What does Superman still mean to us in 2025?
That’s the question Newsday’s Entertainment Editor Rafer Guzmán explored in a recent story, featuring insights from SciFiSland.com’s own Editor and Publisher Lon Cohen. Alongside local superfans and comic shop owners across Long Island, Cohen shared why James Gunn’s upcoming Superman reboot, flying into theaters on Thursday, July 11, feels like more than just another superhero flick.
When referencing past incarnations of the character – including the Zack Snyder turn, which was much more cynical – Cohen said that Superman is generally about optimism.
“People try to adapt him, but I don’t think you can,” Cohen told Newsday. “I think he represents hope.”
The article dives into Superman’s evolution, from his Depression-era origins to Christopher Reeve’s iconic turn in 1978 to today’s new take, starring David Corenswet. This version brings back classic charm (red trunks and all), introduces Krypto the Superdog, and centers a younger, idealistic Man of Steel in a time that desperately craves optimism.
Superman’s creation “is an iconic story in itself,” says Lon Cohen… He notes that Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” was inspired by Shuster, Siegel and other early comics creators. Superman, Cohen explains, is in some ways both a quintessential immigrant and an American. “The whole thing has a good story, and that’s why we’re so fascinated with him.”
Watch the Superman trailer below:
Want to know more about what makes this new Superman soar? Check out the full article on Newsday.com and see why Long Island fans are suiting up early.
Photo: Warner Brothers.
