Let’s get this out of the way: David Corenswet is Superman. Obviously, the film’s success—both as a standalone feature and as the launch of Warner Bros.’ brand-new DC Universe timeline—hinges on how well its titular hero resonates with moviegoers. But while characters like Batman and Spider-Man have undergone countless iterations over the decades, every Superman since 1978 has existed in the shadow of the late Christopher Reeve, whether it’s Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill on film, the DC Animated Universe, or the recently concluded Superman & Lois. And Gunn’s Superman is just as indebted to Superman: The Movie, evident in its opening title screen, movie poster, and John Williams–inspired score.

Instead of leaning on the older films as a crutch, however, director James Gunn—already well-versed in superhero storytelling with the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, The Suicide Squad, and the DCU series Creature Commandos—invites his audience to jump all in on the weirdness a comic booky universe has to offer. That the ridiculousness inspired by Silver Age Superman comics is played with complete sincerity by Corenswet only makes this film even more delightful. Superman succeeds as a piece of entertainment that inspires hope through kindness, just when we need it most.

Superman’s origin story is so universally known that Gunn doesn’t bother retelling it. A brief wall of text establishes that metahumans have existed in this universe for centuries. Superman arrived on Earth 30 years ago, only recently emerging as a full-fledged hero while living undercover as journalist Clark Kent. It’s an in media res story, opening with Superman crash-landing in the Antarctic, where Krypto the Super-Dog drags his bloodied master to the Fortress of Solitude to be healed by a legion of robot helpers. From there, Superman rushes into battle against a mechanical-suited terrorist attacking Metropolis—an attack secretly orchestrated by tech billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), who is determined to prove that Superman is unworthy of humanity’s admiration.

But Lex’s schemes are just one thread in a broader story involving geopolitics and monster attacks. At work, Clark has a rich dynamic with reporters Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). In one standout dinner scene, his interview with Lois—who is both a colleague and his girlfriend—reveals that not everyone is thrilled with Superman these days. After intervening in a conflict between Boravia and Jarhanpur, Superman is accused of either acting unilaterally or serving as a tool of American imperialism. Both perceptions frustrate Clark, who simply wants to prevent innocent people from dying.

He also has a strained working relationship with the corporate-sponsored superteam known as the Justice Gang—Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced). Their banter reveals just how commonplace fantastical and sci-fi events are in this universe. In contrast, Superman’s old-school charm—his “What the hay” attitude and unapologetic earnestness—feels radical. Or as he puts it to Lois, “punk.”

The best Superman stories don’t just test his strength; they test his values. Here, the revelation that a message from his Kryptonian parents hid a darker intention shakes the foundation of his moral compass and threatens his reputation. Admittedly, this twist lacks the emotional impact it deserves—Gunn throws so much at the audience that there’s little time to sit with the consequences. Yet the filmmaker balances this out with a wide array of thrills, from kaiju-sized monsters to pocket dimension portals and insane clashes against Lex’s henchmen. It’s delightful to watch, buoyed by an expansive supporting cast of Daily Planet and LuthorCorp employees, an elemental shapeshifter named Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), and one very good dog in a cape. They all make this silly world feel real, even as its life-or-death events might as well be another Tuesday.

For all its mythological ambition, Corenswet’s performance keeps the film grounded. Now stepping into full leading-man status after memorable turns in Pearl and Twisters, he blends Cavill’s physique with Reeve’s signature ability to flip between Clark’s nerdy awkwardness and Superman’s calm authority. This plays well against Brosnahan’s strong-willed investigative brain and Hoult’s maniacal smugness, but it also helps reiterate Superman’s kindness. Especially in the little details. He’s someone willing to stop a monster from crushing a dog or to keep a baby out of harm’s way while fighting several goons at once. There’s an underlying niceness to him to that swings the pendulum away from the more angsty Superman scripts, reminding us that humanity defines this hero more than any one power.

Even as the film occasionally buckles under the weight of numerous plot threads (some clearly setting up future DCU entries), that human core stays intact. It’s a hard thing to get right—and one that still seems to confound real-world cynics. (Fox News has criticized Superman for being pro-immigrant—as he’s been since his creation in 1938.) Somehow Gunn modernizes the granddaddy of all superheroes while keeping his appeal timeless in an age where real-world villainy and apathy run rampant.

The world needs Superman now more than ever, and Corenswet’s performance doesn’t just make you look up. It makes you believe that kind of moral goodness still has a fighting chance.