Superman is the most powerful superhero in DC Comics, able to go toe to toe with its most powerful villains, like Darkseid and Brainiac. That’s why it’s surprising that his nemesis is Lex Luthor, a man without any superpowers.

James Gunn's Superman accomplishes the impossible task of launching the new DC Universe by embracing its comic book roots instead of trying to redefine them

Instead of retreading narrative subject matter audiences have become bored with (no baby Kal-El in a spaceship crashing to Earth here), Gunn's take on the character's story drops the audience into an already built world.