or the cool factor of John Stewart, he does have the unwavering gumption of a loser that makes him somewhat irresistible with his annoying charm. Guy Gardner is a jerk who thinks he’s above everyone else, and that’s the joke. There’s room for growth with Guy, since he’s a Green Lantern that clearly has strong will and a creative use of said will with green flinging middle fingers, but it’ll be even more interesting to see what changes he develops among other Green Lanterns.
5Jimmy Olsen
Superman’s Best Pal, and a Ladies Magnet
Skyler Gisondo is the perfect casting choice for Jimmy Olsen, providing the Daily Planet with a great photographer and a great friend. Olsen’s chemistry with Lois and Clark is a lot of fun and cements the three as a lovely Daily Planet trio. However, it’s not just Jimmy’s chemistry with his friends that makes him so fun, but the running gag that he’s a ladies' man that seems to be completely exhausted by the fact that everyone finds him so attractive. It’s always hilarious and infinitely charming, and even more surprisingly, Jimmy becomes integral to the plot with his relationship to Lex Luthor’s girlfriend. If this depiction of Jimmy does anything, it shows the zany mayhem that Jimmy gets himself into with the Silver Age as Superman’s pal.
4Lois Lane
The Incredible Reporter for the Daily Planet, and Star-Crossed Lover for Superman
Rachel Brosnahan’s performance as Lois Lane provides audiences with a depiction of the iconic character with integrity, confidence, and love. Brosnahan’s Lois stands on her own as a great journalist, but it’s really her complex relationship with Superman that makes her so great. With Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, the love story between her character and Superman is just so believable and so wonderful to watch. The chemistry between Brosnahan and Corenswet is great, and how Lois Lane stands confident against superheroes, enough to insult them to their face, shows how unstoppable she is as the best of humanity in Superman’s eyes.
3Mr. Terrific
The Smartest Man on Earth Who Doesn’t Have Time for People’s Emotions
One of the greatest standouts inSupermanis deservingly, Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific. A character who considers himself one of the smartest people on the planet, and has the portfolio to back it up. Mister Terrific is a genius, and his dry humor and no-nonsense attitude make him a lot of fun, especially when he seems to farm aura in every scene. Not only does Mr. Terrific get the best needle drop of the movie with his own action scene, but his confidence and willingness to help save the day without feeling a need to draw attention to himself show that this is the perfect start to a character who deserves his own HBO Max series.
2Lex Luthor
An Intellectual Man Driven by Hatred and Ego
There has never been a villain more smart and more petty than Lex Luthor, especially when he’s played by an extremely bald Nicholas Hoult. Lex Luthor is filled with such hatred for Superman that it drives the entire movie with a great antagonist and an unwinding plot. Luthor’s feats with just his brain are incredible, andhis monologues are lengthy, exhaustive, and so aggressiveabout his ego and genius that it’s hard not to rank this version of Lex Luthor as one of the best who deserves far more screen time and confrontations with Superman.
1Superman
The Man of Tomorrow Shows a Wide Range of Emotions and Incredible Powers
Superman is the pinnacle character of his own movie, serving as the catalyst for the plot and the most important hero of all. David Corenswet excels as Superman, providing a charming performance that shows how hopeful Superman is, how powerful he is, and, of course, how human and vulnerable he can be. This characterization of Superman is incredible, with his emotional range and his strength being impossible to deny. The romance with Lois Lane, the love for humanity, aided by a powerful brain and brawn, makes this double role of Clark Kent and Superman one that deserves a sequel.
