Superman (2025): cast, story and where to watch in the UK

The film in one paragraph

Superman is already Metropolis’s hero when he stops one country invading another and finds himself in the middle of an international row. Lex Luthor seizes the moment to turn the public against him. It’s a bright, fast and openly sincere film about kindness as strength, packed with the colourful side of DC: giant monsters, pocket universes, a hero team called the Justice Gang and a very badly behaved superdog. This section is spoiler-free; the ending is explained in a clearly marked section at the bottom.

Key facts

Where to watch in the UK

Checked on 6 November 2026 with JustWatch UK.

• Stream: HBO Max (including the HBO Max Amazon Channel), NOW Cinema and Sky Go.
• Buy: from the main digital stores, from about £7.99, or on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD.
• Free: there’s no free option.
• Netflix: JustWatch doesn’t list it on Netflix UK.

Streaming deals change, so check before you subscribe.

Cast

John Cena also cameos as Peacemaker. The film gives a starring role to Krypto the Superdog, and its Fortress of Solitude, set in Antarctica, was filmed in Svalbard, Norway. The rest was shot at Trilith Studios in Georgia and on location in Cleveland and Cincinnati.

How old is Clark?

Asked in 2023, Gunn said his Clark is about David Corenswet’s age. Corenswet, born on 8 July 1993, was 32 at release. (Likely)

Box office and awards

Superman opened with $125 million in the US, the biggest opening for a standalone Superman film, and finished on $618.7 million worldwide. The UK was its top international market on opening weekend. It won the Critics’ Choice Super Awards for Best Superhero Movie and Best Actor in a Superhero Movie (Corenswet) and was shortlisted for the Oscars in Sound and Visual Effects. That success locked in the sequel, Man of Tomorrow, for July 2027.

What it set up

• Supergirl (2026): Kara Zor-El’s own film, with Krypto.
• Peacemaker season 2 (2025) and Lanterns (2026) on HBO, set in the same universe.
• Man of Tomorrow (2027): Superman and Lex against Brainiac.

New to the new universe? See our DCU watch order.

Spoilers: the ending and credits scenes explained

Spoiler warning. Everything below gives away the plot and the ending. If you haven’t seen the film yet, stop here.

The twist. Superman is beaten in Metropolis by the masked “Hammer of Boravia”, who turns out to be Ultraman, a clone made by Lex Luthor (also played by Corenswet). In the Fortress, Superman’s robots play his Kryptonian parents’ message, but it’s damaged. Luthor later leaks the full message, which urges Kal-El to rule Earth, and the public turns against him.

The pocket universe. Superman surrenders and Luthor holds him in a pocket universe, where he forces Metamorpho to turn his hand into kryptonite. Metamorpho helps Superman escape, while Lois and Mister Terrific free the other prisoners. Superman recovers at the Kent farm in Smallville, where Jonathan Kent tells him that his choices and actions make him who he is.

The climax. Luthor opens a rift that splits Metropolis. Superman beats the Engineer and, with Krypto’s help, knocks Ultraman into a black hole, while Mister Terrific closes the rift. Lois and Jimmy expose Luthor, who admits he acted out of envy and is arrested. Lois tells Clark she loves him too.

The final scene. Kara Zor-El arrives at the Fortress to collect Krypto, her dog, and the robots show Superman home videos of his childhood. This cameo, not the credits, is the film’s real tease for what comes next.

The end-credits song is “The Mighty Crabjoys Theme”, by James Gunn with Eric Nally of Foxy Shazam and Devin Williams. For the rest of the family on screen, see the Superman family tree and Kara Zor-El.